Invoking the Protection of your Guardian Angel

Colleen Mallette shares how praying the Guardian Angel Prayer daily has affected her and those around her.

For several years I have been attending Wednesday morning Masses at my church. There are a group of faithful parishioners who show up a half-hour early and recite the Rosary and when I can I try to make that as well. For a long time, I was unfamiliar with a particular prayer that they said after the normal Rosary concluding prayers, so I would just listen and try to pick out key words so I could try to figure out what they were praying. One day a friend sat beside me and she knew the words, so before Mass started, I asked her what it was so I could look it up and memorize it.  

It turned out to be the Guardian Angel prayer, something I was never taught even though I am a cradle Catholic:  

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

After that day, I was able to join the rest of the congregation in reciting this prayer. About a year, later my spiritual director happened to tell me that she prays this prayer every morning and evening as a way of invoking her special angel to be with her throughout the day and overnight. I liked this idea, so I began trying to remember to do that as well. I even wrote the prayer on a little sticky note and put it on my bathroom mirror near my toothbrush as a reminder. 

What praying the Guardian Angel Prayer did for me  

This had an unexpected effect on me. I started spontaneously seeking my Guardian Angel throughout the day and seeing times when I thought she was influencing things on my behalf! It brought me to a closer relationship with this celestial being than I’d ever had in my life.   

Then I had an accident this summer, and if I hadn’t developed this relationship I truly think I would’ve had a completely different reaction toward the perpetrator.  

I was walking a golf course while my husband was competing in a tournament. Unexpectedly, I was struck from behind by a golf cart driven by someone who was texting and not paying attention. Thankfully the driver wasn’t going too fast, but it still knocked me completely forward onto the grass with all my belongings flying. The scream I involuntarily let out at being hit attracted my husband’s attention and that of everyone else in the vicinity, and the driver stopped the cart.  

Once I realized what had just happened, I pulled myself out from under the cart and slowly stood up. I quickly assessed my limbs and realized that other than a skinned knee and sore ankles, I was actually barely injured. In shock at first and uncertain of what to say, I just kept repeating, “I’m OK,” especially to the apologetic driver. Then I didn’t want to further disrupt the tournament, so I continued to walk the course and reassure everyone I really was OK.   

After walking awhile and thinking about what had happened, it dawned on me that the cart had struck me exactly in the middle so that my body went perfectly between the tires, and the driver stopped before it reached my thighs. This meant I didn’t actually get “run over” by the tires, which certainly would have caused a lot more damage to my body.  

Once I understood this, I could only come to the conclusion that my Guardian Angel hadn’t stopped the cart, but had protected me by somehow helping guide me between the tires. Then I couldn’t stop telling everyone who asked that not only was I OK, but I had been saved by my Guardian Angel from actually being run over and was just “struck from behind.” 

How praying the Guardian Angel Prayer affected others around me  

Before leaving the course, I gave the driver a hug and said, “It’s OK, really. Accidents happen and I’m just thankful my Guardian Angel was watching over me today.” When I repeated this to someone else, they commended me for being so calm and forgiving; they didn’t think they could’ve reacted that way. But they appreciated the lesson it taught them about being merciful and faithful. Who knows, maybe even my words planted some seeds to encourage others to pray to their Guardian Angel too.  

If you aren’t already invoking the protection of your Guardian Angel each day, you might want to start. It doesn’t replace praying to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, but it’s like praying to Mary as our intercessor to God. 

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Copyright 2024 Colleen Mallette
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