The Guardian Angels, Our Heavenly Companions, a little booklet that reveals the secrets of angels and how they guide and govern the world. It explains the many services these blessed spirits perform for us, mostly without our realizing it -- protecting souls and bodies in a way that can be both ordinary and miraculous. Fascinating examples from the lives of our holiest saints: how they defend us, how they form at Mass, how they defeat demons! CLICK HERE


 
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ABOUT CALLING ON THE 'HIGH ANGELS' AND REVISITING THE ISSUE OF NAMING GUARDIANS

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Do you call enough upon your angels? That's plural because it's said often we have more than one guardian or whatever the case, there are times when other angels add to the one around us (see: the many intercessions of the great Archangel Michael).

It is right with God for us to ask for special angelic assistance and angels are only happy to oblige, when it's God's Will -- responding instantly.

They move faster than time.

Do you call upon the "high angels"? Can we use that expression? We know there is a hierarchy. Often, it's expressed in the way of the choirs -- from seraphim and cherubim and thrones to guardians, dominions, principalities (not all in that order).

Why not call on the highest angels, never neglecting first your own guardian? Why not request special assistance?

Look for added help from angels who have dominion over your family or community or state or even country or who serve as principals over certain causes (such as relief from addictions and infirmity). When you're visiting an area, do you ask for help from the angels of God assigned to that area? (They know the terrain!) Just as we cast dark spirits out by name: so can we powerfully call upon good ones. Angel of self-control. Angel of health. Angel of protection.

When we die, we will encounter holy entities who know a rank and file; there, we will rise (or fall) into place.

In Heaven, on the other side -- say those who have glimpsed it -- are "ancient ones." This also seemed indicated in the Book of Revelation. In the "Heaven" accounts, they were not ancient patriarchs of the Church but rather high-ranking heavenly spirits (if we believe such accounts).

Can we name angels -- beyond a general title? This is vigorously debated. We learned that last year, in the mailbag. Some say yes. Others no -- that it's presumptuous. Noted a viewer we quoted a year ago:

"Saint Pio, with all his God-given wonderful, spiritual and mystical gifts, only called his guardian angel 'Angiolillo,' an Italian term of endearment meaning 'little loving angel of mine.'" Perhaps we can also add, at times of need, "Great loving angels on high." Others differ.

Said a viewer named Karen M. Ruffner from East Brunswick, New Jersey: "My comment on naming angels is that I can't believe an angel would mind if we call them something that is not their real name. As you said, only God can give them their true name, but just like children call their grandparents a fanciful name, I would think the angels would find that charming! As for calling forth some demon by mistake, come on, really? Our love and devotion, not to mention our prayers to our angels to ask their help in growing closer to Jesus and Mary: would a demon be attracted to that?"

Countered a Franciscan brother: "This question has already been addressed  by the Church. It was published in 1984 by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and bears Cardinal Ratzinger's signature. Not only do we not have authority to name angels (the Genesis account only states that God gave man authority to name the animals, not angels), but essentially this document says that there is not to be diffused the idea that one can know the name of one's guardian angel and that one is not to invoke the (unknowable) names of angels in prayer."

"I was very busy at work, feeling very tired with a touch of the flu," wrote Jeanne Sinclair of Kenora, Ontario, of her experience. "At that time  I owned my own business in the mall, and decided to go home and rest for awhile. 

"When I got home, I lay down on the couch, praying my Rosary, asking Our Lady to intercede so that I could feel better and soon fell into a deep sleep. I don’t know if ‘deep sleep’ is the correct way to describe it, but it felt like it when I was trying to wake up.

"I remember hearing something but could not make out what was being said.

"It’s as if I was pulling myself out of this groggy state and kept on hearing a voice. I asked, 'who are you? What are you saying?' This went on for a little bit and then I heard the voice clearly say, 'I am your Guardian Angel and my name is Achille'…

"What: Achille? 'Yes,' the voice repeated, 'I am Achille, your guardian angel.'

"By then, I was wide awake…heart pounding, I sat up realizing my angel had just revealed its name to me! I was so excited. I was not familiar with the name Achille, so I reached for our very large and old family Bible that was on the coffee table and opened it to the back section that lists the names of Saints. Sure enough, there it was: Achille(s) -- Greek meaning 'lipless'….lipless? What kind of name is that, I thought…and then I smiled, thinking, why not….my angel is a spirit, so it must be lipless. To me this help confirm that Achille was truly its name."

Besides dreams, what about "signs" and "confirmations"?

Said a viewer named Deborah: "I was told many years ago to name my guardian angel, though it wasn't by a clergy. Ever since then I address mine by name. I have never thought that naming my angel would have been putting my authority over them. 

"To me it makes it more personal or a term of endearment. A friend of mine told me a story regarding one of her grandsons and his guardian angel. He was quite young at the time. He went to his mother and told her he knew the name of his guardian angel: 'Selah.' He was too young to know what the word meant or have even heard of it. My friend was surprised by this when she was looking for some Christian music one day. She came across a CD by the Christian singing group 'Selah.' Selah is a word frequently used in the Hebrew Bible [denoting the break in a song, or calling on people to stop and think]. We've given names to the great Archangels Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. When I made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe they had statues of the four archangels, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel -- and Uriel. I didn't know we were not to name our guardian angels.  Until the Church tells us otherwise I guess I'll continue to address mine by the name that came to me. I prayed for it and I waited to hear it three times, as a confirmation." 

"About twenty years ago a priest in my parish whom many of us considered to be holy told us we could ask God for our angel’s name and to have Him confirm it three times," added Jane Spencer. "It was around this time I was scheduled one evening to observe an hour of Adoration.

"I was running late and keeping up with the speed limit on a two-lane road when someone suddenly pulled out in front of me from a side road. My car did not have power steering at the time. To this day it seems like a dream -- my car made a sharp right turn and then a sharp left turn to avoid hitting the car. It was as if someone else was steering my car!" She believes it was indicated that the angel's name was Anthony.

Said a viewer named Joe: "One can call one's guardian angel by any name one wants, as a form of friendship, but theologically one may not presume that one is giving a name, nor that one knows any proper names of any angels other than those in Scripture. However, one may ask one's guardian angel for his/her name, and if one receives answer, it will be the name that the angel has in relation to its mission to that person (and not necessarily its name in the Plan of God)."

Said Hana Mouasher of Toronto: "It seems there is a little mix-up here about giving a name to one's guardian angel, as opposed to your guardian angel letting you know what his God-given name is. I had once asked my guardian angel what his name was and the name 'Joseph' popped to mind. I was stunned. First, I had not expected such an immediate response, and an insistence on this name. Second, I was expecting to hear a complicated and un-pronounceable celestial name. I didn't know that angels were given the same names that people on earth are carrying. I do not believe that it is my imagination that came up with this name because, if it were, then I probably would have come up with a meaningless jumble of a word -- as I mentioned, I did not expect angels to have people names.

"I thought it was the other way around only, that people are sometimes given angel names such as Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. I understand why the saints would not mention this subject in particular. People tend to go to extremes and start worshiping their guardian angels instead of God. Many could be misled. However, if we are humble enough to know our place in the scheme of things, the risk of that happening is drastically reduced. I was reading about angels a while ago and learned that a certain saint -- I forget which one -- had said that praying and communicating with angels is a sign of predestination and this is why I took the initiative to learn the name of my guardian angel. I certainly did not choose that name for him. I'm still in awe of this name and the important saint that was also given this name. I feel honored."

Our take on it: don't put a priority on learning a name. And certainly: stand wary, always, of spiritual communication -- never despising it but testing it; leaving behind what is not good. What happens to our guardian angels when we die? "Does our guardian share our eternal life or is our angel reassigned to another soul?" asked a woman from Pittsburgh.

In near-death experiences, angels are often described as taking the deceased through the gates of Heaven and on to various areas or levels of eternity. We finally meet our angels face to (shining) face!

"I felt prompted to respond to the debate over the naming of our Guardian Angels," said Drusilla L. Albus of Jefferson City, Missouri, in conclusion. "As for giving a guardian angel a name (or nickname) for our own purposes, I agree that this may not be proper. However, many years ago in prayer I asked my angel for its name and very distinctly heard the name 'Benjamin.' At first I doubted this as legitimate but after asking once again for its name I heard these words, 'I have told you my name and you have not believed me.' I immediately believed and the name Benjamin began appearing to me in some form several times a day. I finally responded that I had gotten the message and he could stop now. Even though I use the connotation of 'he,' guardian angels are not sexual beings. The 'he' and 'she' and the use of feminine or masculine names is for our benefit and limited understanding. 

"I love having Benjamin close to me and I use his name daily. Let us not debate this issue. Anything that brings us closer to God is a tool for our salvation. As for the possible interference or influence of fallen angels or others in Satan's realm in the issue of guardian angel names, let us remember that Satan would be defeating his own purpose it he provided us with anything that would draw us closer to God and produce good fruit.  Rejoice in the Father's gift of Guardian Angels and all the 'tools' He offers us on our journey here on Earth."

To which we say: Selah!

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains

CHORUS:

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song? Chorus
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Chorus
See Him in a manger laid
Jesus Lord of heaven and earth;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
With us sing our Savior's birth. Chorus

[resource: In the Arms of Angels and The Trumpet of Gabriel]

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