Pope Francis: Homily in the morning of 02-10-2014. Rome (ZENIT.org). Own translation.
The guardian angel “is not an imagined doctrine, but a reality”, says Pope Francis on this October 2, feast of the holy guardian angels: each has an angel “by his side” “who guides him”, as a “traveling companion”.
The pope commented on the Gospel where “the disciples quarrel among themselves to know who is the greatest: these first bishops suffered under the temptation of careerism,” he noted (cf. Mt. 18,1-5.10).
Jesus gives them “the right attitude”, not that of “seeing who is the greatest” but “that of the child”, in other words an attitude of “docility” in the awareness of “needing counsel, for help”: “That is the way … children are closer to contemplation, because “their angels in heaven incessantly see the face of the Father in heaven.”
“If a person thinks he can go on his own, he is mistaken, he falls into pride, he thinks he is great and independent”. But “no one is on the road alone” nor can anyone “think he’s alone”.
Indeed, in the tradition of the Church, each has an guardian angel “by his side” “who guides him, who makes him feel things”, as a “companion”. “That is not an imagined teaching about the angels, but a reality … The guardian angel is by my side,” the pope insisted, quoting this day’s psalm: “The Lord has given his angels the order to guard you in all your ways” (Psa. 90:1-6.10-11).
The pope encouraged “not to rebel” against his voice but to “listen to him and follow his counsel” because the guardian angel “leads man till the end of his life.”
Driving this companion away “is dangerous” because “no man, no woman can give himself counsel”: he can give advice to another “but for himself he needs the Holy Spirit, a guardian angel”.
The pope concluded by inviting an examination of conscience: “what is my relationship with my guardian angel? Am I listening to him? Do I greet him in the morning? Do I ask him to protect me during my sleep? Am I talking to him? Am I asking him for advice?”
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