To Light, to Guard, to Rule and Guide.

Today is the Memorial of the Guardian Angels and I cannot help but think of the prayer I would say with my brothers, sisters and parents each night before going to sleep.

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here.
Ever this night be at my side.
To light, to guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.

I remember thinking this is a good prayer, especially because I was afraid of the dark.  It was reassuring to think that an angel would be with me and also–the prayer was short. However, I am not certain I really believed there was such a thing as a Guardian Angel.

It is interesting to me all these years later, that I find myself more inclined to believe in and be comforted by Guardian Angels. I think  this is because I have experienced God in so many different ways over the years:  whether it was a sunset, a special friendship, a loving wife, a stranger’s act of kindness, the birth of a child, a grand Gothic cathedral, a success, or even a failure that became a grace. God’s desire to reach out and express his love for each of us is so strong that he will stop at nothing to touch our hearts. This is my experience… so why not Guardian Angels?

—David McNulty is the Provincial Assistant for Advancement, Chicago-Detroit Province Jesuits