GOSPEL READING:
Matthew 18:1-5, 101 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; 10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.
Meditation: Why does Jesus warn his disciples to "not
despise the little ones?" God dwells with the lowly and regards
them with compassion. His angels watch over them as guardians. "For
he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your
ways" (Psalm 91:11). God has not left us alone in our
struggle "to refuse evil and to choose good" (Isaiah 7:15).
The angels are his "ministering spirits sent forth to serve,
for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation" (Hebrews
1:14).
The angels are God's messengers and protectors for us
Scripture is full of examples of how the angels serve as
messengers and protectors. When Peter was chained in prison and
kept under guard, an angel woke him in middle of the night,
released his chains, and brought him safely out of prison, past
several guards and through locked gates. When Peter realized he
wasn't dreaming, he exclaimed: "Now I am sure that the Lord has
sent his angel and rescued me" (Acts 12:11). When Daniel was
thrown into a den of hungry lions, an angel protected him from
harm (Daniel 6:22).
The angels show us that the universe is
spiritual as well as material
John Chrysostom (347-407 AD), an early church father and renowned
preacher, compared the guardian angels to the troops garrisoned in
cities on the frontiers of the empire to defend it from the enemy.
Basil the Great (329-379 AD) said, "Beside each believer stands an
angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Angels
ministered to Jesus after his temptation in the wilderness and
during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). The
angels will be present at Christ's return, which they will
announce, to serve at his judgment (Matthew 25:31). The angels
show us that this universe which God created is not just
materialistic.
The devil seeks to destroy us
The fallen angels (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelations 12:9),
described in Scripture as evil spirits or devils (Mark 5:13;
Matthew 25:41), seek our destruction (see 1 Peter 5:8). If they
cannot persuade us to disown our faith and loyalty to Christ, they
will attempt to divert us from doing the will of God by
distracting us with good things that weigh us down or make us
indifferent towards the things of God.
God provides us with spiritual protection from the evil one
God gives us the help of his angelic hosts and he gives us
spiritual weapons, the shield of faith and the breastplate
of righteousness (see Ephesians 6:1-11), to resist the devil
and his lies. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we, too, join
with the angelic choirs of heaven in singing the praises of God.
Do you thank the Lord for his guidance and protection?
Lord Jesus, you are our refuge and strength. May I always know your guiding hand and the help of your angels in protecting me from all that is evil. Give me strength of will and courage to refuse what is evil and to choose what is good.
Psalm 137:1-6
1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!
6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Their angels behold the face of my Father in heaven, by Chromatius (died 406 AD)
"It is not right to despise anyone who believes in Christ. A
believer is called not only a servant of God but also a son though
the grace of adoption, to whom the kingdom of heaven and the
company of the angels is promised. And rightly the Lord adds, 'For
I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of
my Father who is in heaven.' How much grace the Lord has toward
each one believing in him he himself declares when he shows their
angels always beholding the face of the Father who is in heaven.
Great is the grace of the angels toward all who believe in Christ.
Finally, the angels carry their prayers to heaven. Hence the word
of Raphael to Tobias: 'When you prayed along with your
daughter-in-law Sara, I offered the memory of your prayer in the
sight of God (Deutero-canonical book of Tobit 12:12). Around them
there is also the strong guard of the angels; they help each of us
to be free from the traps of the enemy. For a human in his
weakness could not be safe amid so many forceful attacks of that
enemy if he were not strengthened by the help of the angels." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 57.1)
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar
and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John
Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."]
