Angels
Feast of the Archangels, September 29th
Memorial of the Guardian Angels, October 2nd
Main objective: Learn what the word ANGEL means, that they DO exist and are created with a purpose.
Pray: God our Father, in your loving providence you send your holy angels to watch over us. Hear our prayers, defend us always by their protection and let us share your life with them forever. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (www.wf-f.org):
Opening activity: Go around your home and point out angels in art, books, etc. Or, even have everyone gather anything with an angel in the home and put in one spot. When you are at church, look for angels in the artwork and stained glass windows. We might not think about angels very often, but images representing their reality are around more often than you might think.
Ever wonder about angels? Are they real? Why did God create them? What do they look like?
The WORD Angel means messenger and is used about 200 times in the Bible. We learn about angels from the Bible, church tradition, the saints and personal experiences from others or (maybe) even ourselves. Doctors of the Church like St. Jerome, St. Basil the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas all taught much of what we believe and hold to be true about angels.
So, are angels real? Yes. They are created spirits by God to worship Him and serve Him. They don’t have a body but can rather take on different shapes or forms like putting on different costumes when they appear to humans. Nowhere in the bible does it describe an angel as being cute and cuddly. Rather, the opposite is true. In the bible, they are described as strong and powerful, hence, why their famous greeting is “Do not be afraid!”.
There are two types of angels, good and bad. More often, we call the good angels holy angels and the bad angels fallen angels (or demons – if term is age appropriate). Why are there both good and bad angels? Well, when angels were created, God gave them the ability to choose good or bad, just like us. Angels have already made their choice. In our lifetime, we are also given that same choice. Will we choose good? Or will we choose bad?
Guardian angels are here to help us and protect us. They can help us get to heaven. It is popular belief that God assigns each of us a guardian Angel. St. Jerome writes, ‘how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth and angel commissioned to guard it.’ St. Basil the Great also writes, ‘each and every member of the faithful has a Guardian Angel to protect, guard and guide them through life.’
Think about a time when you were scared. Did you know that you can ask your Guardian Angel to be with you and protect you? Maybe you have had a scary nightmare. Maybe you are scared to do something, even if you know it’s the right thing to do! Ask our Guardian Angel for help!
Pray: Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love entrusts me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
Here’s a few recipes that are easy and even my kids and their friends enjoyed. Honestly, any recipe with pasta could probably work with the “Angel Wing Pasta”.
Find the recipes here: Angel Food Cake Parfait, Angel Wing Pasta with Chicken, Angel Wing Alfredo Pasta with Chicken