Written by Cecily Hallack and published in 1933, we were given permission to reprint this wonderful book twenty years ago, and have kept it in print since.
Promoting devotion to the Guardian Angels
God said: “I myself will send an angel before you to guard you as you go and to bring you to the place I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20)
How many of us know of the presence of our Guardian Angel, or remember that they are there? Maybe we are too busy with technology to notice the communications they make in our lives, to recognise their quiet presence, guiding us.
Yet, Angels are a source of great comfort and companionship throughout our lives here on earth. They are with us from the moment of our conception, to the moment we are reunited with our creator at the time of death. Angels are especially close to us in times of sadness, confinement or hardship, when their company consoles us.
We hear of Angels throughout the bible. In the Gospels alone, they visit Mary, they advise Joseph. They appear to the shepherds on the hills. We know that Christ too, at his time of greatest suffering, was sent an angel: ‘Then an angel appeared to him, coming from heaven to give him strength.’ (Luke 22: 43)
In our work at Crown of Thorns we have done our bit to bring attention to these wonderful companions, so little known or remembered in our daily lives.
Our little book ‘Having a Guardian Angel,’ as well as being enjoyed in schools and parishes, has travelled widely. On one occasion, ten thousand copies were requested and used in refugee camps to calm the fear of the traumatised. Although it is a children’s book, it has found its place in many other situations of hardship, including prisons.
The following are excerpts from letters of gratitude we have received:
From a prisoner in a Maximum Security unit :
“I am glad you have told me about my Guardian Angel. It never occurred to me to think about him, or even that I have one. I have given him the name ‘Ekolelo’. In our local language this means Trustee. I will always remember him by that name.”
From Kenya:
“My name is Harriet. I am in a Catholic secondary school and I was excited when I read a copy of your book “Having a Guardian Angel”. I was really impressed and educated by the words and pictures – I really learnt a big lesson from it, that we have Guardian Angels. After I finished reading I realised that God has asked his angels to be with us in all things. I pray now before school to glorify God and to my angel for protection. Would you permit me to have more copies so I could give some to my friends It may be that through this that some may get salvation.”
From Nigeria:
“If only you could hear the questions from my little nieces and nephew, about the angel teaching the little child to pray in the book you sent, ‘Having a Guardian Angel’. Indeed, these icons impress, teach and exhort better than a thousand homilies because ‘seeing is believing’.
Pashal, Nigerian seminarian.
From Uganda:
“You recently sent us a few copies of ‘Having a Guardian Angel’. The students were deeply touched by the contents.”
Rev. Fr. Wasswa Vincent, School chaplain.
Pope Francis on our Guardian Angels:
“According to the tradition of the Church, we all have an angel with us, who protects us, helps us hear things. How often have we heard: ‘I should do this, I should not do this, that’s not right, be careful …’: so often! It is the voice of our traveling companion. Be sure that he will guide us to the end of our lives with advice, and so listen to his voice, don’t rebel against it…because rebellion, the desire to be independent, is something that we all have; this is arrogance, the same arrogance of our father Adam in paradise: the very same. Do not rebel: follow his advice”.
“No one journeys alone and no one should think that they are alone” – continued the Pope – because “this companion” is always there:
“And when we do not want to listen to his advice, to listen to his voice, it’s like saying, ‘Go away!’. It is dangerous to chase away our travelling companion, because no man no woman can advise themselves. I can give advice to others, but not to myself. The Holy Spirit advises me, the angel advises me. This is why we need him. This is not an imaginative doctrine on the angels: no, it is reality. It is what Jesus said, God said: ‘I send an angel before you to guard you, to accompany you on your journey, so you will not go wrong’”.
(Source Vatican News).