Some of my favorite Saints have been celebrated this week! Today is St. Francis of Assisi, one of my childhood favorites! I have always loved pictures of St. Francis with various animals. Even as a child I loved the Prayer of St. Francis, especially put to music.
“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
― St. Francis of Assisi
Another childhood favorite…St. Therese the Little Flower! I read a grade school level chapter book of “the Story of a Soul” in about 3rd or 4th Grade. She was so real, she was someone I could relate to. She could love God as a child and say “I want it all” She had challenges as a child, and joys as well! She was a daddy’s girl as was I.
I still love to read “A Story of A Soul”, I get so much from it. It reminds me that the “Little Way” is best. Doing little things with Great Love!
And at the beginning of the week; our Guardian Angels! Where would I be without mine?! In big trouble, that’s were!
On this feast I had the opportunity to have a good conversation with one of the children about Guardian Angels. She mentioned that our family who die become angels. A common misconception these days. So I explained that God created ALL of the angels before people were created. God created so many angels that every person would have his or her own guardian angel and even when the person went home to God, the angel was still his/her buddy.
That people don’t become angels and angels don’t become people. That lead to the question of “what happens then when people die if they don’t become angels?” They become saints, saints means holy and surly everyone in Heaven is Holy. Angels don’t get Baptized and become the children of God and we do. That was enough for one day!
It is important to build a relationship with our Guardian Angel. I speak with mine often, and ask for protection first thing in the morning and thank you and keep me safe at night.
When the kids go to bed I always sign them with the cross on the forehead and with “Good night, God Bless, Sleep with the angels”
One of my favorite pictures of a Guardian Angel is
That is all for tonight…lacking sleep with sick children waking at night! Praying everyone gets well soon!