Choose a topic from Part 1:
1. It is fitting that changeable and fallible human beingsshould be guarded by angels, and thus steadily moved and regulatedto good.
2. St. Jerome, in his commentary on Matthew 8:10, says,"The dignity of human souls is great, for each has an angelappointed to guard it." God's providence extends, not onlyto mankind as a whole, but to individual human beings. Each humanbeing has, by God's loving providence, his own guardianangel.
3. It seems that the office of being guardians to menbelongs to the lowest order of heavenly spirits, that is, the ninthorder, the order of Angels.
4. Each human being, without exception, has a guardianangel as long as he is a wayfarer, that is, during his wholeearthly life. In heaven a man will have an angel companion to reignwith him, but not a guardian; no guardian is needed when theguarded journey has been successfully completed. In hell, each manwill have a fallen angel to punish him.
5. Each human being has his guardian angel from the momentof his birth, and not, as some have taught, only from the moment ofbaptism.
6. The guardian angel is a gift of divine providence. Henever fails or forsakes his charge. Sometimes, in the workings ofprovidence, a man must suffer trouble; this is not prevented by theguardian angel.
7. Guardian angels do not grieve over the ills that befalltheir wards. For all angels uninterruptedly enjoy the beatificvision and are forever filled with joy and happiness. Guardianangels do not will the sin which their wards commit, nor do theydirectly will the punishment of this sin; they do will thefulfillment of divine justice which requires that a man be allowedto have his way, to commit sin if he so choose, to endure trialsand troubles, and to suffer punishment.
8. All angels are in perfect agreement with the divinewill in so far as it is revealed to them. But it may happen thatnot all angels have the same revelations of the divine will fortheir several ministries, and thus, among angels, there may arise aconflict, discord, or strife. This explains what is said in Daniel10:13 about the guardian angel of the Persians resisting "forone and twenty days" the prayer of Daniel offered by theArchangel Gabriel.
"To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.
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Thomas á Kempis
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"What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. "
Thomas á Kempis
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"God speaks to us without ceasing by his good inspirations."
The Cure D'Ars
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