Angel of God, My guardian Dear,
To whom God's love commits me here,
Ever this day(say ''night'' if you say it at bedtime), Be at my Side,
To light and guard,
To rule and guide,
Amen..
"Angel of God" is a Roman Catholic traditional prayer for the intercession of the guardian angel, often taught to young children as the first prayer learned. It serves as a reminder of God's love, and by enjoining the guardian angel to support the child in a loving way, the prayer echoes God's abiding love.
Over the past century countless children have been taught by their parents, in religious education classes, and in Catholic schools how to pray the βAngel of Godβ prayer. It is a simple prayer, easily memorized, that invokes the intercession of a personβs guardian angel. The prayer has become a staple of Catholic culture and continues to be passed on to each generation.
For many years it was believed that St. Anselm of Canterbury, a Benedictine monk who lived during the 11th century, was the author of the prayer. However, recent scholars have discovered that the prayer was likely inspired by Reginald of Canterbury, another Benedictine monk who lived at the same time as St. Anselm. Scholars found a prayer in Reginaldβs Life of St. Malchus that bears a strong resemblance to the current Angel of God prayer.
In Latin, Reginaldβs prayer begins as follows.
Angele, qui meus es custos pietate superna,
me tibi commissum serva, tueare, guberna;
terge meam mentem vitiis et labe veterna
assiduusque comes mihi sis vitaque lucerna.
The Angel of God prayer starts in a similar way in Latin.
Angele Dei, qui custos es mei, Me tibi commissum pietate superna;
(Hodie, Hac nocte) illumina, custodi, rege, et guberna.
It is uncertain if Reginald composed the Angel of God prayer, but it is clear that whoever did had access to Reginaldβs Life of St. Malchus.
What this means is that this prayer has a rich history, dating back almost a thousand years. The Church has preserved it over all these years because of its simple yet profound truth. It recognizes the existence of our guardian angels, and invokes their aid in our time of need.
Guardian angels are here to protect us, guide us, and lead us to eternal life. This is not just a βchildβs prayer,β but a prayer everyone should say on a daily basis. The prayer recognizes that angels can have an impact on our lives, and are here because of Godβs love for us. We simply need to invoke their aid and trust in Jesusβ promise that our βangels always behold the face of my Father who is in heavenβ (Matthew 18:10).
Related Post
SAINT PRAYERS
- Saints of Faith, Hope, and Evangelization
- Modern Saints and Special Intercessions
- Saints of Charity, Family, and Intercession
- Saints of Humility, Penance, and Missionary Work
- Traditional Prayers to Saint Joseph for March
- Prayer to Saint Germaine Cousin
- πΏ Saint Jerome
- πΏ Saints Michael and Gabriel and Raphael
- πΏ Saint Wenceslaus
- πΏ Saint Vincent de Paul
- πΏ Saints Cosmas and Damian
- πΏ Saint Sergius
- πΏ Saint Pacificus
- πΏ Saint Padre Pio
- πΏ Saint Maurice
- πΏ Saint Matthew the Apostle
- πΏ Saints Andrew Kim Taegon and Paul Chong Hasang
- πΏ Saint Januarius
- πΏ Saint Joseph of Cupertino
- πΏ Saint Robert Bellarmine
- πΏ Saints Cornelius and Cyprian
- πΏ Our Lady of Sorrows
- πΏ Saint Notburga
- πΏ Saint John Chrysostom
- πΏ Saint Eanswida