GUARDIAN ANGEL Translated by Seraphim Larin

PREFACE

These published thoughts have been written for every day of one month only. However, a pious reader can repeat reading them on the respective date of every month, during the whole year and indeed right throughout his entire life. In re-reading them attentively, the reader will undoubtedly stimulate new thoughts in his mind, which with every repetitive reading, will more and more affirm the reverential feelings in his heart toward his Guardian Angel. The sole purpose of this publication is to nourish these feelings in pious hearts.

The Publisher

INTRODUCTION

A traveller, journeying in faraway places, greets his friend with great elation, knowing that he came to be his guide. In our travels during our earthly life, beyond its boundary being eternity, we are given a true friend and escort; Heaven had sent him to direct us on the difficult path, where murky darkness surrounds us. If we wish to follow him, then he will safely lead us under his shield to our homeland. We know that our Heavenly Father commanded His Angels to preserve us along all our paths and defend us against all evil (Psalm 91:10-11).

While we cannot see them with our earthly eyes, we can see them with eyes of faith. Is it possible that we are so enslaved by our senses that we don’t want to believe anything except that, which appears to us as crude objects? Or our hearts are so engaged in worldly matters that it loves nothing but riches and pleasures? God sent us His Angels as our companions and controllers of our lives. But in our contemporary times, this subject – that is so important and appertains to each and every one of us, occupies the minds of very few Christians. That’s why we will attempt to vivify their faith by expounding the Teachings of the Holy Scripture and Tradition about the Angels. Perhaps these explanations will serve as the source of living water with which they could refresh their souls.

That there are intelligent beings other than us and higher than us, are a fact that is provided to us by the recorded witness of the very ancient universal beliefs of peoples. This truth has been distorted through the misuse and ignorance of the people, who became idolaters; but it’s totally preserved in all its purity by the people of God. All our holy books, beginning with the book of Genesis, and down to the Apocalypse, present us active Angels, executing the Almighty’s commands throughout the world and protecting all pious people with their shields. The Cherubim was posted with a flaming sword at the gates of earthly paradise, so as to bar entry to the human, who violated God’s commandment. Patriarchs were worthy enough to be visited by Angels. Abraham once entertained such Divine messengers. One of the Angels stayed his hand as he was about to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. Jacob witnessed many Angels – going up and down the mysterious ladder, leading to the seated Lord (Genesis 28:12-13). An Angel accompanied the sons of Israel in the wilderness and led them to the Promised Land. Gideon and other judges of Israel understood the Lord’s dictates through the inspiration of these Heavenly Messengers; David use to call them to join him in singing his holy songs. Isaiah saw Heaven opened with the Lord seated on the altar, with 3 many Angels singing eternal praises to Him. Angel Raphael escorted young Tobias on his distant travels, brought him home and returned his venerable father’s sight. When the Israelites were in bondage in Babylon, 3 Jewish youths were thrown into a flaming oven. However, an Angel appeared among them and protected them against the flames. Prophet Daniel was delivered by an Angel from the lions jaws. Gabriel, being given a directive to announce the Saviour to the world, let the Prophet know of His imminent arrival; he descended into the temple, where Zacharias was incensing and foretold him of the birth of his son, who has been consecrated to be Messiah’s Forerunner. Gabriel sent to Nazareth to the Virgin Mary to announce that She will become the Mother of the Son of God. Shortly after, announced the good news to the shepherds about the birth of the eternal Child, and the Angels began to sing praises: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2:9-14). The Saviour, Who was proclaimed by the Angels, gave us awareness about the Angels, Himself. He tells us about brotherly love, which motivates them to rejoice in our salvation and with which, they guard us along all our paths in life. The Angels announce Christ’s resurrection to the holy women; on His ascension into Heaven, the Angels appeared to His Disciples and informed them that just as He had ascended into Heaven, so shall He come one day to judge the living and the dead. Do you need to be reminded how Apostle Peter was released from prison and from Herod’s clutches by an Angel? Should I tell you about Saint John the Theologian’s vision, and what he had written about the power and potency of Angels in their supervision of earthly kingdoms? I have to stop so as not to overstep the boundaries that I have previously set down. Thus, I shall not continue talking about the appearances of Angels to the Apostles, martyrs and many righteous individuals. However, the unbelievers will say: is it possible for these appearances to have taken place? Is it possible that an Angel, a spiritual being, assumes a visible human appearance, materialize and function before us? Who can prove that it’s impossible? Who is in a position to research the profundity of God’s great wisdom; determine the endless reproduction of the Almighty’s creations; mentally encompass the unfathomable escalade of creatures, in order to have the right to doubt the existence of beings, about which the Word of God attests?

Our belief in the Holy Angels is based on events, witnessed by the Holy Gospel and confirmed by men of wisdom. Everyone is aware of Socrates’ opinion on the subject, as well as that of his famous student Plato and many other wise men of Greece and Rome. However, we regard the teachers of our Church as the true wise men. What wonderful teachings about Angels had been left to us by Saints Dyonisius Aereopagite, Gregory, Basil the 4

Great, John the Goldentongue, Augustine and many other religious writers, revered by our Church! This authentic witness by the Church Fathers and mentors has been unanimously confirmed by the Church Councils, and the Church always reminds us in Her Services, of the close union of Angels with humans. The Old and New Testaments continually speak about Angels. From all this, one can clearly see what participation the Angels adopt in their fulfillment of God’s will, and what manner of service they provide in relation to humans. However, my following deliberations will make this subject much clearer.

Love that is inherent to God motivated Him to grant life to intelligent beings, capable of recognizing and loving Him, and participating in His blessedness. The initial result of this love was Angels. Having endowed them with rich gifts, He settled them into Heavenly habitats. However, although they were rich in acquirements, being creations, they could not be completely perfect. Only God, Creator of everything extant, is all-perfect. Tempted by the grandeur of their acquirements, some of the Angels succumbed to arrogance and pride. The Bible states that pride was the cause by which the Angels fell. Lucifer was the first Angel to become proud and turn against his Creator, while many others left God and followed him. But to leave God, means to divest life and submit to death. These Angels were the first to forsake the Lord, and the just Lord likewise abandoned them, leaving them to their own devices. So what happened from all this? Those Angels, strengthened by grace and prevailing humility, separated themselves from them and rejected them with horror; the rebels changed from Angels of light, into Angels of darkness. Only recently clothed in brilliance and glory, they became an object of revulsion and horror for the whole Heaven – and even for them, themselves; they, who have exalted the Almighty, began to utter blasphemy and curses. Chased by the force of God’s justice and tortured by their fury, they fell with the speed of lighting into an abyss of hell, akin to stars that have been snatched from the dome of heaven and falling into the limitless space of the universe.

Those Angels that had remained faithful to God became completely blessed. They are illuminated with God’s glory, and the light of the Holy Of Holies encompasses them like a deep ocean. Arriving at a state of ecstasy and rapture from viewing all the richness of eternal beauty, they are lost in immeasurable love and in the intoxication of their blessedness; they praise and extol the Almighty God, Who directs torrents of joy into their hearts. Not imposing upon them any responsibilities that would see them leave the blessed Heavenly habitat, the Lord shares with them the governance of the world. He utilizes them as His faithful servants in Providence’s operations. He 5 sends them into the world to announce to people His directives, to fulfill His will. It’s for this reason that we call them Angels i.e. messengers. God placed them on the highest level of His creations so that they would be living images of His perfections, and worthy representatives of His majesty. God’s generosity richly bestowed natural endowments upon these Heavenly Spirits; their minds and knowledge are limited only to the extent determined in the limitless depths of God’s wisdom, for all created spirits. Angels are endowed with superior strength and potency, by which they can – through God’s consent – affect humans as well as the material world. At this stage, many questions can be raised, but the mind soon finds its limitations. What can we wretched creatures comprehend - immersed in murky darkness? Even a grain of sand is a mystery to the wisest; yet with all our self-exalting sciences, we know even less about ourselves.

The number of fallen Angels is very large; however, according to the words of Apostle Paul, and those of Christ’s beloved Disciple John, the number of blessed Angels are countless (Luke 10:17-20, Apocal. 12:4). Prophet Daniel saw in his vision that when God appeared on His throne: “A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.” (Dan. 7:10). The New Testament prophet also writes: “I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number” (Rev. 7:9). One shouldn’t conclude that the expressions of these great Saints were aimed at actually counting them; they only wished to give us an idea that their minds were lost in these countless assemblies of Angels. Count all the number of grains of sands on earth, or the stars in the heavens, and they would still not equal the total of existing Angels.

The most amazing thing about the innumerable multitude of Angels is the order that reigns among these Heavenly warriors. Order is the beauty of perfection, great wisdom and God’s truth. In creating everything that exists, and bringing about the reality of Angels, the All-wise God grouped them into 9 ranks. The ones mentioned in the Holy Gospel are: Seraphims, Cherubims, Thrones, Dominions, Hosts, Powers, Principalities, Archangels and Angels. These ranks are subordinate to one another and in their distinctions, are amazingly united in total harmony. Light flows from the top echelon to the lower ones. The shining glory of Christ that intercedes for everyone, flows from one chosen soul to another, throughout the whole host of blessed ones; the river of life, flowing from God’s bosom like a tide with its highs and lows, fulfills every Heavenly inhabitant. What a delightful sight is presented to the mind of a faithful – this variety in full unity, and this unicity in immeasurable 6 numbers! Blessed are the Divine powers, Lord, who dwell in Your house and behold such great miracles!

Dyonisius Areopagite and other Church teachers, categorize the Angels into three ranks, comprising groups of three: the first rank refers to Seraphims, Cherubims, Thrones; the second - Dominions, Hosts, Powers, and the third – Principalities, Archangels and Angels.

Seraphims are first in rank. This name means the heat of Divine love with which they are inflamed, and which they communicate to other ranks. Gregory the Great writes that they are so ardent in their love for God, that there are no Angels that standing and separating them from God: they are directly joined to Him. Their flame of love is more intense because they stand and behold God’s brightness closer than others.

According to Dyonisius Areopagite, Augustine, Jerome and Gregory the Great, the name Cherubim means fullness of vision and abundance of wisdom. Gregory the Great states that this rank of Angels received their name Cherubims, because these blessed Spirits are illuminated with a plethora of rays of light, as they directly behold the everlasting Source of light. They know as much as was given to know by God to created beings; they know more completely and fully that the completeness of natures draws them closer to God. Two Cherubims spread their wings over the Old Testament Tabernacle. Apart from having knowledge and great wisdom, the Jews also ascribed the Cherubims great might.

In those that God presides so as to pronounce His judgment, says Gregory the Great, are called Thrones. They are so elevated and so endowed with grace, so one can say that the Lord resides within them, and through them, reveals His Sovereign Justice.

After these Spirits come Hosts in the blessed Heavenly realm. These kings, shining with glory and seated on fiery thrones, receive orders from the higher Angels and relay them to their subordinate Spirits.

The next rank of Powers – according to many Holy Fathers – are made up of those Spirits, through whom the Lord performs His miracles. He granted them His power and consequently, their orders have an all-powerful effect.

Dominions have mastery over God’s enemies; mastery over those evil spirits that have vowed to destroy mankind, because these rebellious spirits could 7 not free themselves from the dependence and authority of their Creator. God subordinated them to His Angels, who confine their fury and apply restraining bonds on their natural strength.

The word “Angel”, means “messenger”; Angels are essentially servants, which are sent by the King of Kings with His orders to different parts of the world. The Archangels are the leaders of these Divine messengers. Being participants in God’s mysterious counsel, they receive their directives to notify key mysteries to humans; it’s for this reason that it wasn’t an ordinary Angel but Archangel Gabriel that was sent into Nazareth to Virgin Mary; as Saint Gregory the Great states that it was necessary for the first Angel among Angels to announce the first of all mysteries. It must be noted here that the name Angel is used in a serving sense, and is appropriate to the Heavenly Angels only when they are sent to announce God’s will. Angels are usually presented with 2 wings to mean speed, with which they strive to fulfill God’s orders throughout the universe.

The whole universe is filled with the presence of Divinity and countless Spirits, God’s servants; this is a temple, which unceasingly resounds with harmonious singing by Heavenly Singers. We cannot tell how they communicate with one another; but we do know that they converse among themselves, and understand one another. They also comprehend the tongues of our souls when we turn to them in prayer. Being in a present state of incompleteness, we shouldn’t be amazed that our feeble mind is lost in the unveiling of profound mysteries before us.

Here, we will add one more important note. All the Angels are subject to the rules of the complete Hierarchy. An Angel, who is of a higher level, is more accomplished than he who is found on a lower one. Even though the Angel that is closest to us is found on the lowest level, he is of such astounding beauty that should he reveal himself to us, we would not be able to endure our rapture of joy and amazement. Visualising this lowest ranked Angel in our mind, and ascending from one level to another; from one level of accomplishment to the next one that’s greater; passing through all the levels where one surpasses the other in holiness, abundance in brilliance of light, we finally arrive at the Cherubims and Seraphims, shining waves of brilliant light and outpouring their radiance on God’s realm. Above all these ranks rules our Sovereign of heaven and earth - Mother of God, and above the myriad of worlds is our enthroned Lord God in all His unapproachable glory. Being gazed upon from such a lofty height, what are people as a body – specks of dust clinging to dust. Nevertheless, the Lord showers them with His 8 benevolence; the All-blessed Mother of God loves and blesses them; the Angels call them their brothers; while people intoxicated with folly, offend the Great God before the whole multitude of His Chosen!

We saw the calamitous consequences of sin that befell the fallen angels. These angels didn’t lose their natural attributes endowed by the Creator when they came into being. They lost their blessedness and holiness, but retained their potent and incisive powers of reasoning, although these abilities that possessed, served them as punishment. Saint Augustine explains that it is for this reason that King David describes them as powerful. The Saviour Himself, in speaking about the head of the fallen spirits, calls him “ruler of this world” (John 12:31), while Apostle Paul, in explaining the words of the Divine Teacher, names satan as “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephes. 2:2). The same Apostle goes on to make distinctions among the evil spirits by stating: “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age” (Ephes. 6:12). From this we can conclude that the fallen Angels, while retaining their distinction established in the hierarchal order of Heavenly warriors, had to submit to satan as he was the most powerful and most evil spirit than any of them. But what type of obedience is this in a realm of eternal disorder, hatred and evil with these spirits whose lips never cease to spew blasphemy and curses! The Right Hand of God cast them down into abyss of Hades; but they can still spread throughout the universe from the underworld, tormented by their punishment and the burning fire. Hatred toward God, seeking revenge and depression tortures them. This is what the war between good and evil consists of; it’s a war by satan against God, because Divine wisdom permits their pride to take up arms against Heaven, Heavenly Angels and humans, up to the date when the gates of hell will be sealed forever.

Many unbelievers scoff about the belief in demons; but how can one doubt in the truth of the teachings when there is such firm proof? The fact that there are evil spirits – whom we call demons – is not only clearly evidenced by the Holy Gospel, but by the unanimity of agreement by all tribes and peoples, of their existence. Tertulian also spoke of this to the Roman Senators: “The name “demon” is not new to us. Your philosophers and poets proved that they knew these spirits – who had been renounced by God – and whose sole aim is to destroy the human race”. The actions of these evil spirits are quite obvious to those who attentively observe what transpires in the world. But from what does this fury emanate from with which they strive to destroy us? Not being able to attack God, they assail Him in His creations, especially in a human because he was created in His image and likeness. What a hellish 9 delight they enjoy, to be able to defile this image and take away from the Creator, that creation to whom He extends His limitless love! Also, who doesn’t know that an evil spirit is incapable of doing good, yet feels inexplicable joy when he is able to secure a co-participator in his transgressions, who will then share the punishment with him? And can satan be indifferent when we live in the hope of eternal blessedness of which he is deprived; when God’s goodness makes us equal with His Angels; when the Son of God assumed human form so as to make us His inheritors? (Ephes. 2:12). He goes into a rage at the thought that in the end the true followers of Christ, seated on grand thrones, will conjointly with the Angels be judging him. This envy sears him more intensely than the flames of Hades. He agitates heaven and earth so as to draw us into his nets. He concentrates all the fury of his rage on us, and becomes at his most dangerous when he attacks us not in open conflict, but through cunning enticements and various crafty devices of his inventive mind.

What’s the point in reminding ourselves of the sad history of our misfortunes? Adam and Eve fall into the Demon’s snare and become – together with their descendants - his slaves. We are subject to his authority from the very first day of our conception. Having left the arms of our Creator, we fall into the hands of the underworld enemy, and our foreheads are marked with the stamp of rejection. Henceforth, all our miseries commence in our real situation: ignorance, corruption of the heart, dominancy of the flesh. Who can tally all of our weaknesses? What a bitter situation that we are in! A lethal poison courses through our veins, and we carry death within our bosoms. The primal sin has infected all our being, dimmed our reason and enfeebled it to understand spiritual matters. It ruined our free will, tarnished our Divine image, and brought forth suffering, sickness and finally death. People of this age, of little meditative activity and much conceit, regard themselves as having full right in scorning the teachings on the original sin, which has been accepted as true throughout the ages. Let us leave them to their reasoning, and listen to the wise Tertulian: “When Adam, as the sole ruler of the whole world was defeated by the snake-conqueror, the whole world then came under his authority and laws. Proud of his calamitous success, he distorts all of God’s works and instills into people, erroneous understandings about: stars, elements, planets, animals and converts them to idolatry. He eclipsed the knowledge about the true God throughout the whole world, and in His place, predisposed people to worship him. It’s for this reason that the Son of God names him prince of this world, while Apostle Paul – god of this age. The whole of creation has been corrupted by him and “groans and labours” for its transformation (Romans 8:21-22). The human being has been especially 10 demeaned. When the human became a slave of the demon, God’s mercy promised him the Redeemer; however, he had to remain as a slave for many centuries so that he would comprehend the whole cruelty of his evil ruler and learn the importance and value of his redemption.

Finally Moses, whose arrival had always been foretold by the Prophets and awaited by the people, appears akin to a deliverer that descends into the gloom of a prison so as to release a wretched prisoner. The great wisdom of God hid the mystery of Incarnation from the demons. They come to the wilderness to tempt Jesus Christ, and depart from Him in an agitated state, suspecting that the One they were tempting, this astonishing person is in fact the Son of God, Who had come down to earth in order to destroy the demonic power. By His command, they were forced to leave the bodies of the possessed. (Luke 8:30). They then turned to the Judeans and induced them to condemn Him to death. Satan moves into the heart of His disciple – Judas the apostate; inflames the scribes, Pharisees and the people with his fury. Convinced in the Divinity of the Saviour and despite their victory, although they quake and tremble, they impel Pilate to condemn Him. Finally, Christ is on the cross. The earth trembles; night covers the universe; Christ dies; His Divine Spirit descends to the gates of those places, where the righteous souls were kept imprisoned. Jesus Christ breaks their bonds and destroys the demon’s rule and is triumphant, shining of Divinity before heaven, earth and Hades.

From the day when the immense Sacrifice was offered and when the cross of the Redeemer was imbedded at the place of execution, the might of the netherworld disappears; and the people are regenerated in truth and holiness. People that were possessed by these evil spirits – and their number was very great – flocked to Christ’s disciples, prostrating themselves before them. No sooner than Jesus Christ’s name was uttered, the demons immediately fled in all directions. These types of miracles were a common sight in the first centuries of Christianity. Pagans that witnessed these miracles, converted to Christianity. In his debates with the Carthagians, Tertulian used to issue a challenge by asking them that they produce a possessed individual, and then invite any Christian passerby to attend to him by ordering the demon to remove himself from the victim - and the demon would instantly comply like an obedient slave.

Over many subsequent centuries, the number of possessed individuals has diminished as Christ came to earth to destroy the works of the devil. Nonetheless, over the same centuries, the immemorial enemy of the human 11 race has provoked many persecutions, heresies, schisms, which continually attacked the Church. God permits this to happen in order to show His glory and that of Jesus Christ. It’s through God’s allowance that the spirit of evil functioned in the hearts of the rebels, who through their animosity and hatred of God and His faith, seemingly wanted to equate themselves with the demon himself: such were Arius, Nestorius, Eutychius and others of their ilk. They rebelled against Christ and His Church with hellish hatred. They placed themselves as leaders of those that are waging war against Heaven. In their spiritual blindness, people believed in their teachings; satan was triumphant for a while; the hearts of the faithful were paralyzed with grief. But the Lord appeared and by the spirit of His words, began destroying him and calmed the storm, while satan with his forces and his servants fled to their hellish darkness.

Satan continually tries to tempt us with the anticipation of sentient delights and a luxurious lifestyle. However, shame, a gnawing conscience and torments of hell is the remuneration he bestows upon his followers! Opposite to this, Jesus Christ beckons to come to Him, those people that have decided to defeat evil, commit themselves to performing good deeds and thereby obtain the crown of immortality in Heaven. With Christ, victory is certain and its reward – eternal joy. Despite this, very many people go to serve under satan’s banners. They follow him like the blind, not giving it even minor thought and akin to mindless animals, allow themselves to be led into that abyss where they will be his eternal prey.

Life is an arena of struggle. Woe to him that doesn’t emerge from it a victor! Eternal death – that’s his fate! But he, who retains his fortitude and submits himself to God’s providence, will not be touched by any evil. Guided by God’s grace, he will triumph and his reward will be the Kingdom of Heaven. As one writer states: those who fear God are stronger than all the demons! In order to sustain His faithful sons in this arena of unceasing struggle and safely navigate them along this path, which is filled with merciless destroyers, the Lord sends His Angels – faithful guardians. He directs one of these Heavenly warriors to each and every one of us, who becomes our Guardian Angel - our defender. Such is the general belief of Christians, and our Holy books, word of our Heavenly Teacher, leave us in no doubt whatsoever as to this fact (Mat.18:10, Acts 12:15). And what convincing witness about our Guardian Angels is presented by our holy Fathers, Church Teachers! Right from the very early centuries of Christianity to the present day, all spiritual writers and fathers living holy lives, unanimously proclaimed this comforting truth. Not only does every person have a Guardian Angel, but every family, every pious 12 society and every government. Unfortunate are those people that refuse to see nothing except that what their physical eyes can perceive between heaven and earth! And opposite to this view, how fortunate are those Christians in their heart-felt simple faith! How harmonious are their feelings with the Heavenly truth!

Our faith teaches us that the Church on earth and that in Heaven make up one blessed community; only here She is at war, while in Heaven She is crowned with glory. Angels and Heaven’s inhabitants are in essence, friends and brothers of earth’s inhabitants. The love that exists in God permeates into every heart of His true sons, uniting them in the same mind and same feelings. The dynamics of this love is stronger in Angels, because they are much closer to God and can see in Him that eternal love and goodness, which desires our salvation. Love is their life and their beatitude. How can they not have a brotherly love toward us? They love us as much as they possibly can; they love us for ourselves because they can see the gift of God’s grace in us, with which they themselves are filled. And indeed, as the Psalmist records that a human is a creature that was made a little lower than the Angels (Psalm 8:5-6). We should be the young troops of the Heavenly forces. The Angels love us as co-participants in their glorifying the Almighty. It’s for this reason that they take such an active participation in our salvation, which is just as dear to them as their perpetuation of their holiness. They rejoice in our salvation as stated by Jesus Christ (Mat. 18:10). When in life we are on the path to Heaven, they try to maintain us on it in every possible way, motivating us to continue with vigour and consistency. And should we stray toward the path of unrighteousness, the means that they devise to return us toward the Lord is quite amazing! Sons of profligacy, nothing brings more joy to our Heavenly Father than our return into His embrace. What kind of touching concern must His Angels have for the lost sheep? The Angels can see the Lord’s unlimited benevolence toward the sinners. In seeing what He gives to others, they are fully aware and greatly obliged for the benevolence which they have received. They regard themselves as being a creation of goodness, a miracle of God’s mercy. Because, wasn’t it God’s goodness that extracted them from nothing, illuminated them with an Angel’s nature, and at the same time endowed them with His own goodness? They, like ourselves, are obliged to God’s goodness and mercy for everything that we have. As they are conscious of this and anxious to give thanks to the Lord for His mercy shown to them, themselves try to show this to others: because the best possible means of bringing thanks to the Lord is by emulating Him: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Emulate Him, from Whom you receive goodness and entrench 13 your joy in giving thanks to Him for what you have received. That’s why the Heavenly Angels, fearful of being ungrateful to their Creator, endeavour to be benevolent to His creatures. The mercy that they show to others is increased in value to that which they themselves receive. What assumed goal is there in the workings of this mercy? Its aim is to give help to the needy, strengthens the feeble, resurrects the dead i.e. resurrects those sinners who turned toward repentance. However, there are no needy in Heaven: there is only an overabundance of all blessings; there are no infirm, no sorrowful; it is a habitat of unending joy. The world is filled with of all types of misfortunes; it’s a land of lamentations and weeping, it can be said – a homeland of all miseries. You can see only suffering, hear only wailing. Aren’t we all confined prisoners that have to be visited; blind - that have to be guided; lost – that have to be directed; ill – who have to be doctored? What a rich harvest awaits the blessed Spirits, ablaze with love! With what zeal and joy that they descend from Heaven, bearing God’s rich gifts! They come to feed the unfortunate human with the bread of benevolence; to offer him a few drops of Heavenly joys from the Source; help him to break free from the chains of sin and bring him triumphantly to the house of the Heavenly Father. What pleasure it is for them to save souls, which Jesus Christ redeemed with His blood, and who will eternally share their joy and glory with them! Having been appointed as messengers to us by the Most High King, they also desire to be our messengers to Him. Essentially, they are God’s Angels; He sends them; and in essence they are our Angels, because we too can send them. They only await our prayers and good deeds so as to present them to God; they know that prayer and good deeds will be more favourable to God, if they were interceded and presented to Him by them: this is what the Holy Gospel tells us; “You shall see Heaven open, and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51). They descend to bring us blessings, and ascend to bring our gratitude and prayers to God. Could we possibly have mightier and more zealous intercessors; more faithful and true interpreters of the Faith – more compassionate and responsive friends? If we don’t love these benevolent Spirits, who else can we love? To whom will we entrust ourselves if we don’t accept them as our advisors and patrons? What a treasure of holy thoughts, consolation and hopes of blessedness we can acquire from our faith and holy truths! Isn’t a true friend worth more than all treasures? But what friend can be compared to the Guardian Angel? What can be more important than to have his worthiness; more tender than to have his devotion; more generous than his benevolence; friendlier in his demeanor; wiser in his advice; reliable with his promises; more solicitous in needs? Because of all that has been expressed above, every Christian is obliged to reverently honour his Guardian Angel and bring prayers to him. Is further 14 proof required for such an obligation? He has a right to our reverence because he is God’s Messenger; because he is holy, and because he is our benefactor. We must bring three sacrifices to him: sacrifice of honour, sacrifice of reverence and sacrifice of heart-felt trust. We are obliged to show respect to him - by reason of his presence with us; devotion - by reason of his beneficence of love toward us; trust – by reason of his indefatigable watch over us. Who cannot understand this truth? Who cannot see that to go through life with the presence of your Angel and not pray to him, or not even think of him – means not only gross ungratefulness of a corrupted heart, but a pitiable condition of a lost soul? Unfortunately, to most people, this is the type of life they lead. And is it any wonder? If they don’t recognize God Himself and forget Him, will they think about His Angels? However, there are pious Christians that recognize their responsibilities and their benefits. They bring their heart-felt prayers to their Guardian Angel; they daily offer up to him, their petitions and their promises with due reverence.

I turn to you, devout souls! You will be reading these meditations in the presence of your Guardian Angel: do not seek in them neither erudition, nor eloquence. Just imagine that you are hearing the voice of your Heavenly friend, and having hastened with complete faith to get under his shield, implore him to speak to you in the depths of your heart and jubilate with his comforting conversation.

FIRST DAY of the month

How long will it be before faith enlightens your mind and heart? You must be aware that a Guardian Angel is by your side – that he was assigned to you by God as your protector and guide in your life; whereas you have given him no thought or attention. The Holy Gospel teaches us that our Heavenly Father “shall give His Angels charge over you” (Psalm 91:11). While you do not doubt this divine truth, you have given it little thought; you have not delved into its beneficial meaning. An impenetrable curtain is making it impossible for you to see him with physical eyes. However, just because you cannot see him doesn’t mean that he is not with you; that he can be forgotten and to lead an irresponsible life without giving any thought of his presence. When two travellers unexpectedly meet on the road, they greet one another and engage in animated conversation, forgetting their weariness in their pleasant discourse. The Angel accompanies you – leads you along the path towards Heaven; yet up to this point of time, you haven’t paid any attention to him. When you are with a relative or friend, you participate in the conversation with great pleasure and find enjoyment in their company. From the very day of your baptismal font, you have been given a Guardian Angel as your companion, and quite possibly – to this date, you have not uttered one word or one prayer to him. What would you think of a person who through his unthankful behaviour had forgotten his mother that gave him birth, nourished him with her milk and loved him tenderly? What would you say about a beggar that turns his eyes away from the hand of his benefactor, who is offering him bread to save him from starvation? Yet what mother’s love can match that of your Guardian Angel? infusion He is found inseparably with you, always directing his gaze toward God and imploring His mercy to you and of improving your heart with the infusion of His grace. Just think about this. Up to this point of time, hasn’t your Guardian Angel been a stranger to you? Isn’t it time to open your eyes and see your true guide sent to you by God? What an abundant source of joy and true comfort you can acquire from the mere thought that your Angel is always with you! You have always possessed this priceless good fortune, only you didn’t know how to apply it as you didn’t know of its presence. But now that you are aware of it, turn to him with all your heart and envisage him constantly in your mind. Converse with him in the depths of your heart – talk with him as you would normally do with a genuine friend.

You may well ask as to how one can imagine this Heavenly messenger - a bodiless Spirit. All you have to do is believe that he is with you; believe in God’s words and don’t get carried away with curiosity and empty 16 inquisitiveness. Just like your soul, a Guardian Angel is a spirit and has no visible physical appearance. When you are having a conversation with a friend at night, you still enjoy the dialogue despite the darkness obscuring your vision of his facial features. This temporary darkness is not permitting you to see your Angel. However, you will see him clearly on Resurrection Day, when the great day of eternity arrives. Your body is acting as a partition wall that is separating you from him, but when this obstruction collapses, his features will be revealed to you. In anticipation of this moment, when you will be free from the shackles of the body, turn to your Guardian Angel with your mind and heart, and with resolute faith cry out:

Angel of God, my Guardian! The Almighty’s mercy has placed me in your care – forgive and enlighten me! Protect me along life’s path; direct and oversee me.

SECOND DAY of the month

Blessed is our all gracious and most merciful Lord. How amazing is His condescension toward humans! How amazing is His goodness and love for them! He commanded His Angels to protect them. Just think: Who is He that gave this order? To whom and for whom did He convey this? It is, of course, the Lord, Sovereign of Angels, and Creator of all things visible and invisible. It is He who ordered His Angels – those blessed spirits who serve at the altar before the face of His majesty - to safeguard the human in all his endeavours. And what is a human being? A slave to sin who will eventually become food for worms. But God in His mercy and love for the human being directed His Angels to guard and guide his steps toward the right path. In carrying out the Almighty’s will, they – so to speak – take the human in their arms and safeguard him so that he doesn’t dash his foot against a rock(Psalm 90:10-12). In seeing such benevolence from God, who will not extol His mercy toward us? Endeavour to inscribe in your heart this benevolence from our Heavenly Father, and always remember the salvific presence of your Guardian Angel. You can be likened to a seafarer, sailing the seven seas in search of a safe harbour. Should you be all alone, are you not likely to go off course? If you are by yourself, are you not likely to end up as a victim of gigantic waves or prey of sea creatures? God has sent you a guiding Angel as your helmsman; with the wave of his hand, the waves will abate and you will have nothing to fear; you will successfully reach the harbor of blessed eternity.

Likewise, you are akin to a soldier that is surrounded by his enemies who have to be defeated if he is to survive. However, it’s impossible for one person to vanquish a horde of enraged opponents. Consequently, he is faced with imminent destruction. Isn’t your fate similar to that of the soldier? Your enemies are your desires, your vices, while your enticers are demons who have to be defeated if you are not to be dragged down by them into hell’s abyss. It’s either victory or death – eternal death! … Jerusalem was threatened by innumerable number of enemy warriors and faced an inevitable annihilation; but the Lord sends His Angel who obliterates all the forces of the proud Sennacherib. Your Guardian Angel – who is just as powerful – will take up arms on your behalf and will deliver you from your enemies (Psalm 34:6- 7). Son of heaven! Don’t ever forget that your path leads you toward your Fatherland, into your paternal domicile, where crowned with glory, you will delight in seeing the Lord with all His chosen ones. The benevolent and powerful guide has been given to you during your earthly travels. You carry a heavy burden on your shoulders, the burden being your sinful inclinations. With this burden, you continually encounter obstacles, which call for effort – 18 extreme effort. He, who doesn’t progress along this path, goes backwards; he, who falters, falls and perishes. However, your friend will help you with your load, and if needed, he will carry you bodily. When an eagle induces his young to fly, he opens his wings and hovers over them. Likewise, your Angel spreads a protective shield above you. He participates in every misfortune that you experience by comforting you. He tends to all your hurts; shares all joys with you and assists you to overcome all temptations. He will crush all your enemies with his power. May his presence be always joyful to your heart! Rely on his tender love and put your trust in the care of your wakeful Guardian, and cry out to him:

Angel of God, Heavenly Angel, my comforting Angel! Appear to me, reveal yourself to my mind and heart. How fortunate am I! My whole being trembles from joy in your presence! To my woe, I did not know you until now. But now that I know you, I love and extol you. Speak to my heart – it will listen to you. Deem me worthy of your holy instructions – and I will carry them out. You are my guide, my protector: preserve me under your wings and direct my path toward Heaven.

THIRD DAY of the month

When the Creator gave you the breath of life, united your soul with the body, He selected one of His Angels and sent him to protect you. When you came to light by the grace of God, you were baptised and received a new existence. Your Angel, who was present at this Mystery, rejoiced over you in seeing that the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, who redeemed mankind with His blood, has admitted you into His number of chosen ones and clothed you in Heavenly armour. God’s Spirit illuminated your heart, which then became His pure temple. How your Angel loved you at that time! With what care he guarded you! Your kind mother, exhausted in caring for you, sometimes fell asleep for a few minutes. However, you were never out of your Angel’s sight, leaning over your cradle and admiring God’s image and the richness of Christ’s grace in you. When you first began to understand words uttered by your mother, he protected you from thousands of dangers that threatened you. She hastened to impart to you the holy words of prayers, while your Guardian Angel imprinted them on your heart, reciting and reiterating in the depths of your heart, the names of Christ the Saviour and the Mother of God. You delighted in your tranquility and good fortune. During this time, you yourself were an angel and akin to your Guardian Angel in spiritual beauty.

During your childhood, he was preparing you to partake of Christ’s flesh and blood; implant feelings of love toward God, and filled your soul with zealous feelings. Through the mystery of Holy Communion, our Saviour became united with you and sanctified your heart. Was it not your Guardian Angel that guided you in this Last Supper and implored God to accept you as a participant? When Jesus Christ benevolently dwelt in your heart, your Guardian Angel prayed for you day and night. How happy were those times of your innocence! What pleasant memories remain of those days! Why didn’t you continue along this path? Why did you leave it? Where is your innocence now – that blessed state of your heart, which likened you to Heavenly beings? What happened to your attire that was made white by Christ’s blood - which clothed you when you were baptized, and in which you had to appear in Heaven? You have become a wretched wayward son. You have aggrieved your Heavenly Father and your friend the Guardian; you fled from them, and when They called you, you were unwilling to return to them. You blind and mindless individual! You were rushing toward the abyss while your Angel withheld you from it. Finally he was able to deliver you from the yawning jaws of hell and bring you to Christ the Saviour. He accompanied you to the holy judgment-seat where the sinner is reconciled with God. He heard your repentance for your sins and elated in your reformation. He witnessed how 20 grace descended upon you, while all God’s chosen together with your Angel rejoiced over your salvation. But how long were you true to your given promise? You soon stopped heeding your Angel’s voice and fell into iniquity. Just think – what is your life? It is a continuous chain of sins – a highway, highlighted by penitence and violation of promises. But Oh, what unlimited mercy! The Lord didn’t stop loving you: His Angel was always with you. While at this very moment – while you are pondering over these thoughts, he is praying for you and asking God to send you His grace. No matter how many sins you have committed, put your trust in God and place your hope on His mercy while turning to your Guardian Angel with the following prayer:

Angel of God! Forgive this ungrateful individual who has aggrieved you with his mindless acts. How gratifying it is to shed tears in your presence in recalling your magnanimity with a grateful heart! You have shown me innumerable acts of benevolence; shown my unworthy self, all the tenderness and concern akin to the most affectionate mother’s heart. But I, a pathetic wretch, not only didn’t think of bringing you my gratitude but offended your holy sight with my sinful acts. When you spoke to me, I paid no heed to your voice: I have offended my God in your sight. I thank you Angel of God for your astonishing patience – for your vast and countless acts of beneficence. Oh, how miserable am I! I repaid your goodness with iniquity. But hear my promise – I shall always extol and love you.

FOURTH DAY of the month

You are faced with a choice to choose either a Heavenly Angel, or one from Hades; between one that desires you to be a participant in eternal bliss, or the other that wishes to see you in the abyss of eternal flames. Both these Angels strive one against the other to subjugate your heart – but you are free to release it to one or the other. You cannot imagine all the evil that is in the underworld spirit. Incited by an insuperable hatred and turbulence of his powers, he curses God! However, not being able to turn his blows on Him, he concentrates on you in whom he sees His image and likeness. His envy sears him more fiercely than the flames of hell. What joy his heart would experience should he succeed in sullying your soul: deprive you of Christ’s grace: eject God from your heart and bar your path toward Heaven. Although he approaches you with great anger, he slyly hides his wrath. He assumes an appearance of a bright Angel and converses with you as a friend: he praises flatters and offers you delights. There is not one ruse that he wouldn’t apply to achieve his goal. This treacherous snake lulls you to sleep and bites you with a lethal sting. Sometimes he attempts to extinguish the salvific light of faith that burns in your heart; other times he enfeebles you with apathy and boredom, or arouses impetuous desires in your soul and entices your feelings toward shameful acts. He doesn’t leave you alone for one minute. The more persistence you apply in driving him away, the more ferociously he attacks you. He is as Apostle Peter writes: “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8). And this cannot be otherwise. Arming himself with hatred and rage against God, he realizes that he is weak and his assaults against Him fruitless. He therefore turns his hatred against you, because he knows your weaknesses and instability. It would have been less dangerous if he attacked you with open force, but his cunning is far more perilous than his power. Just like a lethal air-borne poison - undetectable to your senses that fills the atmosphere and is inhaled by you, so does the evil spirit corrupts your chaste soul through subtle and invisible cunning. You are unable to notice its effect on your heart, because he doesn’t oppose but indulges your evil inclinations. He tempts and swiftly drags you toward your inclinations. He slowly but constantly arouses your desires so as to inflame and turn them into unbridled vices. He knows how to adapt himself to all minds and to all characters.

Conceived and born in sin, our being initially belongs to the infernal spirit. During this short period, he is able to insert his poisonous hatred throughout our whole being. The Mystery of baptism cleansed us of this sin and bestowed upon us a new blessed nature; but the seed of death still remains 22 within us. Sometimes, when we decide to undertake something benevolent, our determination weakens and the intention remains unrealized. If a worthy thought induces us toward a benevolent act, the evil spirit will immediately turn us away from it, and sometimes completely erase it from our mind. Born to learn the truth, we languish in ignorance. Born to love God, we occupy our heart with the lowest form of feelings, and above all this misfortune is the fact that we don’t want to realize our infirmities. Being in a constant painful struggle with death, we consider ourselves healthy and willingly surrender ourselves to the domination of our soul’s enemy. How wretched are we! God’s Angel brings us grace that rejuvenates our soul, yet we prefer her to accept the lethal sin proffered by satan’s angel… such is the power of the senses! … such is the destructive blindness in which the evil spirit holds us! Don’t forget that when death overtakes you, one of the two Angels that you selected as your guide during your life, will also lead you to his domicile. With this in mind, turn your prayer to your Guardian Angel:

Accept my tearful prayer my holy Guardian Angel – my true protector! Fear has permeated my bones and sorrow has shattered my soul. Why did I – a miserable wretch depart from you? Why didn’t I turn to you in my temptations? I have become a slave to the demon, a frightening creature that has been rejected by God. I handed him my soul for the sake of frivolous enjoyment, momentary pleasure. I betrayed my God for him! Alas! Nothing can compare to my calamity! Pray for me blessed Angel and implore God’s forgiveness for my iniquities.

FIFTH DAY of the month

Listen to the words of Divine wisdom my friend, instructs an Angel wishing to impart it to a person. Just as a wise son gives joy to his father, so does a person who lives piously gives joy to his Angel. But he who submits to his vices, delights satan and his servants. You cannot comprehend all the evil that emanates from sin. Don’t judge them according to your powers of reasoning, but examine the eternal Truth. Lucifer was one of the brightest Spirits – God’s most-loved creation. He sinned and was condemned with his followers and cast down by the Lord into hell’s abyss. What a fall! What a change! Before – being able to gaze upon the Lord and enjoy eternal glory and beatitude; now – hell, madness and despair! Such is the fruit of one solitary sin. Whereas you are sullied in the pits of sin and gulp iniquity like water. The demon appears and enhances your desires - and you totally submit yourself to them. Even if at times you do display some opposition, you quickly return being their slave, as though you are exhausted from the conflict and struggle. Incidentally, when you did resist it, look how easy it was for you to be victorious. Your enemy is strong only because you are weak in spirit. He snares you in his net because you are not careful; he is triumphant over you because you are not firm in your resolve to vanquish him. And wasn’t I always ready to defend you, join in combat and save you if you had only turned to me? Son of Adam - you are abandoning your Heavenly Father and submitting yourself to the tormentor of Mankind! You are emulating your father of the human race – Adam. His crime was so great that even the services of all the ranks of Angels couldn’t satisfy God’s justice and redeem him from his sin. Only then did we discover the limitless love the Lord has for you. The Son of God became willing to be your redeeming sacrifice. He became a human, assumed the role of a slave, took your sins upon Himself and cleansed them with His sufferings and death itself. His blood flowed upon your soul, and your whole being became Divine – you mysteriously became joined with Jesus Christ. Then what? You offend Him by submitting your soul to satan – a soul which He redeemed at such a high price. God died on the Cross so as to give you life, yet you partake of lethal fruits, which transform you into a soulless corpse. Won’t you begin to weep over your iniquities? Your fate is being decided: you are faced with either eternal life or eternal death.

Can you remain untroubled - even for a minute – when your conscience is accusing you of your iniquities? Even if your conscience is clear, beware - as you are standing on the edge of a precipice. Place your hope on God’s help and your Angel’s intercession. Come under my shelter – intimates your Angel

- and fear not the devil’s snares. Always be with me, and I will always be with you and I will deliver you from all evil.

I hear you in my soul Guardian Angel, and like a person that is lost and forsaken by his disloyal friend, I turn to you – be my saviour. Like a disarmed warrior that is covered in wounds and thrown into a dungeon by his embittered victor, I turn to you Heavenly Defender, accept me under your shelter. Like a wretch that has fallen into the hands of robbers that are threatening death, I turn to you, Heavenly Emissary, be my protector. Like a mariner that has fallen into the sea and is being engulfed by waves, I call out to you, Wearer of Heavenly power, save me. Like a traveller that is walking in the dark of night and suddenly discovers an abyss in front of him, from which a hand seizes him and begins to drag him down, I come to you Heavenly Guard of my life, preserve me. Like a child, who while sleeping peacefully with pleasant dreams, is wrenched from the arms of his parents and awakens in a dank dungeon, I cry out to you Heavenly Protector of my infirmities, be my liberator! Like an unfortunate orphan that is cast unprotected among a band of villains, I run to you my Guardian Angel - reveal your mercy to me and preserve Jesus Christ’s fruit of redemption within me. His blood illuminated my soul, and He entrusted her to you for protection. I too entrust her to your care and place myself under your shield. You are my hope, my refuge, and my salvation.

SIXTH DAY of the month

Your Guardian Angel tells your soul that repentance is like a plank after a shipwreck. It is a port of life for a Christian – the first step on the path to Heaven. Genuine repentance is a gift of God’s mercy. However, to receive it, it’s not enough to weigh and evaluate in your mind the full importance of sin; you must bring to mind all your iniquities you have committed. I was witness to them utters your Angel, and I shall remind you of them as they are imprinted in my mind. Only one sin caused the fall of Lucifer, and only once did Adam and Eve bite into the forbidden apple from the tree of evil knowledge. Whereas you have turned your eyes and hands thousands of times on those trees, which you were forbidden to touch. Recount mentally God’s Ten Commandments and Church Rules; there isn’t one Commandment or Rule that you haven’t violated, or one sin that you haven’t committed. Bring to mind all the blessings that you have received through God’s mercy, and how you have applied them. You will have to account for them on Judgment Day.

So as not to be condemned on that frightening day, let us examine your life together! How did you spend your time as a child, as a teenager, as a youth? How did you utilize every day of your life? How did you apply your physical powers and spiritual talents? God has granted you everything so that you may use them for His glory. Your eyes were turned toward frivolous and often dangerous sights; your hearing was subjected to aspersions and enticing conversations, while your tongue pronounced words that were hurtful to your friends and relatives, as well as being offensive to God. All your senses over- indulged in reprehensible pleasures. Your memory kept reminding you of things that shouldn’t have occupied your mind. Have you applied your mind to know God, His perfection, His mercy to you, your responsibilities as a Christian and your participation in eternity? No! Your mind – this priceless gift – was occupied with empty, earthly delusions; your heart, which should burn with love toward God, was filled with low and coarse lusts. Shouldn’t you - like your Angel – nourish your mind with Heavenly truth and with a pure love, ascend to God and draw strength of blessed life from His bosom? Why are you immersing your soul into carnal delights of this world? I have presented you with God’s grace that has been bought with the blood of your Saviour; His limitless love for you – but you have ignored them. How many times have you resisted the stirrings of holy inspirations – how many times have you held in check all movements of pious thoughts that arose in your mind? You have offended the Holy Spirit by not listening to His voice, just so you could follow your unholy inclinations. Instead of subjugating yourself to your Heavenly 26

Father, commit yourself to His holy and just will, you boasted a stormy freedom and became a slave to your vices – subservient to the world and the demon. You say that you have performed a few good deeds – but every minute of every day should be denoted with a good deed; all your days should be dedicated to create good. Examine yourself objectively: vanity, pride, carnality fill your life, obscure all your works – even those that you regard as being good. What Christian virtue has entrenched itself firmly in your heart? Unfortunately, there isn’t even a shadow of it! If only you could see who has been sent to you by God, the one that calls out and implores you to trust his guidance: then with what haste and zeal would you rush to his entreaty of love! Hence, come and understand the goodness of the Lord: come to the Source of life – to Jesus Christ and give Him your heart. Come – I will be your guide and you will become a participant in eternal life.

Guardian Angel! Your promptings are permeating into my musty heart and I, covered with sins, call out to you from the depths of an abyss – deliver me from and bring me to my Heavenly Father: have mercy on me most merciful Father, “according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). While my transgressions have multiplied immeasurably, pray for me blessed Protector of my life. Breathe into me the dynamic feeling of love and present my tears of sorrow to the Lord: He will not look upon my tearful sacrifice with contempt, and by His mercy, forgive me my transgressions.

SEVENTH DAY of the month

Blessed is the person that traverses along the path in the Lord’s presence and under his Angel’s protection. His life is akin to a clear stream, flowing in a verdant and flowering field – it is clean and tranquil, just like the Heavenly Spirits. Such a person is terrified of even the shadow of a sin so as not to offend his Guardian Angel. In seeing such a benevolent and wise person, who wouldn’t respect him? What son would be disrespectful in the presence of his father? Would you have the audacity to act before your Angel in a manner that you wouldn’t dare do before your father? You would conduct yourself reverently knowing that your Angel is present. How extraordinary is your Guardian’s majesty! He received a surfeit of grace from his Creator, is adorned with all spiritual accomplishments and being a dignitary in God’s palace, is clothed in effulgent glory. Being near the altar of the Almighty, he reflects the light from God’s face. His voice blends in harmoniously with those of other Angels’ in singing praises to their Creator. He beholds the Almighty God and His Christ. A brilliant light attires him like a vestment. All the earth’s glory and all the collective radiance of light from the heavenly bodies, pale into insignificance before the brilliant face of the Heavenly Angel. Naturally you cannot see his face, but at the same time, he is just as mighty, just as majestic and is just as worthy of your venerable reverence. However glorious and majestic he may be as an Angel, he is more glorious and majestic because he presents himself as the face of his Emperor; he receives the same honours that are required to be accorded to his Emperor. Any offence inflicted upon him is regarded as though it was caused to the Emperor himself. On his part, the messenger endeavours to secure respect for his Emperor and uphold his prestige. He values the honours not in relation to himself but to the one he represents. Therefore, revere your Lord God in the personage of His Angel, His representative who has been sent to you by the Almighty. He who has sent him will seek retribution from you for having the insolence to offend His messenger. Honour your Angel because if you offend him, he will change from being your intercessor to your accuser.

A messenger is usually a peacemaker; but if his peace-loving voice is not heeded, he declares war and departs. Woe unto us if we offend him that is defending us – offend God’s servant who intercedes for us before the Lord. Woe unto us if we force him to depart from us! By lapsing into iniquities, we provoke in him revulsion toward us, because we become God’s enemies and wage war against Heaven. How unfortunate are we! What madness has overwhelmed us! What blindness! What a sin!

There are such creatures in this world that attempt to bite the hand that feeds and showers them with benefaction. Just the very thought of them evokes indignation. Think about it, light-minded individual and admit to yourself – don’t you belong to such a group? Ponder over this: The Guardian Angel is always with you; offers you with most gentle love, gifts of God’s grace; follows you everywhere, is always benevolent toward you; helps you in your endeavours and even protects you throughout the night while you sleep; saves you during times of danger; comforts you at times of sorrow and grief; enlightens you during moments of doubt and indecisiveness – all this is done for you by your Angel, sent by the Heavenly King and in offending him, you become unworthy of his companionship. Who can I liken you to? You are similar to a madman who during his frenzied lapses, strikes out against his physician who is attempting to heal him and return him to his senses. Journey along your path with care advises one spiritual writer, bearing in mind that your Angel is with you. Avoid everything that aggrieves him; do everything that gladdens him; exercise self-restraint, be virtuous and pray with tears and an ardent heart:

Do not leave me my Guardian Angel and don’t recall sins of my youth and past transgressions. I entrust my faith with you; you are my strength and my refuge. Preserve me from sinful traps and snares of the evil spirit. You are my patron from the first minute of my life. Disperse my enemies that surround me; enlighten my mind that is wandering in the darkness; turn your holy face to me and I will pour my tears and my prayers before you. I am ready to heed you my Angel; command me, and I will fulfill your behest; show me the way, and I will follow you.

EIGHTH DAY of the month

Your enemy is tempting you, the world is enticing you with its attractions and your vices are not giving you any peace. If you don’t conduct yourself as a fainthearted warrior who fails in his duty; if you firmly resolve not to submit yourself to your enemy and engage him in combat – even sacrificing your very life – you can be certain that all of hell’s might will not conquer you. Place yourself under the protection of your Angel – and you will not be defeated. The power given to him by God is of such character that everybody obeys him, and can vanquish everyone. When God determines a goal, He also allocates the necessary means to achieve it. When God sent His Angel to guard and defend you, He also at the same time gave him the power to triumph over all your enemies. When a King sends his soldier into combat, he outfits him in armour, gives him weapons and the warrior charges into battle; likewise with the Lord’s Angel. Equipped with Heavenly weaponry, he comes to you and shields you with his protective screen. Even if the whole world arises against you, what is there to fear? Have you forgotten the triumphant passage of the sons of Israel through the Red Sea: their victory over their enemies and their entry into the Promised Land? The Lord’s Angel led them. Your Angel is just as mighty in Heaven, interceding on your behalf before God’s mercy. While protecting you against dangers and misfortunes, he simultaneously stands before the Lord and prays to Him about your needs.

The Heavenly Father would never refuse His Angel’s entreaties. Such is your defender, mighty in his personal nobleness, mighty in his strength given to him by God, and mighty in his prayers that he offers up to the Almighty. Try to preserve his love and his patronage because under his protection, you can rest easily. “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you”, because your Guardian Angel has covered you with his shield. You poor wretch, forsaken by everyone! Don’t be afraid of persecutions from people; poor orphan, discarded and forsaken in your poverty, don’t be despondent in your misery; tremulous maiden that has dedicated herself to Christ, enjoy the tranquility of your innocent soul: God’s Angel is preserving all of you under his wing. Dedicate your clean hearts to him; let the living faith permeate and fulfill your souls with joy. Turn to your Guardian Angel and call out to him:

O, my holy Angel, benefactor and my defender! I hasten to your mercy – preserve me under your holy shield for all my days, and up to the very hour of my death. I entrust my soul and my body, my hopes and my consolation, my miseries and my sorrows, my life and the end of my life; let your mind and 30 your will be the directives for my thoughts and my deeds so that I may carry out the will of my Lord Jesus Christ, reigning with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

NINTH DAY of the month

Entrusting your hope in your Guardian Angel is much wiser than he who places it with earthly rulers. He who declares with faith to his Angel: “You are my protector”, is not afraid of any earthly dangers. Recall the event regarding the three Israelite youths Ananias, Azarias and Misael, servants of the true God. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, commanded that a huge idol be made from gold so that when his musicians started to play, all his nobles, court attendants and the populace in general had to fall to their knees and worship him. The godless Babylonians complied, with the exception of the three youths, who rejected the order. Accused before the King, they were found guilty and ordered to be burned in a huge oven. Tied hand and foot, they were thrown into the red-hot oven, which was fired up to such a high degree that the soldiers in carrying out their orders, dropped dead from the searing heat. Lying amidst the scorching flames, the three martyrs were visited by God’s Angel, who took them in his hands and untied them, allowing them to walk freely inside the blazing oven, praising and praising God. God’s Angel deflected the heat and flames from them, fanned them with a chilly breeze and drizzled them with cool dew. The flames never touched them and they were left unscathed. They blessed the Lord and praised Him in one voice: “Blessed be the Lord, God of our fathers, praised and glorified is Thy name and exalted for all ages”. The king and all the nobility witnessed this miracle. He ordered release and proclaimed throughout his realm, the victory of the true God over the useless earthly idols.

Upon the passing of a number of years, the Prophet Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den by the same Babylonians, where there were 7 hungry lions ready to devour him. However, a Guardian Angel visited him and made these fierce lions meek and timid. The Angel also fed Daniel during his stay in the lion’s den.

Dangerous and false friends surround you. They want you to bow down and worship their idols: gratification, extravagance and wealth. Evil companions hunger for your blood and are ready to devour you like tigers. They have surrounded you with fire, burning with flames from hell. And what fires burn in your own breast! Lust, pride, envy and many other vices are ablaze in your heart. Who is to extinguish this fire? Who is going to fan you with a cooling wind? Who is going to send down a chilling dew? And what is this wind, this dew? These are the satisfying thoughts of God that are instilled by the Heavenly Angel; it is the blood and water that flow from Jesus Christ’s wounds – such is the wind that cools the vices, such is the dew that 32 extinguishes passions of lust and inseminates the seed of virtue: it is food that satiates your soul. Such is the beneficence that is provided to you by your Angel. If you are aware of this gift from God, and you know him who brings it to you, then bless the Lord for His benevolence, for His limitless mercy and utter a prayer to your Guardian Angel:

Angel of merciful God! Under your shield I have been delivered from danger that threatened me with imminent demise. Possibly, without you, I already would have been cast into the flames of Hades. Due to your intercession, the Lord rescues me every minute. Just like a compassionate person rescues a bird from its trap, you deliver me from the snares of the evil enemy – you open the net that holds me, and my soul is liberated. With you, I am secure as a child in its mother’s arms. Merciful Patron! May you be blessed forever!

TENTH DAY of the month

A person’s gaze is involuntarily turned toward the light of the sun, while a magnet attracts iron by its own power. So does a person attaches himself to his friend and enjoys his affection. A true friend is worth more than all the earthly wealth. Fortunate is the person that has found himself a friend: he can always live with him as one soul, take pleasure in conversing with him, warm your heart with his love, lean on him in moments of weakness and reinforce yourself with his strength. Fortunate is that person who on his death-bed, sees his friend gazing down at him – he closes his eyes, accompanied by his friend’s fervent prayers. Such was the case many years ago. There were two holy Fathers – Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen. They were so close spiritually that they had the same thoughts and the same feelings as one. In observing their friendship, one could have thought that one soul dwelt in their two bodies because one lived within the other and for the other.

Likewise, it would not be beneficial for you to remain alone because you too have a need of a friend. And one was given to you, and this Heavenly Envoy is found next to you. Can you possibly find a better friend? In whom would you be able to see such devotion, so much pure and ardent love? Who else would endure your deficiencies – and with such great humility and patience? Who would begin to help you in your needs with such great desire? When you ask him for advice and solace, his flow of words will be sweeter than honey. If you heed his advices, he will enrich your mind with thoughts that are chaste, noble and heavenly that would incline your heart toward good deeds. True friends, so to speak, breathe as one. Endeavour to secure the friendship of your Guardian Angel. Then your heart would swell through the joyful feeling of your blessedness. If you draw near to your Angel, you will feel the flame of Divine love, and your soul will become warm from it. Friendship on earth is not very long; the heart of a person is fickle and blind; it is tempted by illusory apparitions. That’s why there are so few friends. You are weak and poor; seek out a friend that is earnest, strong and wealthy. You are struggling under a yoke of unholy inclinations; seek out a friend that is generous and patient, who will be able to help ease your burden and correct your weaknesses. Human life is so short and the transition from childhood to old age is so swift, it is necessary for you to have a friend who would during your lifetime, serve as your mainstay; who would at your very death-bed comfort you with his words; who would greet you beyond the grave and open the gates to eternity; who would enhearten you when he escorts you before the High Judge. Who is this friend? Don’t search for him beyond yourself and don’t think to secure his friendship with gold. Truly, were you to give him all 34 your belongings, all your wealth – it would be insufficient. All that your friend, your Angel asks of you is to love him, be in accord and in unity of thought with him; that you entrust your heart and so to speak, unite with him into one being. No doubt you would have been a witness of how two friends, upon meeting, embraced one another with their hearts, wanting to unite into one being: you should similarly show the same love for your Angel.

Genuine and firm friendship is based on respect. Your Angel loves you because he can see God-like qualities in you. You too must endeavour to understand the Heavenly perfection of your Angel; then your love for him will grow commensurate to your knowledge of him. If someone asks you, who is your friend Just answer, my friend is my Guardian Angel! Love those who live in piety who follow Jesus Christ. Don’t accept anyone into friendship except those who are virtuous, worthy of your Angel’s love, and turn to him with a prayer:

O meek and compassionate Guardian Angel! Pray for me. You, who is face to face in contemplating the Heavenly Father, pray for me! You, who savours from the Source of Heavenly joys that flow from the Divine heart, pray for me. You, who is enjoying blessedness and worshipping the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, pray for me. You, illuminated with Christ’s glory, pray for me. You, who sings praises of the greatness of the Trinity – TriHoly God and His Christ, pray for me. You, who dwells in the limitless ocean of light, love and glory, pray for me! You, who is face to face in contemplating Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, pray for me. You, who can see the throne and crown prepared for me in Gods realm, pray for me. You, with whom one day I shall sing the eternal song of glory to God, pray for me. You, who can see the enemies that have risen against me, pray for me. You, who can see the blindness of my mind, the vacillation of my heart and the corruption of my body, pray for me. For the love of the most worshipful Trinity that has created me in their likeness, I beseech you, pray for me. For the love of Jesus Christ, Who shed His blood for my redemption, I beseech you, save me. For the love of All-Pure Virgin Mary, Who accompanied Her Son to the place of execution, bringing Himself as a sacrifice for my salvation, I beseech you – 35 hear my prayer and save me; lead me into my Father’s dominion and make me deserving of Heavenly glory and eternal blessedness.

ELEVENTH DAY of the month

Wisdom is sent to a person from God, its path outlined by eternal laws. From eternity to the beginning of the ages, it resided in the bosom of Divinity and akin to a big river, it effuses and illuminates the Heavenly Spirits; it nourishes the hearts of virtuous people with an inexplicable enjoyment and increases their days in blessed peace.

You will find this precious wisdom in your Guardian Angel’s counsels. Don’t be blinded by human wisdom, and let him be your guide. Are you uncertain in entrusting yourself to his guidance? His suggestions are wise, true and holy. If you come to him for his counsel – he will show you the path to the Lord and at the same time assist you along this difficult and nettlesome road. Being weak, you are akin to a child who not only doesn’t know how to recognize paths, but doesn’t have sufficient strength to even make a few steps without the help of his mother or nurse. What good is it to tell a blind person to stand up and walk, when he is so weak that he is incapable of taking two steps without falling – unless you supported him? Likewise, you are in need of advice, which will enlighten you; in need of strength that would support you along the difficult path of salvation. Your Guardian Angel will illuminate your mind with Divine light and enkindle your heart with a spark of that love, which he himself is aflame. That’s why it is said in the Scripture that the lips of the righteous are the essential source of life; because life-saving words that nourish the soul flow from them. In conversing with your Angel, who guards you while being in the presence of God, you will never go astray from the path and will reach the promised land, rich in milk and honey.

You may ask: how is it possible to converse with an Angel when it’s impossible to hear his voice? This mysterious conversation is not confined to the physical sounds of a human voice, but in the inner voice of the heart, that is impregnated with the belief in the invisible presence of your Guardian Angel – in his goodness and wisdom. This dialogue demands purity of heart, and your quandary directed at him with humility and prayer, then awaiting his decision in silence. When your Angel’s voice penetrates your heart, you will hear his dialogue: he will be telling you about righteousness, purity of the soul, of chastity, of virtuousness, of charity, of love of your neighbour and piety; your heart will be filled with emotions and bask in spiritual peace. Quite the opposite, the evil enemy of humanity will begin to unsettle your tranquility. He will begin to tempt your mind with riches, honours and extravagances – don’t pay any attention to his enticements and follow the sound advice from your good Guardian Angel. Being the Almighty’s messenger of His directives, 37 as soon as he sees in your heart a genuine desire to know and follow them, he will let you know. But in what manner will he inform you? He will send you a thought, akin to a ray of light, which will disperse your dilemmas. He will direct your will along the path of truth, and awaken a desire in your heart that is in accord with God’s laws. These blessed inspirations that are sent to inform our soul, is the essence of the priceless gifts of mercy from God. Beware, and don’t ascribe these thoughts to yourself; they are from God, relayed to you by the Guardian Angel.

Everything in the life of a Christian has an important meaning; every minute is a step toward eternity; behind every act there follows either a reward or punishment, depending whether it is good or evil. From time to time, in quiet contemplation, immerse into yourself and ask yourself: what does my Guardian Angel about this matter? Before commencing any activity, especially if it is an important undertaking, turn to him and say: Guardian Angel, servant of my God, teach me to discover His will and help me fulfill it. Thus, when coming to a juncture where there are several roads leading in different directions, a sensible traveller pauses and makes inquiries, and doesn’t continue his journey until he obtains sufficient information about which road to take. By selecting a road randomly without making any inquiries, he could subject himself to danger. Just consider – aren’t you like this traveller, pausing at the juncture where you are faced to choose a lifestyle, or decide on an important undertaking? Can you determine yourself what God’s will has ordained for you? You have to hasten to your Angel with a prayer and ask him to reveal God’s will. Hasten to him not only in important and decisive events in your life, but in all your thoughts, wishes, joys, sorrows, in friendly conversations, in fulfilling your responsibilities – in everything, in your thoughts and your actions. If you have arranged your life according to his advice, it will certainly be in accord with the Divine will. Don’t ever forget that if your Guardian Angel will be your adviser, he will certainly be your helper in fulfilling your undertakings. Consequently, turn to him with your heart and express its feelings with the following words:

Hear my prayers holy Angel of God. You are to me, as a mother is to a feeble child. Your love constitutes my happiness, my glory and my tranquility. Your advices to me are sweeter than honey that melts in my mouth. They work their mysterious power on me: they penetrate my soul and revitalize my heart. Just your name – just the thought of you, calms the turbulence in my soul. When sparks of desires inflame my feelings, just the thought of you, cools them like a life-giving dew. You are light to my eyes; illuminate me always with the holy rays of Divine truth. When the tempter approaches me under the 38 guise of a friend; when draws near me, when my feeble heart begins to incline toward sin – let me hear your salvific voice. When my heart commits itself to humility and patience – strengthen it with your advices. I am ready to heed them: I will gladly perform all your biddings if you will only help me.

TWELFTH DAY of the month

I feel great joy my beloved brother – says the Angel to my soul – when I see you motivated by a chaste yearning, steadfastly following the path leading to Heaven. Life is but a momentary vocation; earth is but a valley of tears and sorrow where a person, from the day he is born to the day he dies, suffers and nourishes himself with bread that is wet with tears. Why are you forgetting Heaven and attaching yourself to earthly cares? Is the existing moment captivating you? You are not thinking of eternity? Let us assume that Providence has decreed to you 100 years of life; but what is this number of years mean? Compared to eternity, it’s nothing but a drop in a limitless ocean. And indeed, your days pass quickly and the end will soon arrive. The last day is already at hand. But what is truly sad is the fact that you don’t know the day or hour when your earthly life comes to an end. Death will come to you when you are oblivious to it and cut the thread of life, just like a hunter shoots a bird on the wing that is frolicking in the air. There is nothing more certain than death; nothing is so hidden from a person than the moment of its arrival.

How many more years are you hoping to live? Thirty, forty? You, of course, are unable to say with any certainty. However, of the remaining years, one of them will be the year of your death. Death lies in wait for you along the path of your life in such a place, where you least expect it, and akin to a murderer that has hidden himself in a dense forest, so as to pounce on an unsuspecting passer by; you walk past – and it strikes your heart. Why are you indifferent and are not taking any precautionary measures? Why don’t you emulate a sentry on duty; although he cannot see the enemy, he is nonetheless vigilant? He remains alert so as not to allow the enemy to attack suddenly due to his negligence. Can’t you see what frightening consequences that are menacing you throughout all eternity? We have often seen the termination of a person’s life with the light movement of air, the winnow of a cold wind, the fall of a ray of light or one drop of water. Like shadows, our days vanish and glory withers like faded colours. And in this fleeting life you want to establish your hopes and your good fortune! And you hope to erect a solid building on a foundation that is crumbling like old chalk. What could have captivated and seduced you? The past distresses you with its memories, while the present oppresses you with misfortunes. Can’t you see that those hopes that enticed you with the future have disappeared like shadows, and as you came nearer to them, they dispersed like dreams from an awakening sleep? Lies, deception, anxieties, spiritual sorrows, physical ailments – this is the life that you love to such an 40 extent that you have forgotten about eternity! Unfortunate is that person who sacrifices the future for the present! Wretched is that person who, instead of building his house in his homeland, constructs it in a foreign land and doesn’t prepare anything for his country in which he must live. What sympathy you evoke in me when I watch you fretting and seeking with such zeal, objects that are sensual and corruptible at the expense of Heavenly blessings, thereby not only subjecting yourself to the danger of losing these gifts, but voluntarily streaming toward eternal torment! Thus, an unwise person sells his Heavenly Kingdom for a momentary enjoyment, which is provided by the demon, who curses him for his stupidity. When the Almighty sent me to guard you, He named me as Guardian of the Kings child who has been ordained to one day rule with his Father. I have observed the golden attire on the child, adorned with precious stones and a gleaming crown on his head: for isn’t it you who is the heir to the Heavenly Father’s Kingdom and co-inheritor with Jesus Christ? But alas – what grief! I quickly witnessed how my youthful King’s son throw his attire and crown on the ground, break his scepter in two, offend his King and submit himself to His enemies.

Son of the All-High King! Turn your eyes toward Heaven, look upon your Heavenly Father and bend your knee before the Mother of God’s altar. Gaze upon the Angels’ glory and that glory, which has been prepared for you – finally, forsake, forsake your senseless anxiety about earthly cares, labour to become worthy of your high calling. You are called to rule – begin by ruling over yourself; begin to govern your mind and your heart; show your firm authority over demons, over the world, over your own passions. Your strength is weakening through this battle? Just remember that in Heaven you will be resting throughout the whole of eternity. You may well ask: when will I be enjoying this rest? Maybe today, or perhaps tomorrow. The only thing certain is that you will enjoy this rest soon. Just a bit more time – and I will lead you to Heaven.

This is how the Guardian Angel converses with a person’s soul, and blessed is the soul if it heeds the words of God’s Messenger and calls out to it in prayer:

Guardian Angel! Inspirit my heart with the Divine zeal that has inflamed those Holy Fathers who have endured torture and suffering – and death itself - with joy. To this end, my holy Angel, remind me constantly about eternity. Reminder about eternity is true wisdom, higher than any human wisdom. It arouses holy desires, enlightens the mind and strengthens spiritual vigour. But the enemy is hampering its permeation into my soul; and when it does, 41 the enemy attempts to confuse it. Angel of God! Support me so that my mind would be perpetually occupied with thoughts of eternity; then earthly pleasures and riches shall not entice me; I will prefer sorrows and afflictions , which illuminate and strengthen the soul with blessed potency. I shall choose a humble life, distanced away from worldly cares, where I shall reflect in silence upon my eternal ages. Here, I shall utilize all the minutes of my short existence to accumulate those riches, which I shall enjoy with you throughout eternity.

THIRTEENTH DAY of the month

Listen to the meek voice of your Guardian Angel and inscribe his words in your heart. Your soul, he speaks, is a being that was created for Heaven. It nourishes itself with thoughts of God and is ordained to obtain its beatitude in God’s glory. If you listen, I shall reveal to you a truth; if you unite your spirit with mine – your friend and benefactor; if you subdue the earthly cares and tribulations in your soul, criminal endeavours of vanity and pride’s haughtiness; if you commit yourself to the chaste leanings of the heart – your mind will then be occupied with wise thoughts – true, noble and worthy of you and God, before Whose gaze you contemplate. You will then enjoy uninterrupted tranquility and reach your goal through unimpeded path of truth. Carelessness squanders the treasure of grace, impedes hearing the Guardian Angel’s voice, deadens the Holy Spirit’s advices and darkens the soul. Fortunate is he that delves into himself with deep thought. Meditation about faith sows seeds of virtue within him. He has destroyed the weeds, tilled God’s field meticulously and received the fruits of his labour worthy of Heaven. The truth that has been validated in his heart through virtuous contemplation is always fruitful. An important change has to occur with you: you are an earthly creature that has to become a Heavenly one. Grace will transfigure you; descending on you and permeating into your heart, it will unite you with God through its power. But grace only operates in a reverent soul, that is immersed in its inner self. It demands that your mind be clean for contemplation about God, so that your heart isn’t occupied with earthly yearnings and be ready to accept the inspiration of Divine love; it demands that your soul crave for God’s truth and seek to satiate itself with it.

These truths, which are presented to your mind very clearly, are so vivid and so comforting that it’s quite amazing how you can ever forget them. You are in the presence of omnipresent God, in Whom you live and exist. How is it that thoughts of His accomplishments, of His benefaction, of His unlimited love, of the beatitude prepared for you by Him – doesn’t occupy your mind, even for one minute? Why don’t you recall the Most-Holy and Most-Blessed Virgin Mary, whose name alone infuses your heart with succor? Confronting you - a few steps away – is your impending death and eternity. Is it possible that this thought doesn’t hold sufficient importance for you to contemplate about this every day of your life? Even if only one of these important truths is affirmed in your heart, then undoubtedly its fruits will be wisdom and all virtues – it will be the source of living water, quenching the thirst in your soul up to the very boundaries of eternal life. It will serve as a shield against all your enemy’s arrows. In meditating about the holy truths, you will live jointly 43 with your Angel, sharing thoughts and feelings with him through pleasant conversations and in this state; you will appear as complete before the Lord.

A lethal shadow has fallen over me, O, true guardian, my Angel. My eyes have dimmed, my heart is confused and my days are filled with sorrows. However, remind me constantly of my God, of the joy for His chosen ones, and my heart will become enlivened and rejuvenated. I beg of you, enrich my mind with an abundance of holy thoughts and strengthen the habit of virtuous thought in me; correct my flippancy; remove from me all dangerous impressions, uneasy conversations, sinful attractions. My heart is the Holy Spirit’s temple; preserve it from all impurities; embellish it with the sanctity of virtuous inspirations; fill it with the redolence of Divine love and reverent prayer, and may the Lord be glorified and blessed throughout the ages.

FOURTEENTH DAY of the month

Two flowers that have bloomed on the one stem, not only look alike but are like two friends, bound together with a heart-felt love. Akin to the tuned strings of a harp, all their actions create a pleasant harmony: thus the heart of the young beloved disciple joined with the heart of Jesus Christ. As the great Apostle Paul preached to his disciples: “Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). And you yourself, listen to what your Angel is saying to you: Be my emulator like I emulate Lord God. He gazes upon the Holy of Holy and perpetually attempts to assimilate with It. In emulating your Angel, you become a communicant with his blessedness and through this, you get nearer to God. You wish to enter the Heavenly realm and be included among the Saints; but by what manner can you become worthy of this glory and this happiness if you don’t try to be like those with whom you must live in the same habitat? A person that has decided to relocate to a foreign land would normally first attempt to understand its language so that he could communicate with the inhabitants; he would endeavour to learn their customs, traditions and laws so as not to appear as a newcomer among his co-citizens. Future citizen of the Heavenly habitat! Learn from your Angel the language of the inhabitants of the celestial Jerusalem – study their laws and customs. You want to stand before the face of God and eternally sing praises to Him; learn beforehand the holy songs of Zion and organize your heart so that is in accord with the harmony of the Heavenly choirs. But who is to instruct you in this Divine knowledge? Your Angel is one of those Heavenly choristers; he has been sent to conduct and teach you. You might ask: what is this Heavenly harmony? What are these songs? Well, it is the sanctity of thought and will; it is the movement of Divine love, heart-felt sensitivity and all virtues that are pleasing to God. From the Almighty’s bosom – through Jesus Christ, Interceder for the whole humanity – effuses the light of eternal truth and illuminates the entire holy Heavenly habitat. This light flows from one chosen Christian to another, which also illuminated you by your Angel – your Guardian and your mentor. If you follow in his footsteps, then you are following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, and having become like him, you will enter the house of the Heavenly Father with him. But can the Angel bring you in if don’t have the image of God’s Chosen? This visage and image is the essence of virtue. Tell me, how can you call your Angel as your guide when you are not following him in his footsteps? How can you call him your mentor and adviser when you are not in accord with his thoughts and volition? How can he be your friend when you dispute and oppose everything he says? Only a genuine attempt to be like him can avert all this and affirm consensus, in which lies true happiness and blessing of friendship. Observe a field 45 through which two separate streams flow and eventually flow into one: that is how you must unite your flow of life with that of your Guardian Angel, so that your soul will merge with this blessed Spirit and together with him, flow into the ocean of perpetual holiness and perpetual love. Pray to your Heavenly guide and utter:

To be like you holy Guardian Angel, just like sometimes two brothers are alike, I regard this as absolutely essential. I want to make myself like you and through, my feelings of love, I will correspond my wishes with your chaste wishes. Neither the world, nor flesh, pride, vanity nor faint-heartedness rules me. No! I want to think, reason, love and act just like you. Let your love be the guideline for my feelings; let your purity be my purity; let your patience and humility teach me obedience and self-denial so that I can always fulfill the Heavenly Father’s will; let your profound reverence before the presence of the Almighty, teach me to immerse into myself and love solitude. Although I have drifted far away from my image, you will help me, you will teach me and you will enhearten me. When I ask you, you will not be slow in appearing and giving me advice, in what areas I have to reform, and that which I lack; you will assist me in correcting my deficiencies. Your love for me and my love for you will produce a change and make me akin to you. May the Lord’s mercy that have entrusted me to your love, be blessed for ever and ever.

FIFTEENTH DAY of the month

Once, a person planted a grapevine in fertile soil. After the allotted time when the grapes were expected to have ripened after the sun and the rain, the person arrived to collect the harvest. However, instead of ripe grapes he found nothing but leaves, while the vine had released long shoots along the ground between the weeds. Being upset, he wanted to uproot it, but seeing an elm tree growing nearby with its long and spreading branches overhanging the vine, he changed his mind. Instead, he intertwined the long shoots with the overhanging branches so that at a distance, they looked like one tree. Next summer he appeared to check the vine and was immensely happy because the vine not only had fruit, but having grown as tall as the elm and fed by Heavenly dew and warmed by the rays of the sun, it produced an abundant crop.

Likewise, your soul too can bring forth a harvest. God has planted a vine in it, and wants your Guardian Angel to nurture and gather a harvest from it to bring to Him as an offering. But if your soul slithers on the ground among wolves and weeds of turmoil and inane thoughts, then it will remain unproductive. It will only be fruitful if it’s sprinkled with the dew of grace, and is warmed by the heat of Divine love. Therefore, raise your thoughts and your feelings above this dark earthly region into bright Heaven; with your Angel’s help, place yourself on such a height from where you can view the Lord. Your Angel is blessed and holy because he can see God. You cannot view Him as such, but you can see Him through eyes of faith, and place yourself before Him through faith. The Lord is omnipresent; He is present with you equally as He is with your Angel. It is in Him that we live, move and exist. The eyes of the Lord are always upon you; His ear is always attentive to your prayers; His right hand is full of gifts of His love; His heart is always ready to welcome you if you wish to hasten to Him. Why aren’t you simulating your Angel? His eyes are never turned away from the Lord’s face. God is the highest beauty, the limitless perfection; He alone is worthy of being worshipped by the Heavenly Spirits. A person that lives before the face of the Lord, thinks and acts before His gaze, cannot become a slave of sin, but with time will become more and more complete. In reality, what person would submit himself to sin that offends God, if he ponders over His limitless love; His tremendous majesty; His eternal holiness? We sin because we forget that His gaze is always upon us. Let us visualize that like our Angel, we are always in the presence of God – then our love for Him will not cool in our hearts. What person’s soul will not inflame with feelings when it says to itself: God is gazing at me. Holy martyrs, unvanquished warriors of Christ, subjected to all types of torture, agonizing 47 ordeals and excruciating mutilations that a hateful mind could devise, endured these torments with joy and calm, because in the depths of their heart, they were conversing with the Saviour and it is in this sanctum that you have to worship Him. But alas! While God makes you worthy by His visitation and seeks to dwell in you, so that you will always be with Him and He with you, you spend whole days without thinking of Him, without glorifying Him and not praying to Him. When you are advised to seek God in your heart, it is in fact saying as though to seek Him beyond the boundaries of the furthermost and unknown lands: because can there be anything more distant and unknown to the majority of dispersed and troubled humanity, than the depths of their own hearts? Are they aware of what it is to enter into the depths of your own soul? Have they ever decided to take this step? Can they even imagine in their own minds, what this inner sanctum is – what this impenetrable depth of the soul is, where God demands to be worshipped in spirit and in truth? These people never live within themselves but in areas of their ambitions, or their entertainment. Can’t you see that this shows ungratefulness to God’s majesty - and is complete madness? So what have you got to do? Emulate your Angel, delve into devout thoughts, stimulate thoughts of God’s omnipresence and live uprighteously before God. Such a life is spiritual, Heavenly – a life of a pious and wise person. Envy this life and strive toward it, while praying for help from your Guardian Angel:

Holy Angel! Accept my humble prayer and present it to the Lord; entreat Him to forgive the sins of my mindless life; awaken me from my deep sleep in which I am languishing; illuminate my eyes with a Heavenly light so that I may be worthy of gazing upon the blessed Lord in Heaven, where His altar of glory is, and on earth, which is His footstool. Make me worthy of seeing Him in all living forms, especially in the heartbeat in my heart that lives through the power of His grace.

SIXTEENTH DAY of the month

Your Guardian Angel instills into your soul that you belong to God, because He created you and redeemed you with the price of His Son’s blood. Everything that you possess was received by you through His benevolence. He is constantly thinking of you. Every minute of your life is a new continuation of His creation, and is the same great beneficence as that when He created you from nothing. Apart from an earthly life, He is gifting you a higher life, a blessed life, which serves as the commencement of the future life of glory. There are so many compelling reasons for you to submit yourself to Him with all you heart, and consecrate yourself in serving Him every minute of your life! Glorify and bless the Lord – that is your sole aim in life, and there is nothing that can be higher than this aim! And how else can you glorify the Lord than to carry out His will with complete devotion? That’s why when you pray to Him, you say: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”. This petition from you is also coupled with your pledge to be like the Angels, who place all their beatitude and glory in carrying out God’s bidding. From early morning, when you awaken let your mind occupy itself with the following prayer: “God has given me this day to serve and glorify Him”. Then your heart will rejoice knowing that the Lord, Whom you are serving, is generous and all- merciful, and is preparing the Heavenly Kingdom as a reward to all those who are faithful to Him. As well, bring to your attention the fact that I am found always with you; that even when you are asleep, I don’t leave your side; I accompany you during the day, and lighten the load in your endeavours; I plead for you to receive God’s grace and guard you against all the snares from the devil. I speak the truth when I say to you: if from early morning you commit yourself to these meditations, and from the moment of awakening these will be your first thoughts, then the life-giving light will illuminate your mind and a fervent feeling will enliven your heart – and you, having accepted the Lord’s yoke on your shoulders, will find that it is light and benefic.

The first duty you are obliged to discharge upon awakening is that of prayer. Like a child that goes to repose in his mother’s bosom, present yourself before God and open your heart before Him in your overflow of love for Him. You will receive much comfort and joy in the knowledge that I am with you before the Lord, and am entreating Him with you. Don’t we both repeat: “Our Father, Who is in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name” – and don’t I ask for you the bread of God’s grace? When you turn to the Mother of God, I am present at Her altar of glory, praying that She may send down to you Her blessing. Understand fully the importance of prayer – it means to open your heart for

49 the infusion of Divine grace. After an ardent prayer, you will always feel rejuvenated and strengthened in your love toward God.

After prayer, if you want to heed my advice, dedicate a few minutes in contemplating about some truth that is close to your heart. Ponder over God’s perfection or over the Heavenly joys; or take some deeds from Christ’s life or His Holy Mother’s; or about your own shortcomings that need to be rectified; or about benevolent acts that need to be accumulated. These thoughts, while simple and not complicated, elevate the soul, illuminate the soul and unite it with God: they are firmly imprinted in the mind and serve as a source of joy for the heart. Thus, the soul of a Christian becomes enriched with God’s gifts, and having entrusted itself to its Angel, enjoys uninterrupted peace throughout its life. A day that commences in this fashion, will be distinguished with good deeds and not transgressions and thus, making it easy for you to lead your whole life. You are not asked to perform extraordinary deeds. You know God’s will; therefore during the day, fulfill it truly and with love. Is it that difficult to execute? A warrior battles bravely for his king without any thought of rewards; he is subjected to danger, suffers difficulties and wounds.

A worker works for a mere pittance, bathed in perspiration under a blazing sun, so surely you will find sufficient strength, so as to earnestly serve your God during the day, and fulfill the holy responsibilities that have been given you by Him? Just keep the present day in your mind and with the arrival of a new dawn, commence discharging your duties with new zeal – as though up to this point of time you had done nothing; as though this is the last day of your life and the following night you will be a citizen of your Heavenly fatherland.

How comforting and calming are your advices my patron and protector – my Guardian Angel! I commend my hopes with you, and from early morning I turn to you: preserve me under your shield during this coming day. When satan’s angel arouses my soul with sinful allures, protect and save me. When he imparts sinful thoughts into my heart, protect and save me. When people’s mendacious and defiled conversations reach my ears, protect and save me. When iniquity among a multitude that is hostile to Jesus Christ appears before my eyes, protect and save me. When the war of my flesh starts to conquer holy and virtuous thoughts, and the body becomes a weapon in its carnal desires, protect and save me. When my spirit is low and my strength weakens from apathy and irrationality, protect and save me. 50

When envy or impatience and despondency overtake me, protect and save me. When the spirit of pride fills my mind with conceited thoughts and tempts me with earthly accolades, protect and save me. When my imagination begins to indulge itself from one subject to another and not allow me to quietly immerse into devout deliberations, protect and save me. When my inquisitive and restless mind distances itself from God, surrendering itself to earthly cares and indulges in empty thoughts, protect and save. At all times, be my luminary, my strength and my shield so that I may be like you, my holy Angel! Such will be my prayer, which I want to offer to you at the commencement of every day. Solicit God’s grace for me so that I may serve Him like you do, pray to Him like you and akin to you, look upon Him and gaze upon His face with great joy throughout the ages.

SEVENTEENTH DAY of the month

A farmer, after toiling all day in the field planting seeds, returns home in the evening and retires for the night with a peaceful dream in the pleasant hope that in time, he will reap an abundant harvest through his efforts. You too my friend, says your Guardian Angel, will enjoy spiritual tranquility and feel indescribable joy in your heart when in the evening, you turn your gaze on the day gone by and see that there wasn’t one hour of the day, when you didn’t try to do a good deed. He, who has sown through effort, will reap in joy. Contrary to this, if a spark of faith still remains in an impious person, it’s impossible for him not to feel the savage pangs of his conscience. His past presents only bitter memories; the existing quickly flies away and delivers him to a hopeless future. He senses that God’s wrath is weighing down on his head. How fortunate is a benevolent person, comforted by his trust in God and guarded by His Angel on all of life’s paths!

Having one daughter only, one wise mother loved her with all her heart. In the evenings, before saying goodnight, she used to say to her: tell me my child, what did you do today? Did you pray to your Saviour, His All-pure Mother and to your Angel? Prove to me that you are a better person today than you were yesterday. Then I will regard myself more fortunate and begin to love you more dearly. If you have sinned, acknowledge it and we will both ask God for His forgiveness. I cannot remain peaceful for one minute if I thought you have offended God and haven’t received His forgiveness. The devout daughter, as innocent as her Angel, told her mother her thoughts, what she did and how she prayed. Her mother gave her advice how to be behave herself better the following day; how to be aware or correct her faults; how to improve herself in one or another good deed. What a pious life this fortunate daughter was living! Every day, her mother’s eyes filled with tears of joy when she gazed upon her. Believe me, my friend, believe me when I say that my love for you is no less than the tender mother’s for her daughter, and that the sanctity of your life and good deeds, rejoices my heart. Conversely, your passing unproductive days brings me only trepidation. Let us be like two travellers that have stopped for the night and before retiring, retrace their travels of the day, and discuss tomorrow’s path they must cover. Let us analyze all the things you have done today. Select me as your judge and I assure you that on the dreaded Judgment Day, you will not be convicted. If during the day, your deeds were good, we will share the joy together before God and I will secure peace for your soul. However, if sin has permeated into your soul, I will not make any pointless rebukes but together we will hurry towards God’s mercy and ask for forgiveness. Tranquility will once again return to your heart, which 52 will be the result of your repentance. Thus, slowly but surely, your sinful proclivities and bad habits will change. We will rid your life of everything that dishonours it, and strengthen you in virtuousness. If you listen to me, I will give you advice as to how to avoid satan’s snares that can entrap you; how to repel temptation, which has enticed your soul, and how to fulfill your obligations, which to you appears difficult. Thus, you will be able to take the necessary precautions for the next day, while I will attempt to preserve these pious thoughts in your soul during your sleep. When you are immersed in deep sleep, I will place you under my shield and distance you away from all immoral desires and snares of the devil, who never sleeps with his hatred, and you will awaken in the arms of your Angel. One day ending in such a way, will become the beginning of the next, filled with God’s blessing; because the end of one day is the preparation of the next that follows it. Good habits are consolidated and that, which at first seemed difficult, becomes easy and pleasant with time.

Oh, my Angel, how wise and comforting are your words! I am ready to follow your advices with great joy! Every day, I will give you an account of my life – of my actions, good and bad. Together with you, I shall judge myself. However, judging myself, I may deceive myself and stray from the true path; but you Heavenly Angel, you will judge me truthfully and with mercy. You will open my wrongs and secret snares of the dark spirit; you will teach me what I have to do, and assist me to fulfill my obligations earnestly and with zeal.

EIGHTEENTH DAY of the month

Have you genuinely decided to be like your Guardian Angel? There can be nothing more supreme and nobler than such a decision. But how does the Angel act in God’s presence? He blesses Him and sings His praises. How fiery is his love for God! How moving are his prayers! How elevated are his laudations! How pleasing are his extolments! Don’t you want to join him? If two singers decide to sing together and one of them has a weak voice, is less experienced in the art of singing than the other, he can nonetheless still harmonize in the choir by following the voice of the accomplished member. Angels are God’s singers. Your prayer is like the singing of Angels; but your voice is weak and inexperienced, so what are you to do in order to obtain grace from the ruling King? Just visualize your Guardian Angel in you mind extolling God’s perfection, and join him in his singing, his prayer, his love; then your heart will be enheartened by the one thought - your Angel is praying together with you! The completeness of his prayer will cover the deficiencies of yours. Your voice will merge with his and rise to the heavens, and your affairs will also be blessed through this Angelic union: this is what the secret of a holy life consists of. One devotional mother was bringing her daughter up in piety. Right from her early years, the daughter learned about her Guardian Angel; she was certain that she would never be left alone, and felt inexplicably content, imagining herself to be in the company of her Heavenly friend. When she turned 10 years of age, her mind became enlightened while heart preserved her infantile purity, and she decided to lead an Angel’s life. How holy and pleasing my days would be to God, she thought to herself, if I can be like my Angel! Standing in the presence of God, what does he do day and night? He prays continuously. I too shall always pray and perform all my actions in a prayerful spirit for the glory of God. She discovered that in the euphoria of eternal love, and amidst countless hosts of the chosen, her Angel incessantly repeats: “Holy, holy, holy Lord God Sabaoth”! She also found out that of all the songs of praise, this was the highest one, through which all the greatness of God’s perfections are glorified. And this Angel’s song became her constant prayer - her sole subject for her mind for the rest of her life. Awakening from sleep, she greeted her Heavenly friend and began to repeat her prayer, which she recited throughout the day – when she studied, or laboured or when resting afterwards. Who can depict the tranquility in her soul; her purity of heart; the abundance of blessings flowing from God’s bosom into her soul? During prayer, her face looked like an Angel’s. She often visited the church, where Jesus Christ established His habitat, and appeared in a deep and reverential meditation, which revealed to her the towering thoughts about God’s greatness. Her 54

Guardian Angel always accompanied her when she went to church. In retiring for the day and so as not to lose one minute of her life, she implored her Angel to bring on her behalf the due worship to the Lord God while she is sleeping. Her whole life was holy – angelic. Who will not be amazed at such wisdom, such innocence and simplicity of life? Why not follow this example? Fainthearted individual! Awaken from your sleep and revitalize your heart with a burst of piety. How can you regard something as impossible that, which your neighbour was able to achieve? Embolden your heart – firmly trust in God’s grace and pray to your Angel for help and intercession:

Oh, holy Angel, my intercessor before the altar of Lord Jesus Christ! Imbue my heart with feelings that are pleasing to you; let my will - like yours – be subjugated by God’s will; of all my desires, let the desire to obtain peace in my Lord be the primary one; let my heart seek tranquility in Him only! He is the only true solace and comfort. Without Him, everything seems oppressive and alarming. Throughout my entire life, let my consolation be in the thought that together with you, I am glorifying God’s name and continually praise Him: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord. May this song from my heart be pleasing to God, and may He deem me worthy of His grace and lead me to join the multitude of His chosen.

NINETEENTH DAY of the month

If a Guardian Angel had to be seen in some tangible form, then one could liken him to a burning flame, because this blessed Spirit is aflame with God’s love. But alas! While God’s Angel guards us, our hearts are cold and unfeeling toward his ardent love. If we did love him, we wouldn’t sin and deem it an honour to fulfill the holy Law. He who loves, doesn’t linger on the path of the Lord’s commandments, but goes forward rapidly. Aren’t the Angel’s movements through his love of God, our same impulses to love Him? Indeed, in relation to us, is God less perfect and less worthy of our love? What a calamity! What blasphemy against God! Did the Father deliver His Son for the sake of His Angels? Did the Son of God suffer and die for the Angels? God’s love for us is truly immense; He loves us with a boundless and eternal love. He died so as to cleanse our sins; He resurrected to restore our nature. Yet our hearts are cold and devoid of love for Him. Everything prompts us to love Him. Love is the ultimate law for a rational being. Love encompasses the heavens and earth. Your attendant Guardian Angel is an example before you; his wish is for your love to equal his. God’s love showers you with limitless benevolence; He nurtures your soul with the Body of Christ; grace flows continuously as proof of the Lord’s love for you. Let us commit ourselves to Him with all our hearts and thoughts. Let us eradicate the mindless and criminal love for ourselves. Let us ignite a Divine flame in our hearts, and unite our feelings with the ardent prayer of our Guardian Angel. Let his love enliven and inflame us. Let us love God with a pure heart and Him alone; love Him so that we can fulfill His holy will earnestly and precisely; love Him only; cease to love ourselves; begin to love our close ones not unlike in God and for God, and start to pray to our Guardian Angel:

I extol you holy Angel, inflamed with love for the Most High! I extol you – illuminated with rays of Divine light! I extol you – continually praising the perfection of the Everlasting God! I extol you – beholding Christ’s wounds with profound reverence! I extol you – standing before the majesty of Mother of God and Virgin Mary! I extol you – united in ardent love with all God’s chosen! I extol you – showing your love for me! I extol you, my only hope for God, my only comfort in this valley of misery and tears. Infuse at least a few sparks of that love, with which you are aflame, and be blessed everlastingly.

TWENTIETH DAY of the month

With what joy your Guardian Angel accompanies you when to go to church to worship your Saviour! It is a mystical site that is filled with God’s majesty: His house and the Heavenly Gates. Brought by your Angel, you go to unite with the host of the blessed and together with them, stand before Jesus Christ, who is worshipped by the Angels, Archangels, Cherubims, Seraphims, Principalities, Dominions, Thrones; and blend your voice with theirs in singing: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord. Such are the teachings of the Church - a knowledge that is comforting and elevated! And what does faith tell you? It shows you Jesus on the sacrificial table, akin to a lamb being butchered before the Father’s altar; it shows the blood flowing from His holy wounds, and the Angels sprinkling the Christian people with it, like life-giving dew. This thought used to send Saint John Chrysostom into raptures; it should also inflame your heart. Go to Jesus Christ; go to the Divine sacrifice together with your Guardian Angel; pray and worship the Sacrifice with him; let your Angel gather abundant blessings for you from the Lord. Without a doubt, your heart will sense the living joy while praying in the temple before the altar of the Heavenly Father, surrounded by His choir of Angels and situated among the Heavenly inhabitants. Isn’t this a pledge and the onset of your eternal beatitude? Let the earthly curtain split and fall so that the Heavenly Paradise may appear before you, in all its glory and blessedness. But this magnificent scene is closed to you by the dark shroud of flesh, and only through the eyes of faith and devout contemplation that pertain to Angels, can a pious soul view it. But what am I saying! Even devout contemplation is insufficient; the soul has to be permeated with reverent trepidation. The Angels tremble and cover their faces before the King of glory, therefore is it possible that a human that is a sinner, dust and ashes, will have the audacity to insolently lift his head and remain arrogantly mute during prayer? Can it be that the sons of Adam have hearts of stone in their bodies? Christian! Heed the words of your Angel submissively. He is inviting you to a Divine feast before the Lord’s altar. Hurry with him to God’s house, and incorporate with your procession a prayer, uttering to him in Heaven:

Why is it that I cannot see Jesus Christ as you can Blessed Angel? Why is it that my heart isn’t ablaze with love for Him like your heart? Then, the holy altar for me would be a lofty object of spiritual joys; only there, would I find that peace and beatitude, which can be savoured here on earth; there, I would forget my sorrows of my earthly itinerancy and foretaste the Heavenly joys. Relentlessly, I beg of you, solicit the blessings of a living faith for me, so that I may see Jesus to the extent that it is possible here on earth, so that I 57 may comprehend His love and His blessings to me. Oh, how I require this faith! How my heart requires it! Beseech God’s mercy for me; pray with me when I pray to Jesus before His holy altar.

TWENTYFIRST DAY of the month

Your Guardian Angel accompanies you, and when you draw near to the feast of the Lord’s Last Supper, he gazes upon you with love, because he can see that the Lord has admitted you as a communicant among the chosen. You become God’s temple; the Lord dwells in you, and you dwell in the Lord. As Saint Chrysostom says: “We are as one flesh with Christ, because Apostle Paul states: ‘Now you are the body of Christ’. From this, being consecrated in the Mystery, we have to convince ourselves that through Christ’s love, not only do we become as one flesh with Him, but immerse and become incarnate in His flesh. This miracle is accomplished by partaking of the feast, which He offered to us through His unlimited love for us. Thus, He permeates our whole being so that we can be as one entity with Him, just like the head is attached to the body; this is to what extent He reaches out to us with His boundless love! We shouldn’t forget that we are nourished by the blood of Jesus Christ, seated at His altar above the heavens and surrounded by hosts of worshipping Angels. “Oh, the mystery of incomprehensible love!” Exclaims Saint Augustine; “Oh, the phenomenon of being joined with Christ! Oh, the blessed union of God’s love! Here is the source of life to him who wants to live! Let him come, let him believe and let him unite with Christ!”

I am not surprised at those pious Christians, who strive with such ardent desire to draw near and savour Christ’s flesh and blood. However, I am amazed at those of this contemporary age, who are not in the least bit interested in turning their gaze away from worldly rigors, and focus on Christ’s feast. This is where the voice of the Lord and the voice of the Church are calling them to turn to.

Archangel Gabriel came down from Heaven, to announce to Virgin Mary that the Word deigned to choose Her All-pure body for His habitat. Your Angel is also announcing to you of the Lord’s advent into your heart, and you too require Virgin Mary’s holiness so as to receive the great Heavenly King in a fitting manner. Your Angel knows your needs; he knows what benevolent acts are required from you, so that you may become pleasing to God. Beseech him to prepare you to receive the gifts of mercy from God. Guided by his imparted suggestions, you will be able to scrutinize your conscience and feel genuine remorse for your transgressions. When you go to repent to a priest, your Angel will be with you; he will be overjoyed to see your soul cleansed of its sins through your sincere confession. The priest’s prayer will bring down upon you, a blessed reaction from Jesus Christ’s life-giving blood; you will return from your merciful confessional courtroom rehabilitated, shining with 59 holiness that is akin to your Guardian Angel’s. Your Angel himself will present you to Christ, and will worship Him having settled in your heart. The sweet fragrance of his prayers and songs of praise will continually be raised before Jesus, dwelling in the temple of your soul. What a Heavenly moment! With what willingness you will unite with your friend in prayer, so that together you may bless the All-merciful God! How strongly you will sense a desire to please Him – always reverently treasure Him in your heart! Another reason why you have to hasten to your Angel is that you have the most invaluable treasure is stored in an extremely frail container. You have to entrust yourself to the indefatigable guardianship of your Angel, and pray together with him. When it’s impossible on your part to say prayers e.g. when you are sleeping, your Angel will raise them on your behalf. Just like a lamp that continuously burns before the altar, so will the prayers never cease to burn in the temple of your heart, brought by you with your Angel. Jesus has affirmed His habitat there; His grace will increase more and more within you, and through the reaction of this grace, you will slowly rise and ascend into heaven where you will become worthy of being a participant in the Lord’s Supper. But I can only achieve this blessedness through your guidance Guardian Angel.

Show me your mercy; reinforce the feeble strength of my soul, striving to hasten to the Source of blessedness. If I don’t draw near to Jesus Christ, then I will draw away from life; and when I draw near Him unworthily, I shall incur His wrath. What am I to do? I want to commend myself into your hands with all my deficiencies and needs; you will solicit me grace and it will cleanse my soul of its sins; you will infuse me with love of benevolence and it will make me pleasing to God. Oh, how I wish I could weep tears of love before the Lord in your presence; to saturate His feet with my tears, akin to Mary Magdalene! How sweet it would be if I was united with Him and directly extol Him with my prayers! Lead me to this great blessedness and permit me join you in rendering glory, honour, worship and thanksgiving to our Lord Jesus, now and forever and ever.

TWENTYSECOND DAY of the month

Reigning above all the ranks of Archangels, is the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Irradiated by the brilliant radiance Of Her glory, all the multitudes of Heavenly Spirits glorify and exalt Her. However, even on Her exalted throne, The Mother of God doesn’t forget Her earthling children; She loves and blesses them. Her gentle gaze follows them in all their activities. Who can measure the depth of Her love? When you pray to Her, declares the Angel, I raise and bring to Her your wishes and your petitions; and don’t you feel how your soul is vivified from the dew of grace that descends upon it? Just the mere thought of Most Blessed Virgin Mary, drives out all despondency and all sorrows from your heart. She sends Her blessing to all those, who comes under Her protection. The benevolent gifts of Her blessing are: pure thoughts, spiritual longings, Heavenly hopes, joyous of heart, illumination of the mind and sanctity of will. When She stood before Her Son’s Cross, the blessed redeeming power flowed from Christ’s heart into His Mothers. This immaculate heart enlarged so as to embrace all the faithful with its love. Thus, this holy heart is the source of a blessed life.

Prayers to the Mother of God are as essential to your soul, as breathing is to your body. Grace is life for your soul; but it is sent only because of Her intercession. She is your shield; She is preparing you to a Heavenly life; She nourishes you with Her Son’s blessings, just as She once fed Jesus Christ with Her milk. From early morning, as you awaken, send your prayers to the Most Blessed Mother of God; don’t forget that with your awakening, She wishes to hear your voice – the voice of your heart in ardent prayer. In all your prayers, hasten to the Mother of God for Her intercession. During the day, from time to time, lift your eyes toward heaven and cry out to Her. If your enemy attempts to sway you into impiety, rush to the Mother of God for protection. Vigilance often weakens in your soul; lethal infirmity encompasses your soul – hasten with faith, hasten to the Mother of God and She will cure you of all your illnesses. Her might is equal to that of Her love, and Her love is higher than anything that a human mind can imagine. What praises and what gratitude are brought to glorify Her by the Angels that surround Her throne! The harmonious songs of these Angels are joined by the prayers of earthy itinerants, whose voices are always heard with mercy by the Heavenly Queen. Do you know what Her ardent wish is? It is to see you in Heaven with Her. However, because of your genuine piety and for your ardent prayers, you can also warm yourself on earth from the rays of Her light; rejoice in Her love, and magnify the beauty of Her perfection. Join with the Heavenly inhabitants with their praises oh the Mother of God. Everything is impelling 61 you to worship Her. Heaven and earth are hailing Her glory. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit give witness of Her. May the Ever-Virgin Mother of Jesus, our Sovereign be glorified, worshipped and receive our gratitude for ever and ever.

Hear our praises, Most Holy Mother of God. Sovereign of heaven and earth, hear our praises: we worship and glorify You, we send up our heartfelt praises to You. Oh! You: saviour of those who call upon You; shelter for sinners; intercessor of Christians, comforter of the distressed, beatitude of the chosen, hope of the people – heed us and show us mercy; save the sinner that has fallen before Your feet; let the blood that has been shed by Your Divine Son on the Cross, cleanse his sins. You are the Mother of orphans and the needy; he is an orphan and is needy. He is placing all his blessedness in mentally transporting himself to the foot of Your altar and calling you his Mother. How euphonic, how comforting is Your name that gives him joyful hope! We will not cease to extol You and hasten to You with the same love and hope. You will hear us because you love those that are confessors of Your Son, and You open your heart to them so that they may find there refuge and consolation. May the heart of the All-Pure Virgin Mary, treasure trove of all blessings and blessed perfections, be venerated for ever and ever.

TWENTYTHIRD DAY of the month

A righteous person is akin to grapevine, planted by a father of a family, who assiduously cultivates it. Jesus Christ deigns to accept you into His Church, into the number of His chosen; He sprinkles you with a beneficial dew of His grace, so that you may bring forth a harvest. He ordered one of His faithful servants to guard the grapevine, so that no wild animal comes along and devours it. Having been appointed as a sentry, the servant deems it a great honour to send up the harvest of the beloved grapevine. So what do the grapevine, sentry and harvest mean? These are ardent prayers; this is the behaviour of love, patience, humility; it is the essence of those days that were dedicated to good deeds, in conformity with God’s will. These deeds don’t perish; they are immortal. Your Angel carries them to Heaven, presents them to the Lord, and deposits them with the prayers of Saints into a golden incense burner that diffuses a fragrant aroma before the altar of the All-High. He then enters them into the book of life. Many pious Christians bring their alms to a holy person so that he may distribute them to the needy. They think that because their donation, is dispensed by the hand of a holy father, it would be more pleasing to God. I have to reiterate what I have previously stated that the good deeds, which you have asked to be presented to God by your Angel, is far more joyous to him – and these deeds take on a new value, having them presented by such a holy intercessor. You will receive a dual reward for them – one is the gift of grace, which you receive in this world and which vivifies the soul and enriches it with new harvests; the other will be in Heaven, where you have become worthy of glory and eternal bliss. Ah! If you only knew the value of God’s gifts, how the feelings in your heart would ignite in wishing to earn them! The importance of grace is higher than any human understanding; as one Holy father states: it is a somewhat participation in God’s nature. As the source of living water, Jesus Christ offers it to us, which in filling our soul, gives it life and nourishes it right up to eternal life. It is for this reason that Apostle says that: it is eternal life in Jesus Christ. Heavenly glory is the unification with God, which gives beatitude to His chosen; and grace is also unification with God, attainable only through faith – real unification, genuine, which gains our deeds paranormal rewards. When the soul continues unceasingly to create good deeds, it becomes worthy of this blessed and glorious unity, which is strengthened by the unceasing contribution of new grace. Blessed is the righteous – one hundredfold blessed! Only he is sanctified by grace, which vivifies his soul and blesses his deeds. He, whose heart is heavy with sin, is a dead person – and his works, even the most magnificent in the eyes of the world – are dead. Many of the Christians are like a fig tree that is covered with leaves, but bears no fruit. 63

These are Christians whose intentions are not enriched with love. May they awaken from their sleep! The hour of judgment draws near. Examine your deeds with your Angel, what were your prayers, what were your good deeds; analyse also as to how was your patience, your love for your close ones, your service shown to them; examine also what prompted you to act the way you did; was it love of God the motive and reason for your actions? Have you cleansed your heart of the disease of self-love? Has it surreptitiously crept into your actions and side-tracked your direct intentions? You are blushing and feel ashamed; your conscience is confusing you! Begin to act; time is coming to an end. If you start acting zealously now, at the close of your efforts at the end of the day, you will receive your reward; but for an assured success, pray to your Guardian Angel:

Teach me, my holy Angel, purity and integrity of intentions, which add Heavenly beauty to the most common deeds. Oblige me, so that my whole life is marked with love and be dedicated to God; I want to fulfill your wishes my Guardian Angel and thus please God.

TWENTYFOURTH DAY of the month

No doubt you have seen sentries outside palaces, vigilantly guarding the royal presence inside. Well, a human also has an attentive guard, because he is a palace for the King of kings as the Lord dwells in a pure heart. This is why it is necessary that one of the Heavenly Spirits that is part of the Almighty’s forces be appointed as a sentinel over this palace. A Christian, who is enlightened with faith, can see how great is that person, who has been ordained a crown of glory in the Kingdom of Heaven! Why do you forget that an Angel accompanies a person and protects him with his shield? Keeping this in mind, you would feel the greatest respect for even the lesser of your fellow brothers. Do you realize that this beggar, who you look upon with disdain; this servant that your haughty pride belittles; this person, whose weaknesses are intolerable to you – are all under the protection of an Angel, who loves and supports them? Do you comprehend that your random words, your examples and infectious speeches, are like breaths of lethal pestilence; are you aware that the youth you are enticing onto a path of iniquity, is under the shield of an Angel that stands before God in Heaven? You will have to answer for this, because you are pleasing the devil by taking away a God’s soul from the Angel, whom he is protecting in his innocence and guiding it toward a chaste life. But through you, this soul loses the treasure of grace and is exposed to death. He who tempts his fellow brother is a robber and pillager. His accuser will be God’s Angel.

Love your close ones and in travelling life’s path resolutely and with vigour, help them along this path. Why do the children of the Heavenly Father submit themselves to animosity and discord? By example of the Angels, they should have united among themselves through the union of love and form one family in God’s house. Is it possible that their hearts feel no need to love one another? Is there some type of enjoyment more pleasant than that which we receive from our love for a close one? When you magnanimously endure an offence from others, doesn’t your conscience reward you with an inner joy of a peaceful heart? When you visit a sick unfortunate, don’t you feel the hand of your Guardian Angel blessing you? When you comfort a needy individual by sharing your food with him, his Guardian Angel gives your soul God’s grace and your heart, jubilation of Divine joy. When you counsel a youth by teaching him soul-saving truths, his Angel enters every word you utter in the book of life. If your friendly counsel had influenced one of your friends to leave a life of iniquity and return to one of salvation, his Angel rejoices at his return and ascends into Heaven to announce this fortunate event to all the Chosen, who in turn send their blessings to you. If, when you are engaged in 65 a friendly conversation with a pious friend and motivate one another toward good and Divine love ignites in your hearts, your Angels listen to your talk and instill blessed thoughts that you express to one another. They implore the Heavenly Goodness to send down grace upon you. Fortunate is that person that brings up youths in piety. Fortunate is the servant of God’s word, whose tutoring edifies his brothers. Righteous ones! Unite into one image with your Angels; don’t separate from them in your journey toward eternity. You can be likened to migratory birds; you fly toward unknown shores, akin to timid swallows. When the time arrives for them to fly to warmer lands, they gather in one place and set off as one group. If they flew individually, they would be lost and soon lose their strength; but together, they show one another the way and by encouraging one another, they successfully reach their destination where the Lord had provided them with nourishment. A person, united through genuine love with his close ones, becomes invincible. Their Guardian Angels too become his protectors. To love your close ones, to participate in philanthropic activities founded on Christian love – all result in you making more and more friends here on earth among people, and there in Heaven among Angels. Offer up your continuous prayer to your benevolent Lord and cry out:

Be blessed supreme Sovereign of Angels and people; be glorified and exalted for ever and ever! It’s amenable to You to dwell in our hearts; by Your incomprehensible love, you unite us with the host of Angels; we live before eyes and in You among the Heavenly Spirits. What self-respect You inspire in me and deference for all my fellow bothers! Place holy words into my mouth so that I can send them to You and delight the Angels. Send me wisdom so that it illuminates my life and make me worthy of unity with the Angels; breathe into me zealous love, which would motivate me to do good for my close ones. My desire is to praise You, Heavenly Father, and bow to You, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit before the host of Angels, now and for ever and ever.

TWENTYFIFTH DAY of the month

What blessedness a Christian enjoys when he believes in the patronage of his Guardian Angel! The mother and father are delighted when thinking that Angels are guarding their children. In their prayers, they call upon them and ask for their help in the important and difficult task of bringing up their young family. A pious mother hastens with her prayers to her infant’s Guardian Angel so that he can give her acumen with his advice and inspiration: then nothing will burden her, neither night disturbances, nor sufferings or continuous cares. The Angel reinforces the strength of the mother’s love. The mother is certain that the Heavenly Spirit is guarding the cradle of her infant. When her son leaves the family home, she prays daily prayers to his Guardian Angel, and is comforted by the thought that his Angel is accompanying him and protects him from all dangers.

Not one person that has a heart can refuse a request from a gentle mother; especially you, pious mother, should be certain that your prayers will always be heard by your children’s Guardian Angels. Pray to your son’s Angel so that he may banish all conversations of impious people from his hearing, and preserve purity of thoughts in his heart. Pray to your daughter’s Angel so that he may cover her with his shield from the demon’s arrows; from the eyes of the seducer, and so that her heart will retain its angelic purity. Pray, unfortunate mothers, pray for your children that have fallen into impiety, and the Lord’s Angel will free them from the claws of the enemy and return them to Christ’s flock. Pray when you get together in the morning or evening – pray to your Angels and they will deliver your prayers to the merciful God. And you, brothers and sisters, you who have received life in the womb of your mother – you too wish to dwell together in God’s bosom; pray to your Guardian Angels; be in harmony and in agreement with one another. And you children, you who love your father and pious mother so gently, pray to their Guardian Angels. This way, you will be able to repay them for all the goodness that they have given you, and through the intercession of their Angels, satiate their souls with Divine gifts of grace. Even when death severs the chord of life in your friends, don’t cease praying to their Guardian Angels; so that when this happens, the Angels - by your prayers - will protect them from the powers of Hades, comfort them with the euphoric hope of a blessed life, and lead them up into heaven. And this thought, will provide you with great solace in your grief.

Pray also to the Angels of those who you love and are connected with ties of love: they will connect your hearts with unanimity. When you visit someone’s 67 house, bow to its Guardian Angel and he will respond by giving you his blessing. If you have dealings with anyone, pray to his Angel and he will predispose him to hear you out. If you have dealings with an enemy, pray to his Angel so that he curtails his agitating anger in his heart:

Oh, Heavenly Angel of mercy, Guardian Angel, favour us and lead all of us into God’s glory! Angels of Shepherds of Christ’s flock, inspirit them with pious zeal so that their path may be holy, and may the Christian people follow them. Angels of pious souls, Angels of holy establishments! Receive my praises, gratitude and prayer! Angels of wretched sinners! Restrain them on the edge of the precipice and deliver them from the hands of the torturer from Hades; show mercy to these strayed brothers. Angels of the feeble and the mournful! Comfort my brothers; satisfy their hunger with the bread of Divine grace. Angels of the dying! Save the souls of the believers in Jesus Christ and defend them in their final battle with the enemy; and lead them triumphantly to heaven. Angels of our fathers and mothers! Fill their hearts with abundant rays of God’s blessings so that they and their children are worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom. Guardian Angels of our brothers and sisters! Bless them and grant them all benefactions and instruct them along the true path. Guardian Angels of our friends! Preserve the gentle feelings of love in our hearts; give us strength to help one another to achieve a pious life, so that we could love one another eternally.

TWENTYSIXTH DAY of the month

Essentially, all Angels are benefactors. They are continually praying to the Almighty for our salvation. In seeing the boundless love for us in the heart of the Heavenly Father, they consider themselves our brothers and are convinced that with them, the Lord has prepared a place for us also in His Kingdom. Although not all of them are sent to guard us, we can nonetheless implore all of them to send down God’s blessing to us. Even the very Seraphim will be attentive to your humble prayer, and the same Cherubim is ready to intercede for you before the Lord. That’s why we can rely on intercession from all of them. Knowing that you will have to spend eternity in their company, hasten to begin conversing with them. To achieve this, transport yourself mentally into their Heavenly habitat; learn about the grandeur of your beatitude; listen attentively to the enthralling songs of the Angels! Then your heart will inflame with the desire of Divine blessedness, and you will ceaselessly plead with your Angel to bring you out of the earthly dungeon.

It’s not without reason that the Lord let you know the names of His three highest Angels: Gabriel, Raphael and Michael. He wanted to show you how to pray to them in asking for help. Gabriel means: power of God. In entreating him, we liken ourselves to children, who hide behind a shield of a mighty warrior. With that, how many adversities plague you, while your physical and spiritual infirmities are beyond count. Turn to Raphael with a prayer: he is God’s remedy against all evil and is a comfort against all your soul’s sorrows. Michael is leader of the Heavenly forces, and his name is of much importance, which means: who but God? Through the representation and power of these words, he destroyed the Morning Star (renamed Satan after his fall). Emblazon those words on your banner – and you will defeat your enemies with it. When passions start leading you away toward evil, when immoral indulgences seduce you, when the world starts enticing you – exclaim with your Archangel: who but God? - and send up to the Lord the prayerful feelings of your heart:

Our Lord God, Who has created the astonishing ranks of Angelic service, and by Your immeasurable blessedness, deigned to send down Guardian Angels into this valley of suffering and misery, so that under their protective shield, the enemy would be unable to come near, seeking to destroy us.

TWENTYSEVENTH DAY of the month

If you are not touched by your Angels benevolence; if you are unfeeling to his readiness to serve you, you must at least fear his dismay and just anger with which he could punish you for your ingratitude. Woe to that person that neglects his Guardian Angel. If he witnesses in Heaven the good deeds of a righteous person, then he too witnesses the iniquities of a sinner; this is what the Gospel states and the teachings of the holy Fathers. The Angel will appear one day as a valid witness at Court, and will present us for punishment due to our transgressions. Our Book of Life shall then be open and in it – like a living mirror – our good deeds and our transgressions. Our sins, says Saint Augustine, are recorded in a certain book known to the Heavenly Spirits, who will be appointed to punish the sinners. Tertulian, in deliberating over the works of writers had this to say: “Beware, so that those lines that you write are not produced on Judgment Day as accusations against you - signed by the Angels. Beware, else your Saviour becomes your merciless Judge; the Divine blood of Jesus that was shed for your salvation, will cry out for revenge for your transgressions. The Holy Mysteries, these sources of grace, will turn into sources of accusations. Your Angel – your true guardian – will become your stern accuser. We have stated - and it’s an undisputable truth – that Angels have compassion for sinners; but their compassion is limited by boundaries beyond which, their mercy turns to indignation. Just as smoke repels bees and stench, doves – writes Basil the Great – so does a much lamenting and putrid sin. When the Temple of Jerusalem was defiled, in fleeing from it, voices of Angels could be heard exclaiming: let us go from here. Similarly, when the soul becomes overflowing with impurity, the patience of the Guardian Angel is exhausted and he leaves it as prey to the enemy. He not only departs from it, but seeks vengeance for its impiety. But where does mercy end and retribution begin? That is a Divine mystery. God willing, such a time will never arrive for us. Let us endeavour to never offend the gentle hearts of our Angels, and not to transform them from our patrons and guardians, into our accusers; not to extinguish their gentle love in their hearts; and if we have aggrieved them with our lengthy hard- heartedness, let us try to placate them with our repentance. Atonement with a Guardian Angel is calming, easy and fruitful. In satan’s realm, the opposite holds good, where repentance means the same as despair. Having satiated the sinner with all types of impieties and penetrated through to his bones with iniquities, the demon begins to torture his prey. Many carnal desires trouble a sinner’s heart; dreadful turmoil of the soul and cruel gnawing of the conscience, doesn’t give him any rest. Oppressive chains of wicked habits and burden of sins are crushing him. Finally, the hour of death approaches, 70 and the minute arrives when the unproductive tree is chopped down and thrown into the fire. The Heavenly Angels have left the rejected soul. He, alone, is left with the demons, who are preparing to drag the soul into the abyss of Hell. They have correctly recorded all his transgressions; having left its prison, the soul of the offender falls into the hands of its tormentors. How sorrowful are the paths of a sinner! How dark – how frightening is his demise! As a legally condemned prisoner, he is dragged before God’s Judgment-seat; all of God’s Chosen, reject him. His Guardian Angel, witness to all his transgressions, accuses him; God’s judgment, like thunder, strikes him; the demons claim him under their jurisdiction and bound with bonds of hell, cast him into the lake of fire. These tormentors start torturing and tearing him apart, infusing him with a thousand different deaths throughout the continuance of eternity. However, had this unfortunate wretch listened to his Angel’s advices, he would be enjoying eternal beatitude and be nourished with Heavenly joys from the Source, ever-flowing into the souls of His Chosen in God’s habitat.

Foolish people! How can we forget about eternity, from which we are one step away – only one minute away?

O Lord, my God! You make up all my blessedness; in saying this, I cannot refrain from shedding tears of joy; thinking without heart-felt emotions that You deigned to dwell within us, and send Your Angels to be with us. Who could contemplate about Your immeasurable love and not feel comforting consolation? O is it possible my God, after all your kindness shown to the person; after all the clear proof of Your love for us, he could offend you? Truly, this does happen; it happened many times with me; and O, if it was only I alone that was guilty of such shameful ungratefulness! Each time I tried to erase my guilt with atonement – and You forgave me. You showed me great mercy and Your boundless love for me. May my whole life be dedicated to bringing my gratitude for your inexplicable kindness! Grant me your help Lord God. If I am forsaken by You, the flowers of benevolence that You had planted in the garden of my soul will wilt and return to its desolate state. Do not permit this, my Saviour; don’t allow the soul that you have redeemed with Your sufferings, which You have many times delivered from the jaws of the snake of the fiery abyss, to perish forever.

TWENTYEIGHTH DAY of the month

Herod decreed that Apostle Peter be taken prisoner and thrown into prison under guard of 16 soldiers, so that after the celebration of Pascha, he was to be put to death. At the time, while Peter was incarcerated, the Church continuously prayed for him. That night, after which Herod wanted to bring him out before the people, Peter slept in double chains between two soldiers, while the rest of them guarded the jail. But a Lord’s Angel appeared – and the whole cell lit up. Awaking Peter, the Angel told him to get up quickly – and the chains fell away from him. The Angel then told him to get dressed and follow him. Peter walked out and followed him, thinking that the event wasn’t real but a dream. Having walked past the first and the second sentries, they arrived at big iron gates - that led to the city – which opened by themselves. Entering the city, they walked past one street and suddenly – the Angel was no longer with him. Coming to his senses, Peter uttered: now I truly realize that the Lord sent His Angel to deliver me from the hands of Herod, and from everything that awaited me from the Judean mob. After briefly deliberating, he came to the house of Maria, mother of John (styled Mark) where many have gathered in prayer. Upon opening the door and seeing him before them, were taken by surprise.

So you are languishing in your murky prison; your enemies threaten you with death. But don’t be despondent – your Angel is with you. Stand up, he says to you, and follow me to Heaven; and you, akin to a bird, will be released from the net that holds you and set free to follow your Angel along the mysterious paths to Heaven. Soon, the darkness will disperse by the light of day – eternal day that has no west. Despise earth and long for Heaven. This despising and longing for, is the essence of two wings upon which you will follow your Angel. The gates will open and all the Chosen will appear, who have been continually praying for you. Through your coming to them, you will evoke great joy among them. Imprisoned captive on the shores of Babylon! Raise your eyes to the Holy habitat, to the host of Chosen, to the house of your God, and together with your Angel, sing the holy songs of Sion. Proclaim the joys of your Fatherland. The day of deliverance is nearing; the chains of bondage will soon be torn by the hand of an Angel, and you will go to celebrate the Lord’s eternal feasts in Jerusalem. 72

O, almighty and eternal God! You, Who through Your unexplainable goodness, granted all Your faithful from the very beginning of their being – Guardian Angels of our souls and bodies – enlighten my heart, in order that it may maintain my love for that immortal Spirit, which Your kindness sent for my protection; so that under the protection of Your grace and under His shield I will become worthy with him and all the Saints, to gaze upon the glory’s radiance in the Heavenly Fatherland.

TWENTYNINETH DAY of the month

The Holy Gospel and the Works of the Holy Fathers tells us about the miraculous appearances of Angels to those people, who have pleased God. Heavenly Spirits filled the domicile of the Virgin Mary in Nazareth; they accompanied Her everywhere and in all Her travels, and were joyous in Her holy presence.

Divine spirits, accompanied the Apostles in their distant travels around the world; they brought them God’s Chosen ones, delivered them from the hands of the enemy and protected them from danger. Heavenly Spirits surrounded holy Martyrs: when their tormentors ushered them into the arena and subjected them to all types of torture; decapitated them or threw them to wild animals to be devoured, the Angels calmed them among all these horrors, pointing them to the heavens and crowning them with crowns of immortality.

Guardian Angels appear to people who lead holy lives – in important situations and when they are in great danger. Through their inducements, they avert evil that may have imminently overtaken them.

O Lord! How you have united Your Heavenly and earthly children in such joyous love! Your spirit - spirit of love, goodness and great wisdom, inspirits all Your Chosen souls and unites them with bonds of mutual Christian love. You don’t forget the poor or the unfortunates; You don’t abandon the infirm. You send Your Angels to these earthly brothers. They convert our earthly sorrows into a foretaste of Heavenly joys. Your Angels lead us along holy paths to You, and in Your love we acquire peace for our souls. Enlighten us in these holy truths. You are the source of all these benefactions; You inflame the Angels with a gentle love, with which they participate in our needs; inspirit our hearts with a feeling of a live acknowledgement of their benefactions; inspirit us with an ardent love and complete willingness to follow their advices and their holy instructions.

THIRTIETH DAY of the month

For a Christian, death holds no fears. He wishes it, calls for it and impatiently waits for its arrival. It is especially desirable to a person who has been constantly faithful to his Guardian Angel. He is confident that his Heavenly Guardian will not forsake him in his last hour of his life; he rejoices in the thought that he will finally see him face to face – ready to lead and present him to his Heavenly Father. Thinking about the days that had gone by in his life, he will recollect those benefactions that he had received from his Angel; those dangers that he was delivered from by his protection; those prayers that he brought to him – and he will be able to draw solace and comfort from his being, in his dying anguish.

What is death? It is the moment when the Guardian Angel abolishes the bonds of flesh, akin to walls of a prison, and releases the soul from its imprisonment saying: the moment has come, proceed to Heaven! Slowly but surely, the earthly darkness begins to dissipate, Heavenly light begins to shine, the curtains fall – and there, on the boundary of this world and the eternal world, the delight of infinite blessedness is revealed to the righteous soul. Why fear death? Jesus Christ vanquished it and crushed its sting. A Christian doesn’t die; he enters from a sad life that is filled with sorrows, into a life of blessedness. Through the Mystery of Baptism, a person receives a new blessed life, while through death he steps into a life of bliss, into the kingdom of glory. It is here where the person with his Angel, cease their earthly wandering. My visualization sees them as two young royal sons, who covered themselves in glory in foreign lands by their bravery and fearlessness in battle. Returning triumphantly to their country, they rejoice in catching sight of their fatherland, and step onto their soil in unexplainable rapture; their hearts begin to palpitate and become anxious as they get closer to their parent’s house and see their father – standing in the doorway with his nobility, ready to render them glorious honours due to victors. For this reason, I ask once again: what is death? It is the moment when the compassionate Angel, leaning over the dying person, opens the door to Heaven with a golden key.

Christian – listen to what the Holy Gospel has to say: sing a new song with your Angel throughout all the days of your life, and with your last breath, you will hear harmonious singing by choirs of Angels and exclaim: “Lord! I shall enter into Your house and worship in Your Temple.” Fortunate is that soul, which upon leaving the perishable body, will be comparable in purity to its Angel who will receive it into its embrace. The following will begin to appear: 75 the Almighty in unapproachable eternity with His Jesus Christ on His right, radiating Divine glory; before Them is the Most-blessed Virgin Mary, hosts of Saints and choirs of Angels; the soul is coming to its homeland and is satiating itself with beatitude! During his distant travels to an unknown country, young Tobiah was accompanied by Angel Raphael, who assumed the appearance of Azariah. Under the patronage of his Heavenly guide, he was delivered from many dangers that threatened his life, and received all possible benefactions from him; he selected virtuous Sarah to be his wife; delivered both of them from the demon’s clutches; returned them to their own land safe and sound, and at the end of their long travels, returned sight to his father so that the venerable old man could see his son’s happiness and the birth of grandsons in his own house. It was then that the Angel revealed himself and before their eyes, ascended into Heaven.

Tobiah and his father prostrated themselves and praised the Lord for three hours; then getting up they proclaimed all the miracles that the Angel performed for them.

And your Angel will accompany you in your earthly wanderings; will guard and be beneficent to you. One day you will see him visibly and find yourself more fortunate than Tobiah.

He will say to you: we were joined in holy friendship; most-gracious Father is now calling us to Him; there we will love one another eternally and will never be parted.

O! my Guardian Angel and protector, will the day be soon when you tell me that my days of wandering are coming to an end, and that the Heavenly gates are opening for me? With what impatience I am waiting to see you my Heavenly friend! You cover me with benefactions and gifts of blessings, and I still cannot see you! May that moment be blessed when my soul, upon leaving its prison, will suddenly come face to face with you! O, if only then I appear clean, without any sinful stains and akin to you! Teach me how to prepare myself for this triumphant moment of my relocation from this life to a life eternal. Death is sweet and much desired for a righteous soul: send me this type of death, and may my Saviour visit me in my last minute of my life, and may He bless my heart with His grace! Let all my misfortunes be cleansed by His holy blood. Mother of God! Don’t turn your ear away from the prayer on my deathbed, and bless it with your benevolence. Heavenly Angels and you – my Guardian Angel, don’t leave me on my deathbed and unite your prayers with my last prayerful breath. Receive me and lead me to Heaven. O! 76

What a Heavenly light will illuminate me on my deathbed! I will be surrounded by my parents, friends – shedding tears over me, but in comforting them, I will say: don’t weep because I am departing to the realm of happiness: Heavenly Angels await me.

THIRTYFIRST DAY of the month

Oh, blessed God’s habitat! Oh, resplendent day of eternity, which cannot be dimmed by any night! Oh, never ending day of joy and tranquility, which cannot be disturbed by any adversities! Why has such a day not dawned on the ruins of time, and everything that quickly disappears with time? It illuminates the Righteous with its perpetual glow, but we, earthly inhabitants, can only see it at a distance, as though through a dark curtain. You, my holy Angel, can see it clearly. Comfort my soul in its sorrowful exile and illuminate it with the light of your radiance.

GUARDIAN ANGEL

Here on earth, you are greeted with, illnesses, temptations, sorrows of the soul and gloomy doubts. Only very, very rarely does one see visions of happiness. But there, in Heaven, there is no fear, no sicknesses, no sorrow and no discord: there is only eternal peace and eternal joy. There, in the Divine light, you will see the light and view the endless beauty. If the weak ray of Divine truth enraptures you and brings you to a state of ecstasy, what will happen when you see it in its full radiance! If only one spark of Divine love inflames your soul and satiates it with beatitude, then what will happen when you witness flames of eternal love effusing from God’s heart into yours – when you become lost in the boundless ocean of God’s goodness? Then your heart will enlarge enormously and God will fill it with His presence: because He, as the ultimate goodness: as the ultimate perfection, conjoins Himself with His Chosen. He is everything in everybody; He is their thoughts, their lives, and their beatitude. The Chosen souls immerse themselves in this ocean of life, in this profundity of God’s accomplishments. In Heaven, there is no time; there eternity is without end, boundless; an ocean without shores. The Chosen souls shall reign eternally with God, succeeding more and more in their love and thereby, resembling God.

Son of earthly wanderings! You cannot comprehend the enjoyment of your Heavenly Fatherland; the very Angels are not in a position to impart an understanding of this to you. In seeing the twinkling of Jesus Christ’s ray of glory while being stoned and covered with wounds, Archdeacon Stephen forgot about his agonies and committed himself to the euphoria of joy (Acts 6). Placed on a red hot grill, Holy Martyr Lawrence feels in his soul a cool dew of Heavenly delights, and peacefully remains on the searing piece of metal. A Righteous soul forgets everything worldly when mysteriously his eyes are opened to view the Heavenly domiciles, and the blessedness of Heavenly life. A Heavenly life – is immortality; it’s an eternal enjoyment of love and bliss; it is a blessed participation in the beatitude of God Himself. To gaze upon Him and love Him again and again – that is Heaven! No! Your heart is incapable of even perceiving what God has prepared for you. And so, rejoice, elevate your thoughts and your heart; you will soon receive your crown of immortality.

FAITHFUL

When will your words be realized, O holy Angel? When will I rest in my Father’s house? When will I be able to see You, Lord? When will I appear before You and see you, sweet Jesus? Akin to the time when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, when will You, my Saviour, reveal Yourself to me – weak and infirm? Your Kingdom, O my God, is my only homeland; make me, an exile, worthy to enter it. My consolation Holy Angel will always be in my conversations with you about Heaven’s beatitude. Together with you, I shall sing praises to the blessed Heaven’s Inhabitants. My thoughts and my feelings will always be with them. I shall live, emulate and do everything solely for Heaven. I shall wage war against all my enemies; I shall conquer my passions and misconceptions of the mind; I shall endeavour to fill my days doing good deeds. I place my hopes of your help in your trust; let your dialogue with me be my consolation.