Today is the feast of our Guardian Angels. Imagine or put your arms around this fact, if you can, that 24/7 God has assigned an angel to guard and protect us from evil, to guide us to the path that is right for us and equip us with the strength we need to make right choices. Those of us raised Catholic probably can recall holy cards with the guardian angel walking behind us with his/her wings enfolding us. That is our God's benevolent protection and loving care!
We see God's benevolent protection of the prophet Nehemiah in today's first reading, Nehemiah 1: 1-8 and the role that Nehemiah takes in realizing God's protection. Nehemiah approaches the king, who is concerned that he seems so sad. "How can I not be sad," Nehemiah says to the king, "when 'the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been eaten out by fire'"? Nehemiah requests to be allowed to go to Judah to rebuild his ancestor's graves and that the king provide letters that he can show to "the governors of West-of-Euphrates" for his safe passing and for "Asaph, the keeper of the royal park," so that he can get wood for "timbering the gates of the temple-citadel and for the city wall and the house that I shall occupy." Nehemiah knows that God's "favoring hand" is upon him, so he neither couches from this formidable task or from approaching the king for his protection.
What am I feeling today and what is the source of that feeling? Is there something today that I need to rebuild? And if so, whose support do I need and what do I need in order to be prepared and protected to accomplish that task? Do I, like Nehemiah, realize that God's "favoring hand" is upon me?
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