Guardian Angels

The first prayer my mother taught me was the Guardian Angel Prayer:

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. Amen.

When I was a child I used to look out my window at night and think I saw the tail of my guardian angel's robe. I reality what I saw was the light from the streetlamp falling between the shadows of my parents' cars, but this began a relationship with my guardian angel. Plus, my aunt told me to pray a Hail Mary before going to bed to ask Mary, Queen of the Angels, to tell me the name of my guardian angel. In college, none of my peers had ever thought of having a relationship with their guardian angel before and I thought I was alone in this until I discovered our Congregation. To our Founder, St. Arnold, angelic spirits were God's messengers, our teachers in the spiritual life, our protectors, and most of all they taught us how to worship and adore God. Thank you, Lord, for your angels!