Introducing Our Children to the Angels

Children delight in learning about the angels. Patti Maguire Armstrong offers ideas parents and grandparents can use to teach little ones about angels.

Do you ever feel worried about the responsibility of caring for your children? Don’t forget to turn to the angels, God’s gift to us.

The very name—angel—has a beautiful, light ring to it, and they bring peace to our lives. Angels are pure spiritual beings of extraordinary power mentioned throughout Scripture as protectors, guides, and messengers.

Of the angels he says:
“He makes his angels winds
and his ministers a fiery flame.” (Hebrews 1:7)

Children delight in learning about the angels, and we cannot explain them to others without ourselves drawing near and letting them lift us up closer to heaven. They announced the birth of Jesus in Luke 2: 8-10 and revealed that we are each given an angel of our own:

“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." (Matthew 18:10)

Scripture also tells us that there are seven archangels, naming three of them. St. Michael's name means “Who is like God,” which was his battle cry when he drove Lucifer from Heaven. St. Gabriel, whose name means “Strength of God,” appeared to the Blessed Mother to announce the Incarnation.

And St. Raphael, the “Divine Healer,” is a help to travelers, the sick and is a matchmaker. We learned in the book of Tobit how Raphael guided Tobias, helped him catch a large fish with healing properties, and helped him find a mate.

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We can introduce angels into our children’s lives with these beautiful prayers:

Our Guardian Angel

Angel of God, my guardian dear to whom God’s love commits me here.
Ever this day be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle and be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do you 0h prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls.

Reading About the Angels

Snuggling up with children and reading about angels is another beautiful way to introduce them to God’s helpers. A simple book I raised my children with was The Angels: God's Messengers and Our Helpers, which teaches them about angels and their place in our lives.

How the Angels Got Their Wings by Anthony DeStefano is a new book I am reading with my grandchildren. The illustrations are stunning and the writing in prose makes for lyrical reading.

Who IS that angel that we see perched atop the Christmas tree?
And how can angels fly so high, soaring through the snowy sky?

And why do angels dress in white? And do the angels ever fight?
Who made the angels? Any clue? He who made them made YOU too!

DeStefano explains that some angels turned out bad.

Michael helped to chase them out. A war was raging all about. He drove the devil and his legions down to hell’s dark fiery regions. St. Michael can protect us too from all the sinful things we do, helping us to fight temptation, battling for our souls’ salvation.

He explained that God made angels to serve in Heaven and below, sweet messengers from paradise teaching us love and sacrifice as they fly from heaven to the ground, invisible, without a sound. “But you can sense them in the air—especially alone at prayer.”

Click to tweet:
With so many superheroes and characters that children clamor for these days, images of angels is something for them to hold onto for a lifetime. #catholicmom

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Bring Angels into Your Life

Whenever when had a challenge, such as learning to ride a bike, we would remember to ask our child’s guardian angel, out loud, to help them.

Our children also loved images of angels watching over children to hang in their room. That visual also touched my mother’s heart. It was a reminder to all of us that the angels are always nearby.

Little angel statues, even an image on a pillowcase and t-shirts with angels made their way into our home over the years. There are also guardian angel crib medals and plaques. Now, with our children grown, I get such things as gifts at baby showers and for grandchildren.

With so many superheroes and characters that children clamor for these days, giving them images of angels is something for them to hold onto for a lifetime. And knowing that our children seek the safety of their angels gives our own hearts great comfort.

All you angels in heaven, pray for us!