This is a picture of the storefront window of a religious goods store, which sent me an advertisement trying to sell angel statues.
Why are angels, biblically always depicted as blood and guts warriors, depicted today all wispy and chiffon and pastel and effeminate, or here, simply as female niceness? I’m quite sure angels, who are all about truth and justice, with extreme intelligence with their infused knowledge coupled with the wisdom resulting from seeing God in the face, God who is love, turning intelligence into wisdom, and with extreme power to provide one way or the other for us not only for our spiritual lives but in regard to the material universe, I’m quite sure that they will not appreciate being depicted with masks holding up a mockery of Saint Pio’s saying: “Pray, hope and don’t worry.” Notice that even that placard is presented as a mask with the typical ties hanging on the sides.
Sister Lucia recounted long after the events at Fatima that the visits of the angel preceding those of our Lady impressed them with a sense that their angelic visitor, however heavenly, was carrying the weight of the glory of the justice of the Most High, with that weight of the glory of God pushing them to their knees. In Hebrew, it’s interesting that the word for “glory” and the word for “weight” are the same.
Angels have much to say to us about our CONSCIENCES. Ask your guardian angel to assist you with humility. Ask your guardian angel to help you with an examination of conscience.
I remember a priest who liked to mock what he described (I’m paraphrasing) a childish saccharine prayer to one’s guardian angel:
- Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.
I see nothing with that prayer (which I say all the time) other than asking one’s guardian angel to go ahead and crush oneself under the weight of the glory of God, you know, so as to die to oneself to live for Jesus. The question is, do we want to be open to how this powerful spiritual being deals with us?
- Do you really want his light? If you ask him to enlighten your conscience, ask him to be gentle. He will about cut you to shreds. You want to make a good confession? Do this. Should you then see the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven, when every one is being cut to shreds by the truth of how they stand before the Living God, you will have already been there, done that, and be able to hold your head high, as Jesus tells us to do. The translation of the Greek for Mt 24:30 refers to grieving because of seeing the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven. The Greek has something akin to cut to shreds. Yep.
- Do you really want him to guard you? He’ll do what is takes to guard you should you ask him, especially from from evil circumstances that will lead you to sin, bad friends with whom you will fall into sin… Just be sure to follow his indications. You’ll know. You gotta work together with him.
- Do you really want him to rule you? He will insist. You have a conscience? He will use it. Are you good with that? Really?
- Do you really want him to guide you? In our fallen human nature, we will rebel. To be led by an angel, right to heaven, we have to be the littlest of children, not thinking we know the way, but trusting in him, that angel, who already right now, Jesus says, sees the face of our Heavenly Father. Let’s see… this entails being… the littlest of children…
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 
That’s a ridiculous picture.
I thank God for my Guardian Angel several times a day, say the “child’s prayer” several times a day and again, am grateful to God for my guardian angel. Sometimes I sense that there is more than one.
Thanks be to God that I’ve never come across (as far as I know) a Priest that mocked the GA prayer, but if I do, I’ll respond with Jesus’ own words at Matt 18:2-4.
I have never understood flooffy angels with long blond angels with perfectly coiffed long blond hair. Whenever an angel appears in the Bible, his greeting is, “Fear not.” Somehow I could never imagine fearing a floofy being with pervectly coiffed long blond hair. I picture angels as St. Michael: strong, martial carrying a weapon and ready to fight God’s enemies and ours. Whoever was it who decided that this store front is appropriate?
Agreed, Kogoheka. Maybe if Scripture said “Don’t ye laugh at me!” then maybe…
I still say the prayer to my GA learnt in childhood and I am in my 74th year. It is not “a childish saccharine prayer” as that other priest believes but a prayer asking one’s GA for his help in every facet of one’s life. I have never seen my GA, and therefore I have never felt “the weight of the glory of the justice of the Most High” as Father Byers does when he and his GA communicate and as the the three children of Fatima did when they met their country’s GA. For me, simply knowing my GA is both in God’s presence and beside me, doing everything he can to get me to Heaven, is wonderful. That’s accompaniment! Father Byers and everyone praying for me is also accompaniment. Another way of expressing that is being in solidarity: desirous of and doing all one can for the good of the other. Our Lord’s 2 Great Commandments come to mind but not when Pope Francis uses the term “accompaniment”. What he calls accompaniment is a different kettle of fish altogether. It does not build up but tears down.
Like you, I have never seen my GA. But I have felt the weight and glory of God while in Adoration, right after Confession. I had made the request “Lord, let me feel your presence.”
Yikes! I was not ready and got an tiny glimpse of how the people felt when Moses brought them to meet the Lord on His mountain. Ex 20:18-19
Meanwhile, a few minutes after my last Confession, I felt like I was the tiniest little child before Jesus and Mary, like, right there. Just a couple of seconds. Very grateful. I have not seen my guardian angel unless we entertain them unaware. I think in speaking of such things we encourage each other. Aussie Mum is certainly a great encouragement to me and I think to all of us.
She is certainly an encouragement to me, too.