Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels — 2 October

The Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels is celebrated in the General Roman Calendar on 2 October, on the day after the feast of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, and two days before the feast of St Francis of Assisi. It is an obligatory memorial of all the Holy Guardian Angels — not only of my personal Angel, but also of the Angels of my whole family, of my friends, of my enemies, of my lost enemies, of the baptised throughout the world. The feast was instituted by Paul V in 1608 (decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites of 27.09.1608) and extended to the universal Church by Clement X in 1670. Cardinal Bessarion († 1472) had been one of the first promoters of the feast. The Council of Lateran V (1512-1517) itself confirmed the doctrine on the Guardian Angels. This prayer is the devotional collect of the day 2 October and may also be made on any other day in honour of the Holy Guardian Angels.

Eternal and almighty God, who in your unspeakable providence have given to each one of your servants a Holy Guardian Angel — chosen from among the myriads of the heavenly spirits to guard one single human soul until the hour of death: accept today our solemn gratitude to these silent guardians.

For my Holy Guardian Angel — faithful to me from the first instant until this moment — I give you thanks.

For the Holy Guardian Angels of my parents, of my siblings, of my children, of my relatives — I give you thanks.

For the Holy Guardian Angels of my friends, of my work colleagues, of my neighbours — I give you thanks.

For the Holy Guardian Angels of my enemies, of those who have offended me, of those who have not yet forgiven me — I give you thanks.

For the Holy Guardian Angels of the baptised who have lost the way, of the catechumens who prepare for Baptism, of the unbaptised who still have a Guardian Angel watching over them — I give you thanks.

For the Holy Angels of the souls in Purgatory who await paradise, and for the Holy Angels of the departed who already enjoy the beatific vision — I give you thanks.

Remembering the word of your Son: «See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven» (Mt 18:10), I ask you the grace to live in a manner worthy of my Angel, without grieving him with my sins nor burdening him with my indifference.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.