Angels among us

The Guardian Angel by Franceschini, Marcantonio, Dulwich Picture Gallery.

This is the third time I hear a story about a possible encounter with an angel in as many weeks. In all cases someone comes by unexpectedly and seemingly out of nowhere, makes a positive impact, and then puff, he is gone. Yesterday a friend shared her story from this past week. She has gone through some tough times lately, a bit of despair, and has tougher times ahead. She was at a fast food restaurant with a friend and they were starving. They finally got to sit down to eat when a man approaches my friend. "Would you like to buy this magnet?" "No thanks." "Its only a quarter." "No thanks."

She is thinking a) I don't want to be touching money while I'm eating and b)I'm starving and don't want to stop eating. Then he puts the magnet next to her. "Then you can just have it." "You shouldn't", "that's what we are here for".

She and her friend pick it up and it reads "Faith. For those who have faith everything is possible.” They also see that there's a tiny picture of a couple and a heart supported by Jesus. This is 100% related to her sorrow and just the message she needed to hear. It was a message of hope and light in the midst of darkness. "I feel bad, I should give him the quarter. Where is he?" Gone. How did he disappear in just the time it took to read a magnet? There were only 4 people in that restaurant. They run outside to find him and look everywhere. Nothing. Gone. They are left with that feeling of knowing something special just happened. A touch of grace. Was he an Angel? Or was he simply an "angel"... a very kind person? We will never know.

Have you had an experience like this? Are angels still helping us here? Or did they retire after so much work: helping prophets, making announcements, helping Lot, singing Glory when Jesus was born, and so many other assignments?

Angels continue to be on earth helping us every day. What are angels anyway? Angels are “purely spiritual creatures who have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.’ (CCC) They praise God, who they see in all His glory, and serve Him, most of the times as messengers. There are several places in the Old Testament with stories of angels watching over people and the concept of us having a guardian angel to offer prayers for us is ancient.

“Besides each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.” St Basil, Adv. Eunomium III, 4th Century.

(CCC: Catechism of the Catholic Church)