Our guardian angels are our own personal guides

Intermountain Catholic

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Holy Cross Father Titus Kieninger follows the charism of his order by talking about their special devotion to angels at a retreat.IC photo by Chris Young

HOLLADAY — "God has assigned a heavenly spirit, a guardian angel, as our personal guide and companion all the days of our lives and beyond into eternal life," said Holy Cross Father Titus Kieninger, at "A Day of Recollection" retreat held May 6 at the Carmelite Monastery in Holladay.

Fr. Kieninger presented a one-day retreat on the Blessed Mother, the angels, and the Holy Eucharist. Fr. Kieninger is a member of the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross. The charism of this order is to share their devotion to the angels and also share in Christ’s redemptive love, which is nourished daily at Mass.

The Order was founded in Portugal in 1131 by Dom Tello and St. Theotonius. It was due to the Marian spirituality of the Order that Portugal was the first nation to be consecrated to the Immaculate Conception in the 18th century. In 1834, when the civil government of Portugal became anti-Catholic, the order was violently suppressed.

The restoration of the Order was undertaken in 1977 by members of the spiritual movement called the Work of the Holy Angels (Opus Sanctorum Angelorum). In 1979, the Congregation for Religious and Pope John Paul II formalized the restoration by Decree. Due to the remarkable correspondence between the legacy of the old Order and the spirituality of the Opus Angelorum, the church granted the privilege to introduce into the Order a special devotion to the angels according to the proven tradition of the church. The Order is currently established in Austria, Germany, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, India, the Philippines, Italy, and the United States.

Fr. Kieninger said tradition regards the angels as "messengers of God, potent executives of his commands, and ready at the sound of his words."

Fr. Kieninger referred to the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" (331) which states, "Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels…They belong to him because they were created through and for him: ‘for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities, all things were created through him and for him.’"

Fr. Kieninger said, "The angels intervened to save Hagar and her child Ishmael, they stayed the hand of Abraham as he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, angels protect the footsteps of the just, and praise God unceasingly.

"The angels played many roles in the life of Jesus," said Fr. Kieninger. "The Angel Gabriel declared to Mary that she would conceive and give birth to the Son of the Most High. An angel revealed to Joseph the supernatural origin of Mary’s conception, and angels appeared to the shepherds in Bethlehem with the news of the Savior’s birth.

"The Angel of the Lord protected the infant Jesus when he was threatened by Herod," said Fr. Kieninger. "Angels ministered to Jesus in the desert and comforted him in his agony. Angels appeared to the women gathered at the tomb, announced he had risen, and appeared at the Ascension revealing its meaning to the disciples. The faithful also realize that Jesus will come in his glory with all the angels to judge the living and the dead."

"The angels want to imitate Christ, serve, and honor him and Our Lady," said Fr. Kieninger. "We cannot think of Jesus without Our Lady because Jesus became man through her. The angels knew Mary was pure and special, and they knew she would give birth to Jesus before the Angel Gabriel brought her the message from God.

"A guardian angel is a special gift because he is our body guard," said Fr. Kieninger. "Our guardian angel warns us in time of temptation or danger. Angels are with us throughout eternity as guardians because we are great in the eyes of God. There is no greater personal friend than a guardian angel. We can call on them for help. Guardian angels are a personal gift to us through baptism. It is unclear if a person who has not been baptized receives an angel. However, if a person is condemned to hell, the angel remains in heaven. Whoever denies the angels is not in full communion with the Catholic faith.

Fr. Kieninger said the angels first appeared to keep man away from the Tree of Life. In section 391-395 of "The Catechism of the Catholic Church," it states, "Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church’s tradition see in this a fallen angel called Satan or the devil. The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing. There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death."

"Do we really strive to move toward heaven?" asked Fr. Kieninger. "No one asked us if we wanted to enter into this physical life, but God asks us if we want to enter into his kingdom. We are afraid to fail, but the greatest danger comes from our own free will. The angels lead us to Our Lady, and she takes care of us and helps us mature to a life in heaven, but we must consecrate ourselves to her sacred heart."

Fr. Kieninger said the Eucharist is the center of our church, and it is the role of the angels bring us nearer to God. If we turn our backs on God, we also turn our backs on our guardian angels. Jesus was on this earth for 33 years, and he came to serve and to save. Now the priests act in his name by consecrating the host into his body and blood. Jesus gave us the Eucharist in order to be our strength. Jesus wants to remain with us until the end of time.