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The Guardian Angels

The Church teaches that the Angels were the first beings
created by God : spiritual beings immeasurably superior to man.
In the first chapter of the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament, we learn that Christ is superior to all the Angels and that they serve Him,

"The truth is they are all spirits whose work is service, sent to help those who will be the heirs of salvation" Hebrews 1: 14

So while belief in the Angels is not an essential doctrine of the faith, the teaching is long embedded in Catholic tradition, and is based on Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Fathers of the Church.

Jesus, in his teaching about children, said,

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you their angels in heaven behold the face of my Father in heaven" Matthew 18:10

The role of our Guardian angel is :
to enlighten - open the mind to receive the truths of faith,
to protect us spiritually - mainly from the evil of sin which would place our souls in peril - but also physically,
to guide us - in our choice of vocation for life, and when we fall or lose direction,
to pray - and to carry our prayer before the throne of God, uniting it with the angel's prayer for us.

It is generally thought that, in addition to each individual having his or her own guardian angel, kingdoms, countries, provinces, families, dioceses, parishes, churches, and religious communities each have one.

This feast, kept in Spain since the 16th century, was extended to the whole Church by Pope Paul V in 1608. It was assigned to the first free day after the feast of St. Michael by Pope Clement X in 1670.

"so sublime is the dignity of the soul that from its birth there is appointed to each one a Guardian Spirit" St Jerome

Prayer to my Angel Guardian

O Angel of God, my Guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here.
Ever this night/day be at my side
to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.

The Archangels

St Catherine - awakened by an angel