Angels & Guardian Angels
Angels are spiritual beings created by God to worship him and to serve as his messengers. Christians believe every person has a guardian angel who protects and guides them through life.
What are angels?
The word angel comes from the Greek angelos, “messenger”. The Bible and the Church teach that angels are real, personal, spiritual beings with intelligence and will, but no bodies. They were created by God before humans, they constantly see and praise God, and they carry out his work in the world. Some angels rebelled against God — these are the devil and the demons.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls ‘angels’ is a truth of faith” (CCC 328). “As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures” (CCC 330). Angels are not people who have died — the saints are human beings in heaven, while angels are a different kind of creature. Belief in angels is shared by Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians, as well as by Judaism and Islam.
Guardian angels
Jesus said of little children: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father” (Matthew 18:10). From this and other Bible passages, the Church teaches that every person has a guardian angel from birth to death.
- Their job
- To protect us from harm of body and soul, guide us towards good, pray for us, and bring us to God.
- Feast day
- 2 October (Holy Guardian Angels)
- Teaching
- “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life” (CCC 336, quoting St Basil).
Other Bible passages: “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11); “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7); when Peter was freed from prison, the believers said “It is his angel” (Acts 12:15); “Are they not all ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14).
The feast of the Guardian Angels began in Spain and Portugal in the 1500s and was extended to the whole Church by Pope Clement X in 1670. Pope Francis said: “No one walks alone; none of us can think he is alone… this companion is always with us” (Homily, 2 October 2014).
Other traditions: Orthodox Christians also honour a guardian angel given at baptism. Many Protestants believe angels protect believers, but generally do not teach that each person has one specific angel.
Does my guardian angel have a name?
The Bible does not tell us the names of guardian angels, and the Church advises against giving names to angels, except the three named in Scripture — Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. The Vatican's Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001, §217) says: “The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.”
So you do not need a name to pray to your angel — simply say “my guardian angel” or “Angel of God”. Images of guardian angels are works of art imagining them, usually as a winged figure protecting a child; no one knows what angels “look like”, since they have no bodies.
The archangels
Archangels are “chief angels” sent on the most important missions. The Catholic Church celebrates the three named in the Bible together on 29 September. Other traditions honour more.
The nine choirs of angels
The Bible names several kinds of heavenly beings. Around AD 500, a Christian writer known as Pseudo-Dionysius arranged them into nine choirs in three groups. This order was used by St Gregory the Great and St Thomas Aquinas and is widely known, though it is a tradition of theologians, not a defined doctrine.
| Group | Choir | Role (traditional) | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|
| First sphere closest to God | Seraphim (“burning ones”) | Burn with love before God's throne, singing “Holy, holy, holy”. | Isaiah 6:2–7 |
| Cherubim | Guardians of God's glory and wisdom. | Genesis 3:24; Exodus 25:18–22; Ezekiel 10 | |
| Thrones | Bearers of God's justice and authority. | Colossians 1:16 | |
| Second sphere governors of creation | Dominions | Direct the duties of the lower angels. | Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 1:21 |
| Virtues | Work signs and miracles; give strength. | Ephesians 1:21; 1 Peter 3:22 | |
| Powers | Defend against evil. | Ephesians 3:10; Colossians 2:15 | |
| Third sphere messengers to people | Principalities | Guard nations, cities and the Church. | Romans 8:38; Ephesians 3:10 |
| Archangels | Bring God's most important messages. | 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 9 | |
| Angels | Closest to humans — including our guardian angels. | Matthew 18:10; Hebrews 1:14 |
Angels in the Bible
Saints and their guardian angels
Prayers to the angels
Angel of God
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. Amen.
Prayer to St Michael
St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
More prayers for every need are on the Prayers page.
Sources & further reading
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§ 328–336 (The Angels)
- Congregation for Divine Worship, Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001), §§ 213–217
- Pope Francis, Homily on the Guardian Angels (2 Oct 2014)
- St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I, q. 108 (angelic hierarchies) and q. 113 (guardian angels)
- Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent), Angels and Guardian Angel
- Wikipedia: Guardian angel, Archangel, Christian angelology — images from Wikimedia Commons (classic paintings and icons)