Guardian Angels

The picture above (or one very like it) of the angel watching over the two children as they cross the rickety bridge, was in nearly every classroom in my Roman Catholic grade school. As I child, when I took note of the picture, it gave me great comfort. My entire school experience was comforting, as it gave me a safe place to escape the turmoil of my own home. I learned the essentials of faith and morals from my teachers there, rather than from my home. My mother was busy coping with my alcoholic father and making a living when he did not work. She had little energy left for emotional engagement with me and my two sisters, after providing us with the essentials of life and enduring the stress of living with a husband addicted to drink.

I have heard stories about Roman Catholic nuns, of harshness and rigidity, of punishment with rulers hitting the hand, but, in truth, that was not my experience. They were, in the main, good and kindly women, with the welfare of the children in their care uppermost in their minds.

Back to the angel picture. We were taught that each of us had a guardian angel assigned to the task of watching over us. That I had my own personal angel guarding me was a lovely idea, especially for someone in a home environment such as mine. I remember thinking of names for my angel and praying for the angel's protection when I was frightened. I can't say when I began to doubt the story, but I confess that I have never entirely let go of the idea. It could be, couldn't it? I wonder if the nuns believed the story themselves, as they taught it. Here is the prayer we learned and prayed together:

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 gave reproductions of the picture to my children once they had children. If the picture comforted me - who knows? - it might comfort my little grandchildren. I told the little ones the story when they were young, for them to take it or leave it, but I believe that none of them took it to heart as I did.

Throughout my life, it's been the stories of God's people in both Testaments, the stories of Jesus and his early followers, and the stories of the saints throughout the ages that have always held great power for me.

UPDATE: Paul, the Baptist, (ex) to the rescue with a Bible verse to authenticate my lingering belief in guardian angels!

"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." (KJV)