2 October 2019
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Expressing the presence of God has always been difficult. The Holy Spirit has been relegated to being a bird, God the Father usually as an old and stern man, and the image of Jesus runs the gamut of the severe face on a Russian Icon or someone who looked like he just got off a surfboard. The providential and loving presence of God has come to us through angels, who likewise have received a various range of portrayals. Today’s memorial recalls not so much the winged character familiar to us in Holy Cards rather, the reality of God’s providence and action in the world. How that providence works in the created world is a mystery, but we know that grace is operative, and that grace moves our minds and hearts towards Love of God and love of neighbor. How that grace moves in our minds and hearts and in other aspects of creation will confound many, but we believe that part of that mystery of God’s action in the world is the presence of God’s angels for which we are all grateful recipients.