And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, /Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord/. /And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger/. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, /Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!/” (Lk. 2:8-14)
Every Christmas we read this very moving passage from St. Luke’s Gospel. We never cease being awed by an angelic host appearing to a group of shepherds, representing a humble office in Israel, who become the first ones to receive God’s salvific message for mankind.
Angels, however, are sometimes taken for granted. They now seem to have been ‘petrified’ as overly made-up decorative statues or figures to deck our homes. They are also misrepresented to be no longer ‘spiritual creatures’ but more like demigods and goddesses that serve as superstitious trinkets to console our every ‘material need’.
It may be worth to quote Peter Kreefts’ 12 Most Important Points about angels in order to once again appreciate these God-given guides and gifts who have no other mission than to help men and women in their journey towards Heaven.
Here are the 12 points enumerated by Kreeft in one of his talks:
1. Angels really exist. Not just in our minds, or our myths, or our symbols, or our culture. They are as real as your dog, or your sister, or electricity.
2. Angels are present, right here, right now, right next to you, reading these words with you.
3. Angels are not cute, cuddly, comfortable, chummy, or “cool”. They are fearsome and formidable. They are huge. They are warriors.
4. Angels are the real “extra-terrestrials”, the real “Supermen”, the ultimate aliens. Their powers are far beyond those of all fictional creatures.
5. Angels have more brilliant minds than Einstein.
6. Angels can literally move the heavens and the earth if God permits them.
7. There are also evil angels, fallen angels, demons, or devils. These too are not myths. Demon possessions, and exorcisms are real.
8. Angels are aware of you, even though you can’t usually see or hear them. But you can communicate with them. You can talk to them without even speaking.
9. You really do have your very own “guardian angel”. Everybody does.
10. Angels often come disguised. “Do not neglect hospitality, for some have entertained angels unawares.” That’s a warning from life’s oldest and best instruction manual.
11. We are on a protected part of a great battlefield between angels and devils, extending to eternity.
12. Angels are sentinels standing at the crossroads where life meets death. They work especially at moments of crisis, at the brink of disaster– for bodies, for souls, and for nations.
From these points we could derive some practical ascetical tips:
1. Give your Guardian Angel (G.A.) a name. One you can easily remember and call out for your daily and urgent needs as well. Examples: Mike, Ted, Rod.
2. Don’t stop at number one. Strive to deal with your G.A. constantly. It makes our G.A. very happy to serve us, for that is their principal mission. For example, discreetly giving him passage when you open a door. This is a good awakening exercise for our faith too.
3. Our G.A. loves being asked for help, but above all the aid that would help us progress spiritually. For example, asking him to help us not to be distracted in prayer or to help us live order well.
4. Since other people also have G.A.s, let us get the habit of greeting the G.A. of the people we deal with. This is also very helpful when there are persons that we may find difficult to deal with. Note: non-Christians also have G.A.s.
5. Don’t forget the major angels, so far the ones we know, like St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael. They may have a different mission from the regular G.A.s, but they would not complain if you ask their help either.
6. In case you G.A. doesn’t seem to respond as quickly as you expect (though this is unheard of)m don’t forget to “file a prayerful complaint” (of course, I’m only joking!) to Mary, the Queen of Angels.