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February 1

Saint Brigid of Ireland (c. 451–525)

An Angel of Generosity

Brigid of Ireland often showed over-the-top generosity. When she emptied her pantry to feed the poor, it was miraculously restocked. When she gave her father’s battle sword to a beggar, she said no gift was too precious to give to Christ. Brigid’s vision of happiness was generous, as well. Her prayer is for all of us.

I would like the angels of heaven to be among us.

I would like the abundance of peace.

I would like full vessels of charity.

I would like rich treasures of mercy.

I would like cheerfulness to preside over all.

I would like the friends of heaven to be gathered

around us from all parts.²⁹

What is my vision of happiness? What do I want in abundance? Why is it sometimes so hard to let go of the things I do have? Is it because I am afraid I won’t have enough for myself? I want to understand that in you, God, I have all I need and plenty to share.

February 2

Presentation of the Lord

Angels Reflect God’s Light

In obedience to the Law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took the forty-day-old Jesus to the Temple to consecrate him to the Lord and to fulfill the purification sacrifice. Simeon, an old man waiting to see the promised Messiah, called Jesus “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32). Because this day falls about midway between winter and spring, it is associated with the increase of natural light in our world. It has also been called Candlemas. With the blessing of candles, we welcome Christ, the Light of the World. We also welcome his angels who are a dim — yet true — reflection of the pure light of Christ. Today, light a candle as you say this prayer:

May this candle remind me, Lord Jesus,

that You are my Light in darkness,

my Protector in danger,

and my Savior at all times.

I praise You and give You glory,

With all of the angels in heaven

for You are Lord, forever and ever. Amen.

February 3

Go, Angel, Tell the News

More than a century ago, ninety-year-old Penny Jessye sang as she prepared to go to her “Good Lord in that Heaven.” She called on her Guardian Angel to fulfill an angel’s primary mission — to be a messenger. Her granddaughter, Eva A. Jessye, transcribed Penny Jessye’s deathbed spiritual, her last prayer.

Good Lord

In that Heaven,

Good Lord

In that Heaven,

Good Lord,

In that Heaven,

I know I gotta home at last!

Go, Angel, and tell the news,

Go, Sister, and tell the news,

Go, Elder, and tell the news,

I know I gotta home at last.³⁰

Go, Angel, go and tell the news that I am on my way. Someday, someday, I will be going home. Stay, Angel, stay and help me find my way.

February 4

Angels — Neither Male nor Female

A young woman receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation wanted to honor Michael the Archangel by taking Michael as her Confirmation name. When she told the bishop her chosen name, he said that “Michael” is not a girl’s name. “Neither is it a boy’s,” she replied softly, with a smile for the bishop. She received the name. And she had a point. The angels, even the ones who have masculine names such as Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, are not male. Angels — spiritual, not physical, beings — have no gender.³¹

“At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).

Our lives after the final resurrection will be essentially different from our life here on earth. The relationships of this world will be transformed, transcended; the risen body will be “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

February 5

Saint Agatha (c. 231–251)

Angels to Heal Me

Saint Agatha is one of the seven women martyrs of the early Church named in Eucharistic Prayer I. Agatha grew up in a Christian family in Sicily. During the persecutions of Christians under the Roman Emperor Decius, the governor of Sicily tried to force Agatha to renounce Christ. Agatha defended her faith: “If you threaten me with wild beasts, know that at the Name of Christ they grow tame; if you use fire, from heaven angels will drop healing dew on me.” Agatha endured cruel tortures and a month in prison before she died.³²

Lord, our Creator, heal the hearts of all women who suffer from sexual assault, verbal threats, and physical abuse. We beg you to send your angels to protect them. Saint Agatha, help us to exorcise this evil in our society.

February 6

Released by an Angel

Peter was in prison in Jerusalem, under heavy guard, awaiting execution at the order of King Herod. During the night before his trial, the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. The angel woke Peter and told him to get up quickly and put on his belt and sandals. At that, the chains fell from Peter’s wrists. As Peter followed the angel out of the prison, the guards took no notice of them, and the iron gate of the prison courtyard opened of its own accord. They hurried through the gate and into an alley where the angel suddenly left him. Only then did Peter understand that his escape was not just a dream (Acts 12:1–11).

In you, Lord, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.

In your righteousness deliver me;

incline your ear to me;

make haste to rescue me!

Be my rock of refuge,

a stronghold to save me.

(Psalm 31:2–3)

February 7

It Is His Angel

After his release from prison, Peter went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had gathered in prayer. Peter knocked on the gate, and a maid named Rhoda came out and asked who was there. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she ran back into the house, leaving Peter standing at the gate. She announced to those assembled that Peter was outside. They told her she was crazy! Over their objections, Rhoda insisted that Peter was really there. “It must be his angel,” they said, to explain who was knocking and speaking. When they finally opened the gate, they were astounded to find Peter there (Acts 12:12–16).

It was a popular Jewish belief that guardian angels were our doubles and represented us personally. Jesus cited this as a sign of our great worth to God, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10). Today, keep in mind that you are in the presence of God.

February 8

An Avenging Angel

The death of King Herod follows the account of Peter’s escape from prison in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12:21–24). This story gives us an entirely different image of an angel. King Herod addressed the people of Tyre and Sidon, wearing royal robes to display his authority over them. Some admirers in the crowd called out, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Herod accepted their praise. Because he did not give the honor to God alone, the angel of the Lord struck him down. This is the avenging angel more often encountered in the Old Testament.

To you we owe our hymn of praise,

O God on Zion;

To you our vows must be fulfilled,

you who hear our prayers.

(Psalm 65:2–3)

February 9

Angels of Gates and Doors

Writers and artists often portray angels as guardians of doors and gates. “Angels are the ones who carry us from one realm to another,” wrote F. Forrester Church. Moving from one world to another entails crossing a threshold, recognizing that there are different realities on either side. Jacob’s vision of a stairway with angels ascending and descending symbolizes this kind of transition (Genesis 28:12). The distance between heaven and earth, between God and man, is connected by angels moving effortlessly between the two realms. The doorway to heaven is open for us.³³

Father Agostino returned from Naples at about three o’clock in the morning. Arriving at Padre Pio’s house, he was surprised to find the door open. When Father Agostino asked Padre Pio why he didn’t lock his door, the saint replied, “I have the guardian angels of the house keeping watch through the night. There is no reason to fear.” ³⁴

February 10

Saint Scholastica (480–542)

Thunderstorms and Angels

Like many twins, Saints Scholastica and Benedict were close. They were also united in their faith. Scholastica established a convent near Monte Cassino, Italy, where Benedict founded the first monastic community of men. Scholastica and Benedict visited just one day a year. In 542, Scholastica sensed death was near. When Benedict prepared to leave, Scholastica begged him to delay. And she prayed. Did Scholastica’s angel rush her request to God? Possibly. A violent thunderstorm began, delaying his departure. The next day, Scholastica died. Benedict saw a white dove rising into the sky, and he knew that angels were escorting his sister to heaven.³⁵

Has God sent you any storms special-ordered by an angel? Could they have been sent your way for a larger, greater purpose?

February 11

Our Lady of Lourdes

Envying the Angels

Long before she died at thirty-five in 1879, Bernadette Soubirous envied the joy of the angels in God’s presence. As a poor, illiterate fourteen-year-old, Bernadette peeked into heaven’s mysteries. On February 11, 1858, the beautiful Virgin Mother of God began to appear to her in a rock grotto near Lourdes, France. Our Lady asked Bernadette to pray for sinners and to have a church built. Bernadette was happy to obey the Virgin, but it attracted attention that she didn’t want. People begged “the saint” to bless their rosaries. Bernadette entered a convent for peace and to give her life to God. When she developed painful tuberculosis of the bone, she praised God, longing for heaven and the Virgin’s smile. Bernadette had learned what the angels know: we’re never truly happy until we live with God.³⁶

“I shall do everything for Heaven, my true home. There I shall find my Mother in all the splendor of her glory. I shall delight with her in the joy of Jesus himself in perfect safety.”

— Saint Bernadette Soubirous ³⁷

February 12

Angel Facts and Fiction

Fact: “Angels” are mentioned 273 times in some editions of the Bible. Only three angels are named in Catholic Bibles. They are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael and are also called archangels. Michael’s name means “Who is like God.” His name appears most often. “Gabriel” means “God is my strength.” Gabriel, the herald of Good News in the New Testament, announces the coming of a Savior. Raphael’s name means “God has healed.” Raphael appears only in the Book of Tobit. What’s an example of angel fiction? Believing that angels know the future of those they guard or the future of the world. Only God is all-knowing.³⁸

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angels praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:13–14)

February 13

Angels in the Snow

On a snowy winter night in Chicago in the late 1870s, two boys went to the rectory of Holy Family Church to ask a priest to visit their dying grandmother. Father Arnold Damien, S.J., immediately accompanied the boys to a chilly apartment building where they thanked him and left. After anointing and giving the dying woman the Eucharist, Father Damien praised her faithful grandsons. “Father,” she whispered weakly, “I had two grandsons, but they died many years ago. They were altar boys at Holy Family Church.” Suspecting that his young visitors were angels, the pastor commissioned statues of altar boys to stand as sentinels in the church sanctuary.³⁹

Are they not all ministering spirits sent to serve, for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)

February 14

Saint Valentine (died 269)

Champion for Love

Although three different Saint Valentines were once celebrated together on this date, it’s the third-century bishop of Terni, Italy, who became our patron saint of love. According to tradition, Valentine illegally officiated at the marriage of Christian couples. Emperor Claudius had banned marriage, believing that unmarried men made better soldiers for his army. Valentine also became known for healing. When he healed the sick child of a wealthy family in Rome, the news spread like wild fire. Because Roman authorities couldn’t tolerate Christian heroes, the elderly Valentine was arrested, jailed, and sentenced to death. He wrote a last loving note to Terni, signing it “your Valentine.”⁴⁰

O God, let my words, work, and prayers serve as valentines, carrying a message of love to others. Let the angels, your holy messengers, help carry and deliver my valentines.

February 15

An Entrance for Angels

We all do it: “Why?” we ask. “Why is this happening?” “Why did this happen to me?” Maybe we should look at it in a very different way. English writer Mary Cholmondeley (1859–1925) suggested that our sorrows allow us to live more fully. “If you had not undergone an agonized awakening, all the great realities of life — love, hatred, temptation, enthusiasm — would have remained for you merely words to string on light conversation. But the sword that pierced your heart forced an entrance for angels, who had been knocking where there was no door — until then.”⁴¹

Can I allow heartbreak to become an entrance for angels? Help me, Lord, to admit your angels to sustain me throughout the great realities of my life and to show me the deeper reality of your providential love for me.

February 16

Let Us Honor the Angels

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) elevated devotion to the angels to new heights in the Church. Preaching on Psalm 91:11, “For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways,” Bernard said, “The angels are not only with you, but for you. They are with you to protect you, they are with you to help you. Nevertheless, although it is He who gives His angels charge over us, yet it is they who with such love obey his bidding, and assist us in all our needs, which are so great. Let us therefore cultivate a pious and grateful spirit towards our noble guardians; let us love and honor them as much as we can and as is fitting.”⁴²

“Yes, holy angel, God has given you charge of me. Take my hand and bring me to the path that leads to salvation. Protect me during the night and keep me safe. Intercede for me with the Lord; ask him to make me love him more and more, and to enable me to give him the service his goodness deserves. Amen.”

— Saint Macarius of Egypt⁴³

February 17

My Angel without Wings

Ordinary people sometimes act as angels, bringing healing messages from God. Mary William shared her story, “I have a lot of friends and a lot of good friends, too. But when my marriage was in trouble, when I was so depressed, not one of my close and good friends noticed it. I thought God had abandoned me, too, and I was becoming angry with God, when I felt comforting hands upon my shoulders. They belonged to a man named Norman, ‘my angel without wings.’ It seemed like God was saying, ‘I am extending my hands to touch you, why are you shying away?’ Norman talked to me first and then invited my husband and me for tea, and we talked all afternoon. I found out more about my husband than I did in our 15 years of marriage. It was this angel’s gentle touch that opened my heart for healing.”⁴⁴

“How consoling it is to know that near us is a spirit who, from the cradle to the tomb, does not leave us even for an instant.… And this heavenly spirit guides and protects us like a friend, a brother,” wrote Padre Pio to a spiritual daughter.⁴⁵

February 18

Blessed Fra Angelico (1395–1455)

Painted by an Angel

His parents named him Guido, and he received the name Giovanni when he joined the Dominican order. But the brothers who knew him best called him Fra Angelico, as the whole world does today. He was Angelico because of his kindness to others, his simplicity and holiness, and because the frescos he painted on the monastery walls looked as if angels painted them. C. S. Lewis said that the angels that appeared in Fra Angelico’s brush strokes “carry in their face and gesture the peace and authority of heaven.”⁴⁶

Fra Angelico’s art was his prayer and his life. He said that “anyone who creates works involving Christ ought always to reside with Christ.” Is my work a prayer? ⁴⁷

February 19

Angels Awaken Us

Angels are always there for us, in every need and in every opportunity. As gifts of God they bless us at every moment. “Angels awaken us to the wonder and mystery of being God’s creatures. They laugh at us when we take ourselves too seriously, and gently try to help us to see the joke. They surprise us with the beauty of their strangeness, their amazing commitment to our lives and welfare. They knock on our doors to deliver messages of death and birth — of every kind. They are salt when we lose our savor, joy and pain when we’ve forgotten how to feel.”⁴⁸

“A characteristic of the great saints is their power of levity. Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.”

— G. K. Chesterton

What is weighing on you today? What is hampering your angel’s desire to lift you up into the tremendous love of God? May the angels awaken you.

February 20

Blesseds Francisco and Jacinta Marto (1908–1919; 1910–1920)

The Angel of Peace

In the spring of 1916, an angel appeared to three children, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, and their cousin Lucia Santos. They were tending their family’s sheep near Fatima, Portugal. Lucia described the encounter: “A strong wind began to shake the trees…. And then we saw, in the distance, above the trees, a light whiter than snow in the form of a young man, quite transparent, and as brilliant as crystal in the rays of the sun. As he came near we were able to see his features. We were astonished and absorbed and we said nothing to one another. And then he said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the angel of peace. Pray with me.’” The children didn’t know it yet, but the angel was preparing them for the appearance of the Virgin Mary on May 13, 1917.

The angel knelt and placed his forehead on the ground. The children did the same, and repeated the words they heard him say: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You.” ⁴⁹

February 21

Saint Peter Damian (1007–1072)

Someone Watching Over Us

There must have been many angels guarding Peter Damian — especially in his early years. Born into a large Catholic family in Ravenna, Italy, Peter was orphaned while still very young. An older brother took Peter in but fed him scraps and treated him like a slave. Another brother, Damian, a priest, intervened, rescued and raised Peter. Damian really cared for Peter. Peter was so grateful. When he grew up, he changed his last name to Damian. Peter Damian became a happy priest, a brilliant teacher, a Benedictine monk, and finally, the cardinal-archbishop of Ostia.

God sends many people to act as our earth-bound “guardian angels.” Call to mind the people who have lovingly protected and guided you. Pray for them. Thank God for them. Look for ways that you can “be an angel” for others.

February 22

Angel “Deniers”

Not everyone who believes in God believes in angels. Even some modern theologians are angel “deniers.” Blessed John Henry Newman (1801–1890), the leading Roman Catholic theologian of his day in England, regretted that many scholars saw belief in angels as superstitious or medieval nonsense. There was danger, Newman said, in “resting in things seen and forgetting unseen things,” such as angels. A century later, French Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain (1882–1973) echoed Newman. More and more theologians were questioning belief in angels and devils. According to Maritain, these theologians were unknowingly becoming “public relations men of the Old Liar” (Satan).⁵⁰

“The world of spirits then, though unseen, is present, not future, not distant. It is not above the sky, it is not beyond the grave; it is now and here, the kingdom of God is among us.”

— Blessed John Henry Newman⁵¹

February 23

Saint Polycarp (69–155)

Surrounded by Angels

At the beginning and end of his life, angels surrounded Saint Polycarp. Tradition says an angel told Kallista, a Christian woman, to adopt Polycarp when his parents died. A student of Saint John the Evangelist, Polycarp had great pastoral gifts. When he became bishop of Smyrna (in present-day Turkey), the Church grew quickly. Rome hated “the father of all the Christians.” As Roman persecution of Christians increased, Polycarp’s flock hid him. Finally, Polycarp was arrested and sentenced to be burned alive. At first, angels surrounded him, shielding him from the flames. Then, the angels apparently heard the Lord calling Polycarp home. The eighty-six-year-old bishop was stabbed repeatedly as he died a martyr.⁵²

Before his death, Polycarp prayed, “Lord God Almighty, Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the knowledge of you.… I give you thanks for judging me worthy of this day, this hour.” ⁵³

February 24

Making a Case for Angels

Though it’s impossible to prove the existence of angels, philosophers say a good case can be made for them. In our universe, there are undeniable hierarchies. In the animal kingdom, human beings are clearly superior to all living animals. Below us are less intelligent species like dolphins or apes, then plants of various kinds. With bodies and rational minds and souls, human beings are obviously higher in the order of living creation. Angels are created beings with greatly superior intellects, but don’t have bodies. If angels didn’t exist, there would be a step missing between God and us. It makes perfect sense that pure spirits bridge the gap between our Creator and us.⁵⁴

Lord, from your glorious angels to the simplest amoeba, the order and beauty of everything you have created is overwhelming! Help me to see and honor it — and you — every day.

February 25

Undercover Angel

In the Book of Tobit, one of the most delightful books of the Old Testament, a main character is an angel — operating undercover. Raphael, whose name means “God heals,” is sent by God to help Tobit, a faithful Jew who is blind. Posing as a young man, Raphael also frees a young woman, Sarah, from a demon’s influence. With Tobit’s son, Tobiah, Raphael journeys to retrieve family money. At journey’s end, Tobit’s blindness is cured. Tobiah and Sarah are happily married. The Book of Tobit is the only place in Scripture where the Archangel Raphael is mentioned by name.

“Now when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord…. I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand and serve before the Glory of the Lord.” (Tobit 12:12, 15)

February 26

Gabriel Awards

Each year, the Catholic Academy of Communications Professionals gives the Gabriel Award for excellence in film, television, radio, and social media. Award winners have produced media that entertains but also affirms human dignity and virtue. The award is a silver angel that holds high a globe encircled by electrons. Of course, the award is named for the Archangel Gabriel who carried the most joyful news ever heard on earth. Gabriel came to Nazareth to tell Mary that Jesus, the Son of God, would be born to her.⁵⁵

Share God-centered, happy news in your world today. The world really needs good news, and you will be collaborating with the Archangel Gabriel.

February 27

Who Are the Fallen Angels?

Where did fallen angels — or demons — come from? Fallen angels do exist, the Church teaches, and have great power in the world. Both Scripture and the Tradition of the Church affirm the existence of Satan or the devil (see Catechism of the Catholic Church 391). Saint Augustine maintained that fallen angels, created with free will, rejected God out of pride because they were brilliant and glorious creatures themselves. Old Testament prophets referred to Satan, leader of the fallen angels, as the adversary of God. In the New Testament, the coming of Jesus is explained as God’s answer to Satan’s destructive work on earth. “Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Although many people no longer believe that fallen angels or demons exist, that’s not what Scripture says. Saint Peter warned, “Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

February 28

Angels and Islam

Along with Christianity and Judaism, Islam teaches that God (Allah) created angels. According to Islam, however, the angels did not have free will. They were created to obey and worship Allah. They were also bound to carry out Allah’s commands. Although the Koran refers to angels having wings, Muslims believe it is blasphemous to depict angels in any way. Islam also says that an angel named Jibreel (Gabriel) appeared to Mohammed as well as to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Because angels lack free will, Islam says that there are no fallen angels or demons.⁵⁶

“When a man dies, those who survive him ask what property he has left behind. The angel who bends over the dying man asks what good deeds he has sent before him.”

— The Koran⁵⁷