I'm not catholic, but saw this on Drudge today, thought I'd share:
Pope Francis: 'I believe in guardian angels...and everyone should listen to their advice'
Pope Francis has said he believes in angels, telling Catholics around the world to reaffirm their belief in holy guardians.
Speaking to followers at the Vatican on Wednesday, the pontiff said every person has a guardian angel advising them in life.
Stressing they were not imaginary, he said it was only pride stopping people hearing their voices.
“Do not rebel: follow his advice,” the Pope said according to the Catholic News Agency.
“No one walks alone and none of us can think that he is alone.”
Pope Francis made the comments on the Feast of Holy Guardian Angels, observed by Catholics around the world on 2 October.
He claimed that no person can rightly give moral advice to themselves and should instead rely on direction from angels.
“It is dangerous to chase away our travelling companion,” he said.
“The Holy Spirit advises me, the angel advises me. This is why we need him.”
During the address, the Pope also used Biblical examples to hit out against “careerism”, saying it was against the attitude of “docility” taught by Jesus.
His predecessor, Pope Benedict, made a similar address on angels in 2011, saying: “From the beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their constant protection.”
But his insistence in 2012 that angels did not sing at the birth of Christ devastated lovers of carol “Hark! The herald angels sing”.
He also wrote in his book about Jesus’ early life that contrary to popular belief, there were no donkeys, camels or any other animals present at the Nativity scene.
The leader of the Bible class where I went to church today also shared this statement the Pope made. And would you believe the topic of that class was also about angels? So now, I am so full of questions, I'm bouncing off the edge of my seat!!
Warning...
Galatians 1:8 (KJV)
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Intense memories like that really empower your faith. Also, I miss the days of no seat belts.There is so much information here and so many different views! I think I would like to share my "angel" story, which for the last 37 years has not grown or changed nor become faded either. I remember it like it was yesterday. I have shared it with so many family members, beginning with the first day it happened and if my own memory were to fail me in the telling, they would surely remind me of exactly what I told them on that day.
My husband and I were driving on an old mountain logging road with our two sons in an old 1958 Mercury 4-door sedan (the kind with the bench seats). The boys were ages 20 months, and 6 weeks. My oldest was standing on the front seat between us and the baby was asleep on a pillow in the back seat (yes, I said "standing"...this was before the seat belt laws and car seats). The unpaved road was one lane with hairpin switchbacks. To the left of us, the mountain went almost straight up. On the right side of the road, the river had cut a 40-50' steep ravine and was dotted with boulders the size of cars. There were no shoulders on the road.
Most new mothers of two small children will take advantage of the time during a child's nap. I had an active 20 month old who kept me busy and I was enjoying the fact that my baby was peacefully asleep. But! For some odd, unexplained reason, I turned myself around in the car, picked up my 6-week old son and brought him to the front seat with me, thereby disturbing his sleep (which I would NEVER have done).
The very next turn we made to the left, caused the back door to swing open and my baby's pillow, upon which he had just been sleeping; SLID OUT THE DOOR AND DOWN THE RAVINE.
This happened mere seconds after I picked my son up to bring him to the front seat with me.
What can I say? Was an angel hovering nearby to nudge me to pick up the baby? Or, did the Holy Spirit do the nudging? I guess all that matters is that the incident made me profoundly grateful to God for watching over us.
I still get goose-bumps when I think of that day.
Be carful to not fall into the floor!!!!!
The purpose of Christian web sites is to share ask and learn. Go right ahead and do so.
I do have lots of questions; but moving to a new house is my focus and energy for the next few weeks. I hope I will get some time to forumulate these questions and post them anyways. (Before I forget what they are!)
There is so much information here and so many different views! I think I would like to share my "angel" story, which for the last 37 years has not grown or changed nor become faded either. I remember it like it was yesterday. I have shared it with so many family members, beginning with the first day it happened and if my own memory were to fail me in the telling, they would surely remind me of exactly what I told them on that day.
My husband and I were driving on an old mountain logging road with our two sons in an old 1958 Mercury 4-door sedan (the kind with the bench seats). The boys were ages 20 months, and 6 weeks. My oldest was standing on the front seat between us and the baby was asleep on a pillow in the back seat (yes, I said "standing"...this was before the seat belt laws and car seats). The unpaved road was one lane with hairpin switchbacks. To the left of us, the mountain went almost straight up. On the right side of the road, the river had cut a 40-50' steep ravine and was dotted with boulders the size of cars. There were no shoulders on the road.
Most new mothers of two small children will take advantage of the time during a child's nap. I had an active 20 month old who kept me busy and I was enjoying the fact that my baby was peacefully asleep. But! For some odd, unexplained reason, I turned myself around in the car, picked up my 6-week old son and brought him to the front seat with me, thereby disturbing his sleep (which I would NEVER have done).
The very next turn we made to the left, caused the back door to swing open and my baby's pillow, upon which he had just been sleeping; SLID OUT THE DOOR AND DOWN THE RAVINE.
This happened mere seconds after I picked my son up to bring him to the front seat with me.
What can I say? Was an angel hovering nearby to nudge me to pick up the baby? Or, did the Holy Spirit do the nudging? I guess all that matters is that the incident made me profoundly grateful to God for watching over us.
I still get goose-bumps when I think of that day.
Excellant story. It really depends on how we look at things dosen't it? I would venture to say that before you read this thread and then thought about it, you had always given the credit to a guardian angel for your miracle. But now you are thinking maybe, just maybe it was the Holy Spirit.
Mine is a lot like that. I also was about 3 years old when I opened the door of my fathers car and fell out onto the highway. No one caught me and I hit the pavement and busted my head. The really unique thing however is that the car directly behind my father's was driven by a trama nurse from the local hospital on her way home. My head rested on on left front tire. She immediantly wrapped up my head, put me in her car and took me to the hospital. IF she had not been there I would not be writing this comment today.
Hello Major~
You are very right that my view has changed about giving credit to an angel for my story. From now on, I will give credit to God entirely. God more than likely arranged for the trauma nurse to be traveling behind your father's car as well. This same son of mine (now 37 years old) had a very bad motorcycle accident two years ago, and again he was saved because a trauma nurse saw the accident and was on hand to prevent the police from moving my son off the road before the medical helicopter got there. God is GOOD, isn't He?
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
‘You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?’
The Lord replied,
‘The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.’
-Mary Stevenson
Guardian Angels. I believe we have guardian angels. Something about knowing that there is God watching out for me, and this other angel too. Humans generally feel more comfortable if counting on more than one person, or idea. Even though God is God, I sometimes have to remind myself God is always there.
As human, we feel alone and as human we forget things, even the important things. Yes, you may forget only for a moment, but you still forget! And if you don't forget, then you aren't human. If you are perfect, then you must be a god, but alas, there is only one God. In the early years of elementary school, keep in mind that I am, indeed a young teen, I thought that God was too busy to hear my prayers. I always thought that he would hear some of my prayers, but not all of them. Then, I slowly began to realize that God hears all, sees all, knows all. He understands human, because he was human. So, I grew up thinking I had a guardian angel to take my prayers and listen to me. I suppose I see my guardian angel as my icon, I feel a deep connection to her? To me, she is more than just a symbol, rather a bright and very real figure of speech and literacy. Of innocence and friendship. Of spirit and joy.
I don't know how to say this, but I will try. My God, is my God, the ultimate one, my friend. However, my guardian angel is the (girl {as I am}) and my feminine, religious protector. Does that make sense?
Just because something is not mentioned in scripture doesn't mean it isn't real. For example, a certain battle didn't happen because it isn't mentioned in the history textbook; it could have happened! At least for me scripture is a guidance in my faith. My relationship with God is more real than the scripture would ever be. I love the scripture, the Bible, but I place my relationship above it. I praise the Bible still, I read it often. But, at my old school some teachers would go to the Bible before going to God. You would think that those would be the same thing, the Bible and God, right? But no, the Bible is an account of our faith. Back to the textbook analogy, the Bible is our textbook for our faith (USA), but as my teachers at my old school thought, the Bible was the faith. But, the textbook of USA's history is not the USA is it?
It is the Word of God and we cannot have a mature and true relationship with God if we do not understand His Word, giving it priority in our lives.
I never said that the Bible isn't important in a relationship with the Lord. I understand that God is in the Word, but how can he be as you said, "this is the only way He reveals Himself to us today.". He is here, he graces us with miracles and although he may not be here as Jesus Christ was, he is here and in much more than the Holy Word.