Why are guardian angels usually hidden?

[Neoplatonist]

I have read some interesting work on the hiddenness of God—some insightful and some not. Even then, though, those arguments do not seem to apply to our guardian angels as well. If their role is to watch over us and watch out for us, why would they also resist our prayerful requests for visions or visitations? Aquinas made a good argument that they can affect our senses and our dreams just as they can influence our will.

To use a couple of analogies to get talk up and going: imagine how much slower and sloppier it would be to have a babysitter or a math tutor who never spoke to you or answered any of your questions.

 

[mikekle]

I know exactly what you are saying!! Over the years Ive tried praying, crying and begging for help from my guardian angel (as well as God), and to date, Ive had zero response, not even a small feeling of their grace or love. I have always wondered about this.

Ive known plenty of people that have gotten into trouble, and they had no help from a guardian angel, so…Im not sure what that means though.

 

[SnowAngels]

I know exactly what you are saying!! Over the years Ive tried praying, crying and begging for help from my guardian angel (as well as God), and to date, Ive had zero response, not even a small feeling of their grace or love. I have always wondered about this.

Ive known plenty of people that have gotten into trouble, and they had no help from a guardian angel, so…Im not sure what that means though.

I am sorry you feel this way, but I have to respectfully disagree with you. You have no way of knowing if your guardian angel has helped you or not. He/she may have saved you from countless near death experiences that you have no way of knowing about. Even though we can’t see our guardian angels, we can most definitely talk to them. We owe them great respect and love, as they are our guardians and a gift from God.

 

[China123]

I know my guardian angel has intervened for me several times. I am sure it is far more than that but I “know” that they have a few times. I can’t give you hard facts but I just KNOW.

Maybe we are so bogged down with this world that it is hard for us to tune into them or the fact we can’t walk up and talk to them is for a reason.

Just know that they are with us and are a gift from God.

 

[GEddie]

It is not a matter of being hidden.

As non-bodied beings, angels are invisible; not the way that another city is hidden behind the horizon, but simply not visible to our sight.

Unless they make themselves visible, but they normally have better things to do.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Ophelia23]

When I was a young child, I had a very large bed. Somebody gave my family a free mattress when they heard that I had outgrown the crib and that my parents couldn’t afford a bed for me. It was a queen size bed. So, I went from a crib to a queen. Needless to say, there was a lot of room. When I was a little older–4 or 5–I would fold down the blankets on one side of the bed and invite my angel to sleep with me. I distinctly remember saying, “You don’t need to watch me when I’m sleeping. You can sleep, too.”

There was one night when I, at this very young age, felt afraid for whatever reason. And I folded back my blankets, invited my angel in to bed, and confessed how afraid I was. I remember feeling a warm comfort come all over me, and I physically felt like a hand was holding mine as I drifted off to sleep.

Now, as an adult, my angel is definitely not visible in the sense of being seen, nor are they tangible in the sense of being felt… but I have always thought back to that instance where I knew my angel was with me. I’ve never forgotten it. I just thought I would share, but I digress.

 

[R_C]

It is not spiritually healthy to ask for or to desire visions and visitations.

Angels only do God’s will, not ours. They are to rule and guide us, not to serve us.

Demons (who are also angels, albeit fallen ones) do not have such scruples. If allowed, they will respond to a man’s desires for visions and other mystical phenomena, disguised as angels of light. Great mystics, like John of the Cross, for instance, discourage not just from desiring and seeking such experiences, but even encourage to actively despise them and, if they were to take place, to entirely ignore them and report them calmly to a confessor.

It is reported in the lives of the saints that the devil tried to deceive them by visions himself disguised as an angel of light, as a great saint, as Our Lady, and yes, even as Our Lord. Because pure spirits can affect our senses appearing in any way. Fortunately, the Lord does not allow this to happen except when it is His will, for the sanctification of a soul.

So don’t play with fire Seek the Kingdom first, and in the night of the senses, for only by crucifying the flesh and the senses we can strive to be united with Christ in a more perfect partaking of the Divine Nature.

(I have been there…before my conversion, for years I prayed to see and even to embrace my guardian angel…I had such great love for him, even as I barely prayed to God, because in him I saw God’s providence at work…my first silly prayer after First Communion was to the Lord, to grant my angel to guard someone better than me, since I had so greatly burdened him during my life…also I had two distinct dreams I recall…in one, I saw someone in my living room with a serene countenance and now I have a Bible there and I pray every night…in another I was going through a very difficult emotional situation and kept having nightmares concerning a loved one whom I had lost telling me distressing things, and I saw the same figure standing behind me and staring at that person…I never had that recurring nightmare again…so I understand what you are saying, and it is a beautiful desire, very natural. And the Lord may even grant a glimpse of fulfillment of your desire, although we must be patient to meet our angel in heaven - probably the first one we get to see )

St. Padre Pio, a great mystic, did say that we are free to ask Christ to make himself be felt sensibly after receiving Holy Communion. This by loving Him and desiring to be loved back, not out of curiosity. Christ remained silent when the teachers of the law and king Herod asked to see miracles, but He transfigured before the apostles, and allowed John to rest his head upon His Sacred Heart.

Try instead to be attentive to the direction and guidance of your guardian angel, by praying in times of doubt, need, and temptation, that He may lift your cry to the Father as a loving sacrifice, and bring down His light and grace in return.

 

[roselily]

Why are guardian angels usually hidden?

:angel1:
And are you sure that it is when you sleep at night suddenly you awoke and saw an angel bright white light shining shape with human figure but without flesh stand at the end side of your bed you not scared after saw the angel?

That is why guardian angels usually hidden.

 

[roselily]

I know exactly what you are saying!! Over the years Ive tried praying, crying and begging for help from my guardian angel (as well as God), and to date, Ive had zero response, not even a small feeling of their grace or love. I have always wondered about this.

Ive known plenty of people that have gotten into trouble, and they had no help from a guardian angel, so…Im not sure what that means though.

Some sufferings is at the service of goodness, not of bad.

**1Peter 1

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, 11inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated, when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. 12It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look!

13 Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.

Revelation 7

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?’ 14I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one that knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
17 for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

Psalm 31

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord.

Matthew 24

14And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.
**

 

[Neoplatonist]

1._But surely there are any number of consolations we might receive from a friend in our times of sorrow or doubt that would not suggest, in any way, that they “serve” us. It is similarly true for the other analogies I offered of a babysitter or a teacher. Neither is clearly meant to obey the will of the child, only the parent, but that doesn’t mean it is wrong-headed to ask either of them a question or to hope for comfort if we’re hurting inside or out.

2._What a strange case St. John of the Cross presents. It would be a sad model of gratitude to despise or ignore signs of love or support or consolation from a friend or mentor or parent, and to be seen as foolish or weak to look to them for such things.

 

[Neoplatonist]

Why are guardian angels usually hidden?

:angel1:
And are you sure that it is when you sleep at night suddenly you awoke and saw an angel bright white light shining shape with human figure but without flesh stand at the end side of your bed you not scared after saw the angel?

That is why guardian angels usually hidden.

A.) Sounds like a false dilemma: either fearful awe or nothing. Why not a comforting hand or a word of reassurance?

B.) Still better than nothing. Most faith lives could use a little touch of fear and awe.

 

[Neoplatonist]

It is not a matter of being hidden.

As non-bodied beings, angels are invisible; not the way that another city is hidden behind the horizon, but simply not visible to our sight.

Unless they make themselves visible, but they normally have better things to do.

ICXC NIKA

What do you mean by “have better things to do”? Isn’t watching over us their God-given mission? What else are you imagining is on their daily to-do list that they couldn’t put in a quick appearance for a minute or two every year or every five?

 

[pianistclare]

OK, I’m not going to quote documents or anything, but I will say this:
I’ve always felt I had the hardest working guardian angel in show business.
Meaning…if it were not for my angel gently guiding me, praying for me, interceding for me I think I would have fallen many times. I think it would have taken unnecessary chances, I would have put off prayers, I would have fallen asleep when it would be better to do spiritual reading and reflection.
I’ve always worked from a standpoint that they are there…they want to help us…they are our special guardians…they love us and want to bring us closer to God.
I don’t look for my guardian angel to prove anything to me. But in fact, in trusting that they will help me, I believe I have found my proof.

Maybe that doesn’t make sense.
And I don’t think it’s playing with fire to expect to be close to them.
Who is offered holy friendship and turns away from it? Only a foolish person.
I pray for God’s will, and I trust that my guardian angel guides me in the proper direction.
:angel1:

 

[roselily]

(I have been there…before my conversion, for years I prayed to see and even to embrace my guardian angel…I had such great love for him, even as I barely prayed to God, because in him I saw God’s providence at work…my first silly prayer after First Communion was to the Lord, to grant my angel to guard someone better than me, since I had so greatly burdened him during my life…also I had two distinct dreams I recall…in one, I saw someone in my living room with a serene countenance and now I have a Bible there and I pray every night…in another I was going through a very difficult emotional situation and kept having nightmares concerning a loved one whom I had lost telling me distressing things, and I saw the same figure standing behind me and staring at that person…I never had that recurring nightmare again…so I understand what you are saying, and it is a beautiful desire, very natural. And the Lord may even grant a glimpse of fulfillment of your desire, although we must be patient to meet our angel in heaven - probably the first one we get to see )
.

A.) Sounds like a false dilemma: either fearful awe or nothing. Why not a comforting hand or a word of reassurance?

B.) Still better than nothing. Most faith lives could use a little touch of fear and awe.

I have seen guardian angel.

And I never prayed to see guardian angel.

I awoke up at night about three days ago I saw a bright white light shape human figure but without flesh stand at the end side of my bed, I cried, other run out from other room and saw the bright white figure also and later said very tall, then the angel disappear, I am not the only one saw that angel that night. I do not lie, never!

My mother would think I am always be good so angel comes to see me.
Surely I feel comfort and happy, but still a bit fear, but surely very happy!
I love God .


I do not know if this is allowed to post here, but if not moderator please delete, delete my post, just hope this bring you comfort also.

 

[Neoplatonist]

I know exactly what you are saying!! Over the years Ive tried praying, crying and begging for help from my guardian angel (as well as God), and to date, Ive had zero response, not even a small feeling of their grace or love. I have always wondered about this.

Ive known plenty of people that have gotten into trouble, and they had no help from a guardian angel, so…Im not sure what that means though.

Yeah, a friend or guide who could stand aloof while you cry and beg for a comforting word is a hard thing to reconcile with the images we are given from the Bible and the lives of the saints. Even a hard-line human teacher will at least tell you why they can’t intervene and give you some encouragement.

 

[roselily]

I have seen guardian angel.

And I never prayed to see guardian angel.

I awoke up at night about three days ago I saw a bright white light shape human figure but without flesh stand at the end side of my bed, I cried, other run out from other room and saw the bright white figure also and later said very tall, then the angel disappear, I am not the only one saw that angel that night. I do not lie, never!

My mother would think I am always be good so angel comes to see me.
Surely I feel comfort and happy, but still a bit fear, but surely very happy!
I love God .


I do not know if this is allowed to post here, but if not moderator please delete, delete my post, just hope this bring you comfort also.

I come to delete this post; I saw a note that after 20 minutes post could not delete . Now I only can ask moderator delete it, but all I wrote is true, and I just hope to give Brothers Sisters comfort and tell you why angles not appear in front of you when you not ready that guardian angels fear you would fear, but at end when God new earth and new heavens comes we shall all see.

Mark 12
30you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” 31The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’

 

[SMA_12]

I am convinced my guardian angel saved me from near certain death.

Long story short: 75mph, traffic slamming on their brakes ahead of me, my brakes snap and no longer work, no where to go but in a ditch or slamming another car…

I end up on the opposite shoulder of the road, across a lane of traffic, unharmed and rolling to a stop. Still not sure how I got there untouched.

And I was living in a state of mortal sin at the time having gone years without confession. Needless to say I am extremely fortunate. I am living on borrowed time as they say.

Mine is an extreme example but you really have no clue how much your guardian angel aids you. In some cases maybe the best thing for you, is not to help you miraculously, but to let you grow stronger through the cross God gave you to bear.

I needed a miracle for the sake of my soul, maybe some of us need not to have a miracle for the sake of theirs.

 

[roselily]

Bless God! Praise the Lord!
Thy Kingdom Come!

 

[JamesCaruso]

Forty-four years ago, I experienced what I believe was the intervention of an angel. I had just visited a priest over a family matter and was not at all in favor of his counsel. I was actually very worked up, angry. In the middle of my rage, a soft, nonthreatening voice cut through my anger like a warm knife through butter and told me in one sentence what I needed to do to rectify my situation. It was one hundred percent on target and it repaired a relationship between myself and my Father overnight. Two years later my Father died. It has made all the difference in my life to have been reconciled with him before he died.

At the time this happened, I knew the voice in my head was not coming from me. It was the opposite of what I was wanting to hear. Somehow I knew the voice was not God’s, but it was “of God,” so I deduced it must have been an angel. It has never happened since.

I talk to my guardian angel. He doesn’t answer, but I believe he is there. I pray to him, as I do to my patron and other saints, and to Our Blessed Mother. I hear them, so to speak, at a level below that singular experience 44 years ago. Do I want to hear that voice again? Not really. I want God to deal with me in whatever is the most effective way possible, voice or no voice, He knows best.

 

[Neoplatonist]

Now try to imagine how different your life might have gone without that experience. Then think of how you might answer the question of why the guardian angels so often stay hidden.