Our relationships with our angels are often neglected. By praying this novena together, may we strengthen our relationship and connection to our Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, but also with our very own Guardian Angel.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
Pray for me, St. Michael the Archangel, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through your powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death, and reach heaven where we may praise and love God with you forever. Amen.
Pray for me, St. Gabriel the Archangel. I ask for the grace of a special power of the will to strive for holiness of life. Steady my resolutions, renew my courage, comfort, and console me in the problems, trials, and sufferings of daily living, as you consoled our Savior in His agony and Mary in her sorrows and Joseph in his trials. Amen.
Pray for me, St. Raphael the Archangel. I ask you to help me in my struggle against the world, the spirit of impurity, and the devil. Defend me from all dangers and every occasion of sin. Direct me always in the way of peace, safety, and salvation. Help me to love and serve my God faithfully, to die in His grace, and finally to merit to join you in seeing and praising God forever in heaven. Amen.
Loving God, you are so good that you gave me a Guardian Angel to protect my body and my soul. Help me to know and follow my angel so that, with their guidance, I will be worthy of being in Heaven with You! My sweet Guardian Angel, you are my counselor every day of my life. Inspire me to be holy and good like you. Inspire me to be the person that God is calling me to be. Inspire me to be a light for others to know and love the Lord. Amen.
Guardian Angel, you are with me all the time so you already know these my intentions that I ask you to deliver to the Lord.
Professor Kreeft, why are angels important in the life of faith? Angels are part of the life of the Church.
[T]he whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels. CCC 335 In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the Roman Canon’s Supplices te rogamus . . . [“Almighty God, we pray that your angel . . .”]; in the funeral liturgy’s In Paradisum deducant te angeli . . . [“May the angels lead you into Paradise . . .”]. Moreover, in the “Cherubic Hymn” of Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels). CCC 336 From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.” Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.
Professor Kreeft, how do angels communicate with us?
Usually angels do not communicate directly with us but work behind the scenes, so to speak. Just as a lot of a play goes on behind the scenes, “in the wings”, so in your life a lot of the stuff that’s going on, a lot of the action, the spiritual warfare, is going on backstage, invisibly, “in the wings” of good and evil spirits. No one knows just how much, but it seems a safe bet that it’s a lot more than we dream of. When angels do communicate with us, it’s usually by suggesting things to our imagination—what we often call “inspiration”. However, although they may suggest certain thoughts or feelings or actions to us, neither good nor evil spirits can force our mind or will, which are free. (See questions 64 and 65.) Even God does not force his way in. He’s a gentleman. Thus our free will is both the most precious and the most dangerous gift of God. Angels can also communicate directly to our senses by assuming bodily form, though this is rare, like miracles. (See question 23.)