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O God, Who in ineffable providence do deign to send Your holy angels for our defense, grant to Your suppliants both to be defended always by their protection and to rejoice in their eternal company. (Collect for the Feast of the Angels Guardian from the Roman Missal)Of the members of the Church Triumphant, none are perhaps more mysterious than the orders of the heavenly spirits, created before the foundation of the earth and destined for all time "to serve . . . those who shall inherit salvation" (Heb. 1:14). In truth, the angels, who are made to reflect very closely the glory of God, are destined to be the servants of the righteous of mankind in heaven! That is why Mary is Queen of the angels (and she can send them to our aid, if we ask her!). And yet, while we are on earth, some of the most powerful intercessors we have before God are the angels. Divided into nine choirs, they guard both the material world, directing the operations of nature, and individuals and societies, serving as protectors and helpers. Led by St. Michael, the Prince of the Heavenly Host, standing "before the altar holding a golden thurible . . . to offer up the prayers of all the holy ones on the golden altar, which is before the Throne of God" (Apoc. 3:8), the angels partake of the eternal banquet of the celestial liturgy. They act as our guardians, serve as messengers from God to us and from us to God, surround the altar during Mass on earth, and bear the graces of the Mass like incense back to the altar of God on high.In St. Michael and the Angels, discover all this and more about the holy angels, as well as St. Michael's special role as "Champion of the Church," "Defender of Christians," "Guardian of Purgatory," "Helper of the Sick and Dying," and the "Holy Standard-Bearer" who presents souls before the holy light of God. Find also numerous devotions to the angels, including litanies to our Guardian Angel, to St. Michael, St. Raphael, and St. Gabriel. A special treat is the prayer to our guardian angel asking him to go in our place to attend Mass when we cannot! In all, St. Michael and the Angels is a treasure trove of information and inspiration about the holy angels—our silent partners in the way of salvation.O captains and leaders of the armies of heaven, unworthy as we are, we beseech you without cease to surround us with your intercessions and cover us beneath the shelter of the glory of your ethereal wings. We bend our knee and cry out with perseverance: "Deliver us from danger, O Princes of the Powers on high!" (Troparion of the Byzantine Synaxis of the Heavenly Powers)

Saint Michael and the Angels

In Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence, St. Francis de Sales, beloved Doctor of the Church, speaks of how God wants only good for us, and why we should have great confidence in His merciful love.This treasure of spirituality beautifully explains God's love for the sinner, how great His joy is upon the return of just one lost sheep, and how God's mercy extends even towards the damned. St. Francis encourages us to conform ourselves to God's will, and teaches us to abandon ourselves to the Lord who so desires our hearts.Readers of Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence will experience firsthand why St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) is known to history as the Gentle Saint. St. Francis was Bishop of Geneva and a tireless preacher, who yet made time to correspond with numerous souls who wrote him for his insight and guidance. His Consoling Thoughts are compiled from these letters as well as from his other spiritual works.

Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence

Fr. Edward Looney reads from Chapter 16 of Book 2. &nbsp;In this reading we return to Mary in the temple and get a glimpse into her spiritual life.

Year 3, Day 76: Volume 1, Book 2, Chapter 16, Paragraphs 660-666

Fr. Edward Looney finishes reading chapter 12 of book 2 and offers a reflection on temperance and its relationship to anger and pride.

Year 2, Day 68: Volume 1, Book 2, Chapter 12, Paragraphs 590-598

"How lovely is Thy Dwelling-Place, O Lord God of Hosts!" —Psalm 83 (84)To gaze upon and speak with Our Lady is one of the tenderest longings of the pious Christian soul. Our Lord could not have conceived of a greater human creature than His own Mother, and so it is one of the most sublime graces to be granted a vision of that Heavenly Garden, the True Eden and New Eve. It is no wonder, then, that those most blessed souls who have loved Christ most have merited to see her, who only leads us deeper into His love.Saints Who Saw Mary recounts the stories of 17 canonized saints who kept company with the Ark of the New Covenant, the Mother of God. Their stories are profound, enlightening, inspiring, and tantalizing. Learn of Our Lady's dealings with such luminaries of the sanctoral patrimony as:Gertrude the GreatFrancisBridgetCatherine of SienaTeresa of AvilaJohn of the CrossAnd more!It is no coincidence that Our Lady appeared to these who are among the greatest saints in the history of the Church. For anyone who does not love His Mother, who bore God, can merit to bear Christ and His glorious resurrection. Let these accounts move you not only to longing for the sight of the Mother of God and her Son, but, what is far more important, to a deeper love and longing to be united to Him through her who is most blessed.

Saints Who Saw Mary

Fr. Edward Looney reads from chapter 24 of book 4 and then comments on the prophecies of Jesus going to Egypt, the destruction of false idols in Egypt, and how Christians created shrines in trees to counteract false gods.&nbsp;

Day 174: Volume 2, Book 4, Chapter 24, Paragraphs 641-652

Fr. Edward Looney reads from chapter 4 of book 6 and then comments on the death of St. John the Baptist.