Guardian angels

By Kim Ae-ran

Have you ever felt that somebody is constantly praying for you? How consoling it is to feel that somebody is praying for me and taking good care of me beyond time and space!

I often feel I am surrounded by good-hearted guardian angels. Especially when I get up early in the morning, I strongly feel that guardian angels have sincerely worked for me all night long. I think guardian angels are generous companions who are willing to dedicate themselves to ease conflict, tension or problems in me.

Especially when my heart is hurt or hardened, guardian angels console, purify, and heal me. Through their thoughtful and considerate healing process, inner strength is fortified and lets me begin again. Even the times when I am not able to forgive, accept, and be reconciled are transformed into inspiring and hopeful moments.

I think this inner movement or change is the fruits of the communion of saints, guardian angels, and prayerful people such as parents and family, sisters and brothers, friends and colleagues, teachers and professors.

It is beautiful to see that the unseen supernatural power accompanies and empowers us along the spiritual journey of life as freely and abundantly as possible. This inner power lets us make challenge and change possible.

According to Wikipedia, a guardian angel is "an angel assigned to protect and guide" a person or group. There are many beings like guardian angels in our lives. My mother, now 93 years old, is constantly praying for me and my family. My sisters and brothers, especially my second sister, are faithfully praying for me as well as for a wide circle of acquaintances. Community members are also the best group of guardian angels.

I still remember Jesuit Fr. Nudas, the late Filipino professor who willingly opened another Shakespeare course when an old professor in charge of Shakespeare didn't accept me in her graduate class.

I have a good memory of generous professors who encouraged and helped me to study further. I really appreciate the good will of Prof. Kim Sung-uk, Prof. Lee Byung-ju, Prof. N. Epistola, Prof. H. Abad, Fulbright Prof. G. Burns etc.

I did my best, and they with warm-hearted sympathy cheered and helped me. I think all of them are guardian angels on earth. Some of them have already passed away, but their good will and generous spirit are still alive in me. Like this, we can be guardian angels of one another.

The proofreaders of newspapers are also guardian angels in a broad sense. The spirit of thinking of others and paying attention to their situations creates a communion of love, collaboration, and unity beyond time and space. It is the power of prayer and love that sustains, encourages, and empowers us.

Like the roots of redwood trees, guardian angels lead us to be interrelated and collaborate as a network in the universe.

Tall pine trees have usually long roots that spread deep under the earth. The roots sustain the tree. The deeper the roots are, the stronger the tree grows.

Unlike pine trees, redwood trees have shallow roots in contrast to their height. Even though the roots are not as deep as the roots of pine trees, the roots of redwood trees spread in all directions, intertwining with other redwood trees; they are also so closely interrelated and inter-locked with one another that they do not fall down when earthquakes, storms or strong winds occur.

Not a single tree falls because they grow in clusters or groves and are connected by roots. They never stand alone; they need one another to survive. This interrelation, unity, and communion are the very acts of guardian angels.

Almost every living being needs others to survive. Our family, friends, teachers, professors, and community members are people like interrelated guardian angels. We need to sustain, support, encourage, and empower one another. And this positive movement and power will surely bring us peace, joy, happiness, and freedom.

Let us pray to our guardian angels that protect and empower us. The following is the traditional prayer to guardian angels. "Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side to light, to guard, to rule and guide. Amen."

The writer is a sister of Daughters of St. Paul communicating God's love and thus proclaiming the good news by means of social communication. Her email address is orchid@pauline.or.kr.