Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
October 2, 2021
Readings for the Memorial of the Guardian Angels
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Lectionary: 460/650
Reading I
Fear not, my people!
Remember, Israel,
You were sold to the nations
not for your destruction;
It was because you angered God
that you were handed over to your foes.
For you provoked your Maker
with sacrifices to demons, to no-gods;
You forsook the Eternal God who nourished you,
and you grieved Jerusalem who fostered you.
She indeed saw coming upon you
the anger of God; and she said:
“Hear, you neighbors of Zion!
God has brought great mourning upon me,
For I have seen the captivity
that the Eternal God has brought
upon my sons and daughters.
With joy I fostered them;
but with mourning and lament I let them go.
Let no one gloat over me, a widow,
bereft of many:
For the sins of my children I am left desolate,
because they turned from the law of God.
Fear not, my children; call out to God!
He who brought this upon you will remember you.
As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God,
turn now ten times the more to seek him;
For he who has brought disaster upon you
will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy.”
Responsorial Psalm
- (34) The Lord listens to the poor.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!”
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
Reflection: BE AN ANGEL IN PEOPLES' LIVES
See that you never despise one of these little ones. From our birth until our death, man is surrounded by the protection and intercession of angels, particularly our guardian angel: “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him/her to life. (CCC 336)” Angels are servants and messengers from God. In unseen ways the angels help us on our earthly sojourn by assisting us, protecting us from danger and guiding us along the way to heaven. God is our ultimate guardian in our onward journey. Jesus himself stands by us in our fight against the forces of evil. Prophet Baruch laments that God punished Israel (God rules) because it did not live up to its name. In the Gospel the 72 disciples return delighted and rejoicing with themselves. Their mission to bring peace and reconciliation has overcome hatred and evil. Their deepest joy was in knowing that they are loved by God and chosen brothers and sisters of Jesus. What a privilege to be blessed with the eyes and ears of faith so as to see God's plan revealed in the person of Jesus! Jesus reminds us that valuing ourselves only according to our successes can cause us to miss the essentials in our life. God values us more deeply, simply because of who we are. Inner contentment, which comes from knowing and loving God, makes us indeed blessed. We are truly blessed because Jesus himself stands by us 'as an angel' in our fight against the powers of evil. We are in turn called to become angels in the lives of others in their journey too.