Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

 Lectionary: 458/650

"Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep"–
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

Hearing the ancient Word of God which, as Saint Augustine said, is "ever ancient, ever new," the people had good reason to be sad, to weep and cry. After everything they had been through in the past two centuries, since Jerusalem was destroyed and left abandoned, and every valuable citizen worth the trouble was marched into Babylonian Captivity. But they -- that is, the children and grandchildren of the doomed generation -- had returned after seventy years to rebuild a city, religion, and way of life that seemed lost forever. 

And now the city was rebuilt with its temple and the people had returned. Although the city now had to pay tribute to the Persian emperor, and their new temple was only a shadow of Solomon's fabulous edifice, they had survived and returned nonetheless. And, for the first time in almost a century, they could expect a future of living by God's Law with a measure of peace, security, and prosperity. 

Memories of a lost homeland and improbable return with a glimmer of hope which shone like a sunbeam on an overcast day came down upon the crowd. Grown men and women wept for sadness and joy. I don't know that anything like it has ever happened to another family, clan, tribe, or nation.

 
Only our God with an army of guardian angels could have made it happen. But, as they heard the Law of Moses read they knew that the promise with its threat had been kept; and would be kept: 

See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.

Be attentive to him and obey him. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sin. My authority is within him.

If you obey him and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

My angel will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites; and I will wipe them out.

Therefore, you shall not bow down to their gods and serve them, nor shall you act as they do; rather, you must demolish them and smash their sacred stones.

You shall serve the LORD, your God; then he will bless your food and drink, and I will remove sickness from your midst;

no woman in your land will be barren or miscarry; and I will give you a full span of life.  Exodus 23: 20-26

Despite the threat of verse 21, their sins had been forgiven and the Lord had brought them home. 

As I get older (and older!) I am learning to appreciate that muscular young guardian angel who stabilizes my stumbling, and sees the car passing when I am about to change lanes. When the doctor asks, "Have you fallen lately?" "Not yet!" I reply with a wink toward the Guardian. Thank God he's there. 

(They're not just for children, you know!) 

Because they don't age our Guardian Angels remember the past and our sins. They remind us of the misfortune we have suffered due to our sins, and that we survived and learned from them. 

For these too we rejoice and are glad -- "for today is holy, and you must not be saddened. Then we go to eat and drink, to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy, for we understand the words that have been expounded to us.