“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11
Over my years as a parent, my devotion to my Guardian Angel and those of my children has grown. For my little children, I often pray for their angels’ aid and protection as they play sports, ride their bikes, and go for a swim. When the world of teen drivers opened up, my devotion met a whole new level. I’ll now send my own Guardian Angel for extra protection for my children as double-duty. (Probably not necessary, but what’s a mom to do?)
Our Guardian Angels can protect us from physical harm, but also, and more importantly, guard us from spiritual harm.
I beg their prayerful intercession on behalf of the souls of my children, that they’d be shielded from the snares of the Devil and that their eyes would remain always on Christ.
Though it is sometimes done by well-meaning individuals, it’s not an approved practice to name one’s Guardian Angel. Naming infers authority which we are not granted over our angels.
“The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.” (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 216)
There was a time, however that my son, when age six, was convinced he knew his Guardian Angel’s name and referred to him often.
He was confident his angel’s name was….
Jerry Flickerman.
It’s true that if anyone on this earth has a Guardian Angel named Jerry Flickerman, it’s Aidan.
It was such a precise name, I thought maybe there was a poor soul in Purgatory who whispered his name hoping for Aidan’s childlike intercession. I even scoured the internet for obituaries, but came up empty. I guess maybe Aidan was onto something about his angel. Jerry Flickerman, my guardian dear? Even to this day, Jerry Flickerman is a household name.
How well do you know your Guardian Angel and those of your family members? On this Feast of the Guardian Angels, resolve to renew your devotion and relationship with your Heavenly Aids!
I’ve found great comfort in this Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her Children.
I humbly salute you, O you faithful, heavenly Friends of my children! I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed company.
Amen.
