Every person has moments in life when he is left alone with the problems that have befallen him, and it seems that there is no one nearby who can help, and then melancholy and despair fill the soul, and life loses all meaning. However, people who believe in the existence higher powers and God, they know that no one is ever left alone, because next to everyone there is a guardian angel - an incorporeal entity that helps a person, protects him and, if possible, guides him on the true path.
Belief in guardian angels is inherent in Christians, Muslims, adherents of Judaism and Hinduism, and people professing a number of other religions - we can say that the majority of people recognize the presence of “personal angels”. Undoubtedly, the name and description of guardian angels vary in different religions, but adherents of all beliefs agree that the main purpose of a person’s invisible guardian is to protect him from evil and misfortune and help him make the right choice.
Guardian angels in our lives
Skeptics and atheists are sure that supernatural forces do not exist, and guardian angels are just a fantasy of believers, but in the life of almost every person there have been cases that are difficult to explain from a logical point of view. All people are familiar with such a concept as intuition, a premonition that makes you do something. definite choice, action or at the last moment to abandon already decision taken, and as a result it turns out that it was the best option. Perhaps what we call intuition are the tips of a guardian angel, who, in order to protect the client and help, gives him knowledge of what...
In the lives of most people, at least once there have been accidents that turned out to be decisive - lost keys or documents, the search for which took time and the person did not catch the plane and crashed; a stalled car engine, thanks to which a car accident was avoided; the appearance at the right moment of close people or people who can provide the necessary help, etc. There is also an invisible connection between close people (most often between mother and child), thanks to which people can feel that a misfortune has happened to their relatives or they need immediate assistance. Believers believe that all these are the acts of guardian angels protecting their charges and their loved ones from misfortunes.
When a person has guardian angels
Despite the opinion of some particularly fanatical followers of a particular religion, who believe that only they and their fellow believers are endowed with guardian angels, most likely this is not the case. As one great thinker said, “religions are different, but God is the same for all,” and perhaps he was right, because in all of them the key dogmas and rules for believers converge. Therefore, if guardian angels exist, then every person, regardless of his religion, nationality and origin, has his own guardian or several guardian angels.
Believers believe that a guardian angel is given to every person at the time of birth or in early infancy, but at the same time, the baby is looked after not only by his personal guardian, but also by the guardian angel of his mother. An angel follows a person throughout his life, helping him as much as possible and protecting him from misfortunes. No one can definitely determine how many guardian angels a person has - one or several, but many psychics and religious people are sure that the number of guardians and their strength depends on the kind of life a person leads - according to one theory, good and there are more guardians, but evil and down-to-earth natures can rarely count on more than one angel.
If you believe the priests, then the power of the guardian angel and his ability to help his ward depends on the person’s faith and his lifestyle. Many religions have prayers to the guardian angel that must be said to ask him for help or thank him for his support. It is believed that if you sincerely believe in the guardian and do not forget to constantly thank him for all the good things that have happened, then he will be able to help his ward more. It should also be remembered that angels are creatures of light and goodness, therefore evil deeds, foul language, and negative emotions destroy the connection between a person and his guardian, and those who live contrary to laws, morals and common sense, risks being left without protection.
Church ministers and people who study extrasensory perception and esotericism have been trying to answer the question of how many guardian angels a person has for more than a century, but opinions differ, and for obvious reasons there is no single answer to this day. However, there are three main theories designed to “count” a person’s guardian angels:
1. Each person has only one guardian angel, given to him from birth . Adherents of this theory believe that what is important is not the number of entities protecting a person, but their strength, therefore, despite the fact that everyone has one guardian, some people have strong angels, and some do not hear the prompts of their guardians at all. The strength of the guardian angel and his ability to help directly depends on a person’s faith, his thoughts, intentions and actions, therefore, the more good a person does and the brighter his thoughts are, the stronger his angel will become.
2. How many guardian angels a person has depends on his purpose on earth . This theory is based on the fact that every person on earth has his own destiny that he must fulfill, and guardian angels are helpers along this path. Therefore, the more important the purpose of a person for the whole world as a whole, the more guardians he is given. Adherents of this theory believe that all people, depending on the path destined for them, can have from 1 to several dozen guardian angels.
3. Guardian angels themselves choose their clients, and during the course of a person’s life he can either gain several angels or lose guardians. Adherents of this theory are sure that angels protect and protect good people, and do not want to deal; therefore, how many guardian angels a person has depends only on his lifestyle, and in order to acquire invisible protectors, you need to do good.
Search line: Guardian angelRecords found: 36
Hello! Tell me, please, is it possible to place two icons of the Mother of God “Support of Sinners” and “Sovereign” next to each other in one room (children’s room). I have two children, and I heard that each has their own guardian angel and their own intercessor icon. Thanks a lot!
Irina
Hello Irina. Indeed, everyone has their own guardian angel, but the “intercessor icon” is already folk art. An icon cannot be an “intercessor”; it is a thing, although it is a shrine. We have one intercessor - Holy Lady Mother of God, let us trust in Her and pray to Her, but attributing to icons the properties of having a special effect on a person’s fate in connection, for example, with the date of birth - this is paganism, some kind of “Orthodox horoscope”. We will not follow this. You can hang as many icons as you want - which ones you venerate, which roads. God bless you!
Priest Sergius Osipov
Hello, I’ve heard a lot about how you can’t call a son after his father (there is one guardian angel for two, fate will take him upon himself, one will live for the other, etc.). I just really like the name, I can’t imagine my son with a different name. What do you think about this, is it really so, and it’s better not to name it, or is it all superstition? Thank you in advance.
Karina
Dear Karina, everyone is given their own guardian angel, and the heavenly patron - the saint whose name we bear - prays for all his “wards” equally, where he is, it is not difficult for him. Therefore, do not pay attention to superstitions. God bless you.
Priest Sergius Osipov
Please do not publish. I am 18 years old, I have been living for more than a year with a man who is 19 years older than me. This relationship was the result of a really big, bright and mutual love. The Lord himself sent us to each other (we think so). This man is everything to me - a guardian angel, a best friend, a mentor, a lover, and, given that I lost my dad early, a father, and just a beloved man. My relatives and family received this man very warmly and without any hostility. I love him very much, sometimes I'm even afraid of my love. I don’t want to share him with anyone, I’m jealous of everyone - the computer, his colleagues, his hobbies, and his ex-family(he divorced ex-wife a year before you met me, I’m not a homewrecker). A month later life together he showed himself as he is... Perhaps I should have parted with him even then and not cry anonymously to you now, but I didn’t dare. No, he didn’t do anything bad to me - he’s just a big fan of football and... beer! And the last one is killing me. I'm wasting away, losing weight before my eyes because of my nerves. I really want to live my life with him, raise children, be a happy full-fledged family, but he can’t give up beer for me. And I ask myself: “Do I need a man who, for my sake, for the sake of a bright future, cannot refuse beer...?” I would gladly leave him, but this is the only flaw of my man. He is incredibly kind, gentle, generous, he really loves me. When I ask him to settle down, he calls me selfish and doesn’t stop drinking. Help me, I’m afraid for myself, for my health and, possibly, a ruined future!
Julia
Judging by the letter, you are still a child. And this is what worries me most about your relationship. Formally, according to your passport, you are an adult, but according to reasoning, you are a baby. You from different generations, there are still many “discoveries” ahead. It’s bad that your mother didn’t explain this to you right away...
Archpriest Maxim Khizhiy
Hello! My friend claims that she can talk to her Guardian Angel (mentally). I don’t know why, but I have doubts: is this really possible, and if so, how can this communication be achieved?
Irina
Irina, I also very much doubt that this is the Guardian Angel. Why talk to him, what does this give a person beyond what has already been given to him? And he has been given absolutely everything he needs for salvation, and even in abundance - now just work and do it. Those who do not have such “communication” should not strive for it, but those who do should tell about it in confession, several times. And then we’ll see whether this “guardian” will fly away or remain.
Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Hello. Please tell me, because there is the holy martyr Irene of Corinth, and the holy martyr Irene of Aquileia, and their feast day is April 29. Isn’t she one of them my heavenly patroness? If correct, then tell me which one? And I also know that there is also the holy martyr Irene, her memorial day is celebrated on April 16 (but I can’t find information about her). Tell me, maybe she is my heavenly patroness? Or am I confusing something? And please tell me when a Guardian Angel is given by God, at birth or after baptism?
Irina
Irina, in fact, the heavenly patron is determined by the date following after birthday. If you are not satisfied with the Saint I wrote to you about, then you can choose your own Heavenly Patron with the name Irina. A Guardian Angel is given to a person only at baptism. Unbaptized people do not have a Guardian Angel.
Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)
Good afternoon Please tell me how can I make amends to my guardian angel? Before the wedding, I dreamed of my grandmother, who instructed me and blessed me for marriage. My husband started drinking, we Small child, I couldn’t stand it anymore and left. It turned out that I turned away from him when he needed help. That night I dreamed about my grandmother again, she was very angry at me for what I had done. I am guilty both before my husband and before my grandmother (as I understand it, a guardian angel comes in her guise). If you can ask your husband for forgiveness, then how can I make amends to my angel?
Pauline
Hello, Polina. In a dream, your own imagination comes to you in different forms. What you relegate during the day to the recesses of your consciousness is released at night and comes out to show you movies. Your Guardian Angel speaks to you through your conscience; he does not need to dream. If you force yourself to live according to the Commandments of Christ and repent of your sins, he will be happy for you and will bring your prayers to the Throne of God.
Priest Alexander Beloslyudov
Hello. Please tell me. I have been living with my boyfriend for 2 years, we decided to get married, but he wants us to make a nikah and then go to the registry office. I don’t want to change my faith, I believe that if I was born in a certain faith, then I should leave in this faith. But for him it is important, but for me, of course, not, but I want to be with this person. Tell me, if I perform this ritual (so-called), but I do not change my faith, will I still have my guardian angel given at baptism?
Hello, Julia. Baptism did not make you a Christian, it only provided the opportunity to become one through consciously following Christ, forcing yourself to live according to the Commandments of the Gospel. Christianity does not give anything for arrangement in this temporary life. It is all entirely directed towards eternity, and everything temporary is only a background, necessary, but secondary. They don’t change their faith, they go to death for it. And you can change the style of clothing. Or religion, if it is only an attribute of culture. You decided everything two years ago. And when they take off their heads, they don’t cry over their hair. You can always return, if only this return is conditioned by sincere repentance and determination to never again, under any circumstances, betray Christ. Participation in a ritual of another faith is a betrayal of Christ. Decide for yourself.
Priest Alexander Beloslyudov
The girl's name is Victoria, she was baptized with the name Victorina, the baptismal certificate says - Angel's Day is October 17, and this is St. Veronica. So which saint should she pray to, who is her guardian angel? Is there a quiz in the calendar?
Natalia
Natalia, with what name she was baptized, is her Heavenly Patron. There is no Saint Victorine, but there is a Saint named Victorine. In church practice, women are sometimes called male names, and that's okay. This is especially common among nuns, for example: Victorin - Victorina, Mikhail - Mikhail, Nikolai - Nikolai. So the girl’s heavenly Patron is the martyr. Victorin, his memory is celebrated on different dates - you need to decide in accordance with the girl’s birthday
Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)
Hello! I read that for those born in January, their guardian angels are Saint Sylvester and Seraphim of Sarov. But these are saints, and I still thought that the guardian angel has no name and is different from the saints. How to correctly understand what a “guardian angel” is?
Tata
Hello, Tata! The Guardian Angel is the holy Angel whom God gives to every person at baptism. He is incorporeal, always next to a person, protects him from all troubles, prays to God for him and instructs him to do good. If we sin, the Guardian Angel grieves and leaves us, but when we try to live piously, he rejoices. Every baptized person also has a Heavenly Patron. This is the saint in whose honor we were baptized and whose name we bear. He also prays to God for us, especially when we earnestly ask him to do so. Since the saints were also people in their earthly lives, they tried to live holy and please God, then we must imitate the life of our Heavenly Patron.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello, father! We bought a car. Is it necessary to consecrate it in church, or can it be consecrated at home - my mother is a former church minister. Thank you.
Irina
Irina, it is necessary to bless the car, both when we buy a new car and when the owner changes. When a car is blessed, a Guardian Angel is assigned to it and protects the passengers in the car during the journey. The laity can consecrate various household items. The prayer book contains a prayer for the consecration of every thing. Only a priest can bless a car, because there is a special prayer for the consecration of a car that only a priest can read.
Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)
Hello! Our son Dmitry was born on February 16, we considered the Vologda saint Demetrius of Prilutsky to be his patron saint, since his name day is celebrated on the eighth day after the birth of our son (February 24), and I consider the life of this saint an example for good Orthodox man. We even specially chose February 24th as the day of baptism. But in the baptismal certificate they wrote that the Son’s Angel Day is February 19 (the day of memory of Demetrius the Presbyter). In this regard, the question is: a guardian angel and a patron saint appear in a person at birth or baptism, and also are angel day and name day identical concepts (the fact is that the information on the Internet about this is diametrically opposite)? In addition, I would like to know whether it is necessary to make changes to the baptismal certificate, taking into account all these circumstances (if we wanted the patron saint of our son to be Demetrius of Prilutsky and even baptize the child specifically on the day of his memory, and I can find information about Demetrius the Presbyter I just can’t, and I have no reason to believe it heavenly patron son). Please help clarify these issues as they are important to our family. Thank you in advance for your help!
Catherine
Catherine, we must trust the church. New saints mean no less before God than the saints of ancient times, and therefore we must honor all saints, they are people of God. The new martyrs and confessors of Russia suffered during the persecution after the revolution, and suffered no less than the saints of the early church. You don’t need to change anything, as they wrote to you, so let it be, and let your patron saint remain, Demetrius the Presbyter. The patron saint is not given at birth, but at baptism. An unbaptized person has neither a Guardian Angel nor a patron saint. Angel's Day and name day are one and the same, and are celebrated on the same day, that is, for you - February 19 (St. Demetrius the Presbyter). The Patron Saint's Day is designated the day of remembrance of a saint with that name closest to his birthday. There is no need to rewrite or change anything in the baptismal certificate. And I don’t quite understand why you are so indignant. Live worthy of your title as a Christian, and raise your children this way - this is the most important thing.
Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)
Hello. I’m somehow confused, my father told me that a guardian angel is given to the soul at the moment of its birth, and after baptism a person becomes a member of the church. I understand correctly? Thank you.
Tanya
Hello Tatiana! The Guardian Angel is given to a person after receiving the grace of Baptism, in which, as the Church believes, a person dies to a sinful and carnal life and is reborn in Christ to a holy and righteous life: http://verapravoslavnaya.ru/?Angel-hranitelmz-alf.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello, father! Is it possible to give an icon of the Guardian Angel to an unbaptized person? Thank you.
Alexander
Hello, Alexander! There is no point in giving an icon of the Guardian Angel to an unbaptized person, because the Guardian Angel is given by God at baptism.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello, dear abbot Nikon. I am 42 years old. baptized in 1973 in Chelyabinsk, they didn’t take me to church at that time, my grandmother was at the baptism. I always and in everything feel the protection of the Lord and Guardian Angel. Now I was drinking heavily and cheated on my wife. The priest of our church said that I am not baptized and I need to be baptized again, is this possible? And how is my Guardian Angel?
Alexander
No, Alexander, the Sacrament of Baptism is not performed a second time. Only if a person was not baptized by a priest for the sake of some urgent need, then in this case, already in the church, the priest supplements baptism with the Sacrament of Confirmation. In other cases, you don't need to do anything. Ask in more detail what your father meant; perhaps you did not understand something quite correctly or he expressed his thoughts inaccurately.
Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Good afternoon We will be very grateful to you for resolving our issue! On December 7, our family is going to baptize our first-born son! My brother was supposed to be the godfather, but he left to work in China. I invited my stepfather, a deeply religious man living in a married marriage, to be godfather, he happily agreed! But my mother-in-law says that he cannot be a godfather, that he was previously divorced, and in general he is 40 years old. What Godfather, supposedly, transfers his fate to his godson! You know, I’ve read a lot of literature, but it’s not written anywhere about it! I must say that my mother-in-law is a person very far from the church and generally did not baptize her children. And I would like my son to have a Guardian Angel! Of course, choosing godparents is a responsible matter. Help me please! Thank you in advance for your answer, we will look forward to it, although we have very little time until December 7th.
Catherine
Hello, Ekaterina.
A pious man living in a married marriage, close to your family - you have chosen a good godfather.
What the mother-in-law says about the transfer of fate is superstition.
God bless.
Priest Sergius Osipov
In 2007, I erected a tombstone for my deceased wife. The red granite tombstone depicts Orthodox cross, a portrait of Tanyusha, a favorite flower - clematis and a stylized (unrecognizable) sculptural image of a little girl. The intended meaning is that my Tanya will be like a guardian angel to her granddaughter Alexandra, whom she loved very much. Now eldest daughter Anastasia insists on remaking the monument. Advise, father, what to do.
Kozlovsky Vladimir Leonidovich
Of course, your daughter is driven by superstitious fear. There is no need to redo the monument; the plot can be reinterpreted. Look at the icon of the Assumption Mother of God, there the soul of the Mother of God is depicted in the hands of the Savior in the form of a little girl, so this figure on the tombstone can be interpreted as a symbolic image of the soul of the deceased.
Deacon Ilia Kokin
Hello! They say that you cannot pray to an Angel, you can ask. Is it possible to thank and ask for forgiveness from an angel? In my prayers, I address my Guardian Angel this way: “Thank you, my Guardian Angel, for being next to me, for helping me, protecting me, protecting me. Thank you and forgive me for- because of my recklessness and because of my sins, you have to be ashamed before the Almighty because of me. I ask you, my Guardian Angel, help me to love our Almighty with all my heart, to believe in Him with all my soul, the way you love and believe in Him and your heavenly brothers. Please help me and forgive me." How correct is my prayer? Thanks in advance.
Why can't you pray to an Angel? Even prayer services are ordered and performed for the guardian angels in the temple. Both thanking and asking for forgiveness are absolutely appropriate. As for your prayer, there is nothing bad in it, but it is still better to use church prayers, for example from Morning prayers or Prayers for sleep to come.
http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Days/20110120.htm
Deacon Ilia Kokin
Hello! My problem is this. I will become an officer of my country (which indicates a stable state of mind). Until recently, I didn’t believe in God at all, but then events happened that made me think about something I hadn’t thought about. It was as if some voice inside me was advising me what to do and how to do it best. He calmed me down when things were bad. At first I didn’t pay attention, but then it became so obvious that I don’t even know how, but sometimes I simply guessed events that none of my colleagues knew about (for example, points in orientation when they passed the standard). I was wondering what it was. I found out on the Internet that this might be an angel or a guardian angel. In my prayers I began to ask this angel to appear to me and in a dream I saw a couple of times the face of a beautiful red-haired girl, as if I had seen her somewhere, but I don’t remember where exactly, but she seemed familiar to me. Could this be my angel and will I ever be able to be with her?
Andrey
You know, Andrey, I am alarmed that you have formed some kind of erotic attitude towards your guardian angel, while angels are incorporeal and sexless creatures. The fact is that, in addition to the angels of light, there are also angels of darkness, so they can take on the appearance that is desirable for an unprepared person seeking some kind of spiritual revelation. Don't fall in love with a ghost, don't fool yourself. Andrey, I strongly advise you to tell about all this at Confession and no longer try to penetrate the forbidden world. If it is God’s will, in due time it will be revealed to you, but this cannot be done in an “attack”, otherwise even the stable psyche of a military man will not save him.
Deacon Ilia Kokin
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In the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew it is said: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). Since a Guardian Angel is also given at baptism, does this mean that a Christian is accompanied by two Angels? Thanks in advance.
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:
Some spiritual experiences, indeed, convince us that during life a person is accompanied by two Angels, one of them is a Guardian Angel. Both Angels appear at the moment of death. The disciple of St. Macarius of Alexandria (+ 395) says: “When we walked through the desert, I saw two angels who accompanied St. Macaria, one with right side, the other is on the left.” In the Life of St. Basil the New (10th century, March 26) describes the experience of undergoing the aerial ordeals of St. Theodora. She said: “When I was completely exhausted, I saw two Angels of God approaching me in the form of beautiful young men; their faces were bright, their eyes looked with love, the hair on their heads was white as snow and shone like gold; the clothes looked like the light of lightning, and on the chest they were girded crosswise with golden belts.” Saint Gregory of Tours describes an incident in the life of the 6th century Gallic bishop St. Salvia: “One day, exhausted by a strong fever, breathing heavily, he lay on his bed. And suddenly the cell, illuminated bright light, shook, and he, raising his hands to the mountain, gave thanks and gave up the ghost. The monks, weeping along with his mother, carry out the body of the deceased, wash it with water, dress him in a shroud, place him on a funeral bier and spend the whole night singing psalms and weeping. But when morning came and when everything was ready for the ceremonial burial, the body on the funeral stretcher began to move. And then his cheeks turned pink, the husband, awakening as if from a deep sleep, woke up, opened his eyes, raised his hands and said: “Oh, Merciful Lord, why did you make me return to this dark place of earthly abode? For me it would be yours is better mercy in heaven than the wretched life of this world.” To the brethren, amazed and asking what such a miracle could mean, he did not answer anything. But, having risen from the funeral bier and not feeling at all the pain from which he suffered, he spent three days without food or drink. But on the third day, calling the monks and his mother, he said: “Listen, dear brothers, and understand that what you see in this world is nothing, but, as the prophet Solomon says: “Everything is vanity.” And blessed is he who can act in the world in such a way as to be worthy to see the glory of God in heaven." And as he said this, he began to hesitate: whether to continue or remain silent. He remained silent, but, confused by the requests of the brethren that He told about what he had seen, [finally] said: “Four days ago, when the cell shook and you saw me lifeless, two angels picked me up and lifted me high into the heavens, so that it seemed to me that not only this miserable earth, but even the sun and the moon, clouds and stars under my feet. Then I was led through a gate brighter than this light into such a dwelling, in which the floor shone like gold and silver; the light there was inexpressible, the space indescribable. The dwelling was filled with so many people of both sexes, that it was absolutely impossible to take in the crowd either in width or in length. And when the angels who walked ahead paved the way for us among the serried ranks, we reached the place that we had already contemplated from afar. Above him hung a cloud brighter than any light; neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars were visible there, but the cloud shone with its own brilliance much more than all these lights, and a voice came from it, “like the sound of many waters.” There even I, a sinner, was humbly greeted by men dressed in priestly and lay clothes. As my companions told me, these were martyrs and confessors, whom we deeply reverence here on earth. And when I stood up where I was ordered, I was enveloped such a sweet aroma and I was so satisfied with this sweetness that I still don’t want to eat or drink. And I heard a voice saying: “Let this one return to the world, for our churches need it.” And I heard a voice; see the one who spoke, I could not at all” (St. Gregory of Tours. History of the Franks, VII, 1).
At the end of the 19th century in Russia there was an experience of the soul being outside the body for many hours. The author K. Ikskul also speaks about two Angels: “So, what happened next to me? The doctors left the room, both paramedics stood and talked about the vicissitudes of my illness and death, and the old nanny (nurse), turning to the icon, crossed herself and loudly expressed her usual wish to me in such cases:
- Well, the kingdom of heaven to him, eternal peace...
And as soon as she uttered these words, two Angels appeared next to me; for some reason I recognized my Guardian Angel in one of them, and the other was unknown to me” (Incredible for many, but a true incident. Ch. 17).
Guardian Angels in Christianity are the angels given to a person for help, guidance and intercession. It is important that not every person has a Guardian Angel, because it is given only in the sacrament of baptism.
Functions
The Gospel of Matthew quotes the following words of Jesus Christ: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
According to both Orthodox and Catholic beliefs, the Guardian Angel invisibly accompanies Christians throughout their lives if they maintain true faith and love for God and keep the commandments. Angels protect their souls and bodies, pray to God for them, and after death they become guides of the souls of the deceased to the afterlife.
If a person is in mortal sin, he may find himself in the power of fallen angels - demons. The guardian angel cannot approach him in this case.
How Guardian Angels manifest themselves in our lives
Sometimes people claim that they clearly feel the presence of a Guardian Angel in their lives. For example, as if some unknown force saves them from troubles and mistakes, leaves signs and tips on how to do the right thing.
If a person is haunted by constant bad luck: illness, troubles, financial troubles, then it is possible that the connection with the Guardian Angel has been lost.
When the Guardian Angels are remembered
The Church has established common days of remembrance of the Guardian Angels. In Orthodoxy this is November 8 according to Julian or November 21 according to Gregorian calendar- on this day the Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal heavenly powers is celebrated.
How to pray
You can mentally ask the Guardian Angel for help, and having received help and support from him, you need to thank him. In Christianity, there are also special prayers addressed to guardian angels.
For example: “Holy Angel, stand before my cursed soul and my passionate life, do not leave me, a sinner, nor depart from me for my intemperance. Do not give room to the evil demon to possess me with the violence of this mortal body; strengthen my poor and thin hand and guide me on the path of salvation. To her, holy Angel of God, guardian and patron of my accursed soul and body, forgive me everything, I have offended you so greatly all the days of my life, and if I sinned this past night, cover me on this day, and save me from every opposite temptation May I not anger God in any sin, and pray for me to the Lord, that He may strengthen me in His passion, and show me worthy as a servant of His goodness. Amen" (From the morning prayer rule).
Before communion, in addition to the canons for Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, a special canon for the Guardian Angel should be read.
“If there were no Guardian Angels and mentors for good, pious people, then demons would destroy the entire human race,” said the saint righteous John Kronstadt, - if, that is, the Lord allowed them to do whatever they please with people: for the malice of demons towards people is immeasurable and their envy towards man has no limits, for man is created in the image of God and is destined to inherit eternal life in place of the fallen angels."
To whom and when does God give a Guardian Angel?
The Guardian Angel is given by God to man in the Sacrament of Baptism: « Those who have been worthy of baptism and rise to the heights of virtues have been given by God Angels who care for them and assist them. The Lord assures us of this when he says that everyone who believes in Him has Guardian Angels»
(Reverend).
Unbaptized person is under the power of demons. The Guardian Angel stays next to the Christian believer, unless we drive him away with sinful deeds, because “ just as smoke drives away bees, so sin drives away the Guardian Angel from us"(St.).
“Since everything except God has its own beginning, we need to find out: when, according to the teachings of the Church, is a Guardian Angel assigned to a person? The final prayer of the canon to the Guardian Angel says quite clearly: "from holy baptism"- new birth by water and the Spirit... Moreover, song 7 of this canon indicates for what period: “given by God to me forever”, that is, the Guardian Angel accompanies every Christian from St. baptism and before the end of the earthly journey, but also after, “In the terrible hour of death, be persistent with me, my good guardian,‹…› when the imam passes away from the airy ordeal”(Akathist prayer to the Guardian Angel), since the deceased “is usually accompanied by two angels ‹…›. The duty of these angels (Guardian Angel and counter angel) is to accompany the soul of the deceased on his way to the afterlife." And on Last Judgment The Guardian Angel will appear before Christ, begging for the forgiveness of the person he is protecting, and in case of forgiveness, he will become the latter’s inseparable friend in eternity.
What does Angel Day mean?
There is an opinion that the Guardian Angel is a saint whose name we bear. Hence, they say, name days are called Angel's Day. This is clearly a fallacy. It is easily refuted morning rule: one prayer is addressed to the Guardian Angel - a completely different one - to the saint in whose name the Christian is baptized.”
Participation of the Guardian Angel in the life of a Christian
If there were no Guardian Angels and mentors for good, pious people, then demons would have destroyed the entire human race - if, that is, the Lord had allowed them to do whatever they wanted with people: for the anger of demons towards people is immeasurable and their envy towards man has no limits, for man was created in the image of God and destined for the inheritance of eternal life in the place of the fallen angels.” (holy righteous).
Close and related to people by their spiritual nature and by the graciously wise purpose of God, Angels in general and Guardian Angels in particular take a living and active part in our destiny. Guardian Angels do everything for us that serves our true good and salvation. Invisibly staying with us constantly, they, guiding us to salvation, not only, at our desire, mysteriously instruct us in everything good and useful, not only offer our prayers to God, but also protect us from themselves and protect us from enemies visible and invisible and intercede for us before God. That is why the Orthodox Church teaches us to honor and call upon our Guardian Angels in our prayers, as our closest spiritual mentors and patrons. But, as appointed to man as invisible mentors, guardians and defenders by God Himself, we do not know the private name of each Guardian Angel individually, and since the Guardian Angel is good spirit, who did not live a human earthly life, then the Orthodox cannot assign to each Guardian Angel a separate day of public remembrance of his holy, charitable, spiritual life, but obliges us to turn to his patronage and protection privately, in our daily home prayers.
Prayers to the Guardian Angel
Troparion, tone 6:
Angel of God, / my holy guardian, / guard my life in the fear of Christ God, / confirm my mind in the true path, / and wound my soul to heavenly love / so that, guided by you, / I will receive great mercy from Christ God.
Kontakion, tone 4:
Show yourself merciful to me, / holy Angel of the Lord, my guardian, / and do not leave me, foul, / but enlighten me with inviolable light / and make me worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Holy Angel, standing before my cursed soul and my passionate life, do not leave me, a sinner, nor depart from me for my intemperance. Do not give room to the evil demon to possess me with the violence of this mortal body; strengthen my poor and thin hand and guide me on the path of salvation. To her, holy Angel of God, guardian and patron of my accursed soul and body, forgive me everything, I have offended you so greatly all the days of my life, and if I sinned this past night, cover me on this day, and save me from every opposite temptation May I not anger God in any sin, and pray for me to the Lord, that He may strengthen me in His passion, and show me worthy as a servant of His goodness. Amen".
From the evening prayer rule:
“To the Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day: and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy who opposes me. Yes, in no sin will I anger my God: but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ, and all the saints, amen.”
Canon to the Guardian Angel.
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GUARDIAN ANGEL
Guardian Angels are the servants of our salvation, so we are not alone in our earthly life, in our labors for the salvation of our immortal soul. We know for sure that our helpers are with us, protecting us from all sorts of troubles encountered in the world. life path, and from the wrath of God deserved by each of us. Our Guardian Angel is a being who endlessly loves us. He loves us with the fullness of his love. And his love is great, and its effect is strong, since, contemplating God, he sees eternal love who wants our salvation.
Our Guardian Angel is like our second mother. He has the same concern for us, and even more. Mother takes special care of us while we are infancy and childhood. Our Guardian Angel from the moment of our baptism until last days life is our caring teacher. And, if we ourselves do not push him away from us during our earthly life, he will lead our soul to worship God when the time comes to separate the soul from the body.
Our Guardian Angels are powerful in their personal virtues, powerful in the strength they receive from God, and powerful in the prayers they send for us to the Almighty God.
Everything that is good, pure, bright in us: every good thought, every good movement of the heart, our prayer, repentance, good deeds - all this is born in us and is accomplished at the inspiration of our invisible Guardian Angel. Acting through our conscience and our heart, it is he, our Angel, who keeps us from sin and temptation, it is he who helps us fight temptations, it is he who instills in us the fear of a serious fall.
The Guardian Angel given to us is like our expanded and revealed conscience. He strives with all his might to save us, and we have no right to interfere with him in this. We must help him in his efforts to save us. We must ask him to enrich our mind with an abundance of holy thoughts and strengthen our habit of pious reflection. We are obliged to love him as our older and stronger brother. But in fact, we so often forget about him, do not pray to him, with our sins we insult his shrine, and he again and again shows his concern for us. He intercedes for us before the mercy of God, he begs God for our needs, and the Heavenly Father will never refuse him his requests.
But why do the Angels of God show such concern for people?
Firstly, because they are servants of God and received a command from God to protect and save people. Secondly, they themselves are creations of God, and the words apply to them, just like to people: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful(). They understand this and try, imitating their Creator and God, to show both their mercy and their long-suffering towards people..
What joy it gives them to save souls whom they have redeemed with His Blood and who (with their help) will share with them their glory and their bliss!
If we were just a little more sensitive, we would notice how carefully our Guardian Angel helps us return through repentance to the path of salvation. He not only encourages us to repent, but he also promises to remind us of all our sins, all of life’s mistakes and missteps.
Our Guardian Angels, messengers to us from God, freely and quickly make their way from God to us and from us to God (as long as our deeds do not interfere with this). They come from God to us to bring us His grace; They also ascend from us to God in order to convey to Him our prayers and thanksgivings.
How close our Guardian Angel should be to each of us! What confidence we should have in him! During our lifetime we can tell him the most intimate secrets of our soul. Those secrets that we would not trust to our closest people. And this is because in the Guardian Angel we see the wisest in advice, the most selfless in love and help, tender in his affection for us, caring for our needs.
From the book “Angel of Prayer”
We ask the Lord for a Guardian Angel
Archbishop of Volokolamsk Pitirim
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
Today, brothers and sisters, we celebrate in honor of the Archangel of God Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers. In the magnificence of the holiday, naming the Archangels and Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim, glorifying the Lord, we remember, among other ethereal Heavenly Powers, our Guardian Angel. Let us think about how easy it is for us to reflect on the examples of the saints, examples from the Holy Gospel and receive edification, and how difficult it is to constantly turn in prayer to the one who is closest to us, who is constantly vigilant about our salvation, to reflect and talk about the holy Angels.
For many years I have been performing divine services in church. Over the years, how many prayer services have been performed for the holy saints of God, to whom our parishioners turn with prayerful gratitude and with a request for gracious help, how many notes have been read about health, about salvation, about the sick... And there are literally single requests to perform a prayer service to the Guardian Angel. But the holy Guardian Angel constantly remains with us. Like all Angels, servants of God, he was appointed minister of our salvation. Let us think about this, brothers and sisters, let us remember the example from the Holy Gospel.
One day the disciples asked the Lord: Teach us to pray(), and the Lord in His sermon left us all a sacred prayer, which each of us knows by heart. It contains the words: Our Father who art in Heaven... Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven(). We ask God that His holy will, carried out unquestioningly and completely by the holy Angels in Heaven, will also be fulfilled by us here on earth.
The Lord also said to the people around Him: See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.(). This means that the smaller, humble ones have the greatest boldness before God, because their Guardian Angels constantly intercede before the Face of God for them. If you are not like children, that is, you are not “lesser,” you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Nicodemus, a wise old man and teacher of the Jewish people, asked the Lord Jesus Christ: is it really necessary to be born a second time in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? answered him with reproach: you are a teacher of Israel and cannot understand that you need to be reborn in spirit in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (). And now, brothers and sisters, let’s combine these three examples into one. So, we pray, we want it to be the same here on earth as in the Kingdom of Heaven. But the Lord says that only those who become like the “lesser” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, which means that they need to be reborn, as if born again, to become as pure, as sincere as children. Anyone who comes to this state will receive great boldness before God through the intercessions of his Guardian Angel.
Our church customs provide one very edifying testimony. In ancient times, when people were tonsured into monasticism, they were given a rounded, tight-fitting cap to the monk's head, similar to the kind that children wear. Nowadays only in the attire of the Patriarch of Moscow, the so-called doll, this ancient tradition. It is monastic repentance that becomes evidence of a second birth; it is precisely this kind of attire, which is more common to see on children, that is the outward expression of the fact that, first of all, it is necessary to acquire a pure and peaceful spirit. And even though none of us can say that we have achieved such a state, everyone must remember that we are called to find it. And so we pray: We ask the Lord for a peaceful, faithful, mentor, guardian of our souls and bodies.
Twice during the Liturgy, when the great sacred Sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated, we ask for this. During Vespers and Matins, during home morning and evening prayers, we ask the Lord to give us a Guardian Angel. For what? In order for us to be born a second time, so that in our soul there is peace and kindness, purity and joy, and so that these feelings manifest themselves sincerely, directly from the heart. And then, brothers and sisters, our prayer: Thy will be done as it is in Heaven and on earth, - will be strong, the Lord will hear her. Let us now pray to the zealot and formidable guardian of the Throne of God, Archangel Michael, to all the invisible incorporeal Powers and, above all, to our Guardian Angel, that we may be given a pure heart, a peaceful spirit, and a fiery strong faith. Amen.
Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1986. No. 1. P. 41-42.
