Their angels in heaven always look

Ex 23,20-23; Ps 90; Mt 18,1-5.10
2 OCTOBER

Those who read the Book of Tobias will discover that one of the seven Angels, always ready to enter God’s presence, is sent to take care of a young man who has to face a long journey through the roads of this world. He takes Tobiah in custody and leads him safe and sound, helping him to carry out the mission that his father had entrusted to them and in addition he makes sure that during the journey he marries Sara, one of his kinship. Here is an excerpt of this accompaniment and the teachings offered.

Then she stopped weeping. When the boy left home, accompanied by the angel, the dog followed Tobiah out of the house and went with them. The travellers walked till nightfall, and made camp beside the Tigris River. Now when the boy went down to wash his feet in the river, a large fish suddenly leaped out of the water and tried to swallow his foot. He shouted in alarm. But the angel said to him, “Take hold of the fish and don’t let it get away!” The boy seized the fish and hauled it up on the shore. The angel then told him: “Cut the fish open and take out its gall, heart, and liver, and keep them with you; but throw away the entrails. Its gall, heart, and liver make useful medicines.” After the lad had cut the fish open, he put aside the gall, heart, and liver. Then he broiled and ate part of the fish; the rest he salted and kept for the journey. Afterward they travelled on together till they were near Media. The boy asked the angel this question: “Brother Azariah, what medicinal value is there in the fish’s heart, liver, and gall?” He answered: “As regards the fish’s heart and liver, if you burn them so that the smoke surrounds a man or a woman who is afflicted by a demon or evil spirit, the affliction will leave him completely, and no demons will ever return to him again. And as for the gall, if you rub it on the eyes of a man who has cataracts, blowing into his eyes right on the cataracts, his sight will be restored” (Tb 6,1-9).

What happens visibly with the Angel Raphael and Tobiah, happens in an invisible way with each Guardian Angel and who has been entrusted to him. While Raphael was sent thanks to Father Tobi’s works of mercy, the Guardian Angel acts for faith and prayer. If we do not believe in Him, if we do not invoke Him, He might do nothing for us: he is near us, lives with us, but does not live for us. Even if He advises us, we are deaf to his every advice, teaching, speech and we get lost. Never could have Tobiah alone made that long journey. He would have been lost after the first stretches of road. Thus none of us might make the journey of life, if we are abandoned to ourselves. By his goodness the Lord puts his angel beside us. We put our faith and our prayer. We also add all the love for Him and all humility for us, knowing that without Him we lose ourselves. Love, humility, faith and prayer will ensure that he walks with us and we walk with him for all the days of our life. God is great in his love for us. We too should be great in love for our own selves. We know that with Him we can do the will of the Lord. We just have to believe, pray, love him, be humble and less proud and presumptuous.

At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.  “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.

Jesus asks every man to pay close attention so that no child is despised. Children must be loved, kept in love and helped to grow in virtue. We must offer them the best of our faith, hope and charity. We must live in perfect exemplarity before them. So they see that we love Jesus and his Gospel and they will prepare the heart to love Jesus and his Word. If we behave well with children, the Angels will behave well with us. They will love us because we love the children entrusted to them. If we do not love children, they might not love us and if they do not love us, not even the Lord might bless us.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints arrange that we adults are exemplary in all towards children.