My Guardian Angel and me

This evening I went to Mass. I had a feeling I should go to this daily Latin Low Mass we have at St. Anthony's because today is the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. I thought I should go on account of my Guardian Angel who does so much for me.

It is a complicated situation, the Guardian Angels, and I admit there are things I do not quite understand. However it is in Scripture, that we have a guardian angel. And I know I keep mine working overtime.

Why did I get her? That is what he is thinking. Or she. I am afraid do not have my theology straight on this. Do angels have genders? They must, because think of St. Michael the Archangel. It was just his feast day on Sunday.

This Guardian Angel appears to be a woman. This is by a 17th century Italian painter who surely knew what he was doing.

The picture at the top of this post, by another Renaissance painter, also shows a female angel with a child.

Not to show disrespect to these august masters, but it is easy to portray a guardian angel guarding a child. What about guarding a grown-up?

Why do I always picture a guardian angel as a male being, guarding an adult? These paintings to be honest took me by surprise.

Does Howard have a guardian angel? That is another thing to think about.

Do you have to be Catholic to have a guardian angel?

If so then I would suggest everyone become Catholic right away because who would say no to an angel by your side? All other things being equal?

On the way home while I was pondering all this, I turned on the radio and WNED was playing Saint-Saens' "The Swan." This beautiful, peaceful music. I drove by the Peace Bridge blissed out.

Then I thought: Is my guardian angel enjoying this music?

Can he or she hear music? I imagine yes, because angels are always observing your life and what you say and do.

But this music, beautiful as it sounds to me, must be like nothing to the angel who is used to heavenly music.

Imagine what my guardian angel thinks when I listen to some really dumb song as is sometimes my wont.

I wonder if my guardian angel talks to other guardian angels. When I was in California with Leonard Pennario I wonder if Pennario's guardian angel communicated with mine.

While I was on this topic I asked my guardian angel to pray that I am able to complete my book on Leonard Pennario and mastermind the publishing.

La la la la la la la.

This is why you should not spend too much time by yourself. If you have other people in the car you are not pondering this stuff.

The trouble with angels

Saturday night I had trouble sleeping so I was not up in time for my usual Mass at St. Anthony's.

Instead I went and heard Mass at Our Lady Help Of Christians, my emergency church, which I love. I have already described Our Lady Help of Christians because it fascinates me. The Mass there, adding to its appeal, is very convenient to the Union Road Goodwill. You are allowed to shop on Sunday if it is a charity! Well, that is what I think anyway. I hope I am not wrong because it is too late now.

The Mass was really interesting because instead of following the agenda for this particular Sunday, they celebrated the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, which was Saturday. The priest did his sermon on angels. How great is that? As he said himself, the Catholic Church hardly ever talks about angels any more.

Then he said, every time some people in the Catholic Church throw something out, the rest of the world picks it up. Chant was like that, he said. So are angels. Now you go out and angels are everywhere, as he said. You can buy little figurines of them in stores.

This is me talking now and not the priest, but here is where we get to the trouble with angels: Because of this kitschy treatment of them, people going around confusing angels with fairies or whatever. And there are also people going around saying that you become an angel after you die. That is not how it works! Leonard Pennario died but he is not an angel. He is still himself!

Angels are not human. They never were human. They are spirits. The real St. Michael is so much more fascinating and frightening than anything anybody could make up. This is something I love: At the Tridentine Mass there is a part that mentions that St. Michael is present at the right hand of the altar. He is with us and we are communicating with him. That always thrills me. I find myself looking to the right of the altar thinking I am going to be able to see St. Michael there.

At St. Michael's you do see St. Michael there!

Anyway it broadsided me with how good this Mass was. This priest, I think he is from St. Casimir. He said all the prayers so we could hear them, another thing I liked. I do not like things rushed.

This was a terrific Mass!

And after it I did stop at Goodwill and I did acquire a few things, which I will disclose another day because I have already run on too long.

Meanwhile, please join me in this condensed version of this classic '60s movie.