• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

The Passionists of Holy Cross Province

The Love that Compels

  • Online Masses
    • Passionist Online Masses and Services
  • 300th Jubilee
    • Jubilaeum Video
    • Opening Mass of the Passionist Jubilee Year
    • Video: 300th Jubilee – English
    • Video: Jubileo Pasionista – Español
    • Jubilee Icon Itinerary
    • Jubilee Resources
    • Jubilee Song
  • Pray
    • Daily Reflections
    • Prayer Request
    • Sunday Homily
    • Passionist Spirituality and Prayer
    • Video: Stations of the Cross
    • Prayer and Seasonal Cards
  • Grow
    • Journey into the Mystery of Christ Crucified
    • Celebrating the Feast of St. Paul of the Cross
    • Subscribe to E-News
    • Passionist Magazine
      • Passionist Magazine, Spring 2020
    • Passionist Ministries
      • Preaching
      • Hispanic Ministry
      • Haiti
      • Parish Life
      • Earth and Spirit Center
      • Education
      • Fr. Cedric Pisegna, CP, Live with Passion!
    • Retreat Centers
    • Passionist Solidarity Network
    • Vision Fulfillment Newsletters
    • Sacred Heart Monastery
      • History of Sacred Heart Monastery
      • A Day in the Life of Senior Passionists
      • “Pillars” of the Community
  • Join
    • Fr. Nicholas Divine, CP, Ordination
    • Are You Being Called?
    • Discerning Your Call
    • Pray With Us
    • Passionist Vocation Directors
    • Lay Partnerships
  • Connect
    • Find a Passionist
    • Passionist Websites
    • Fr. Cedric Pisegna, CP, Live with Passion!
    • Passionist Alumni Association
      • Reunions
      • 2019 Passionist Alumni Reunion
      • Welcome
      • Letter from the Provincial
        • These Men We Call Our Brothers
      • Mission Statement
      • CrossRoads Bulletin
      • Alumni Enrollment Form
        • Alumni Survey
      • Reunion Photo Gallery
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Monthly Giving
    • Leave a Legacy
      • Giving Matters
      • Ways to Give
      • Donor Relations
      • Testimonials
    • Prayer and Seasonal Cards
    • Privacy Policy Statement
  • Learn
    • Our Founder
    • History
    • The Letters of St. Paul of the Cross
    • The Diary of St. Paul of the Cross
    • Mission and Charism
    • Saints and Blesseds
    • FAQs
    • Find a Passionist
    • STUDIES IN PASSIONIST HISTORY AND SPIRITUALITY
  • Safe Environments

Daily Scripture, October 2, 2019

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

Scripture:

Nehemiah 2:1-8
Matthew 18:1-5, 10

Reflection:

At its heart, today’s feast of the Holy Angels is not so much about their existence, rather it is a powerful reminder of how important we are to God.

Our first reading states this so clearly. God promises angelic guidance so that we are guarded and surely led to a place of safety. The angelic guides will speak for God, indeed in the ‘name’ of God, and they will be entrusted to go before us to show us the right path.

In the gospel Jesus reveals that those Angels entrusted to guide ‘the little ones’ (the poor, powerless and dismissed people who Jesus reached out to) stand in the place of closest relationship with God. Their status in God’s eyes is symbolized by the status their angels enjoy in heaven!

We see all of this, too, in the life of Jesus. Angels appear in the gospel accounts of his life at those times of special need – times where Jesus himself is in need or others like Mary need to hear God’s word. At the time of temptation and in his agony, the angels appear to comfort Jesus. At the other times they appear in order to announce the significance of the moment to others – i.e. at the Annunciation, the Angel reveals God’s plan to Mary, and at the tomb the Angel reveals the new life of Jesus on this, the first day of resurrection.

In times past Catholic devotion and prayer focused more particularly on angels. Today that is not so prominent. However, this feast-day does speak to us of God’s longing for us, of God’s desire to protect us and of God’s intention to be with us.

All of this is to remind us today that we too enjoy such love and care on the part of God.


Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is a member of Holy Spirit Province, Australia.
 

Footer

Facebook Feed

Support the Passionists

Contact the Passionists

The Passionists of Holy Cross Province
660 Busse Highway | Park Ridge, IL 60068
Tel: 847.518.8844 | Toll-free: 800.295.9048 | Fax: 847.518.0461
Safe Environments | Board Member Portal | Copyright © 2021 | Log in