The angels are our slaves since they are the slaves of God and we are sons of God: equal in status to God, the King of heaven and earth. They must do our bidding when we ask them for any good spiritual thing which they can provide for ourselves or for others. In this sense, after the Sacraments, they are our most powerful and effective means to holiness!
Pope Francis' letter on spreading the Gospel unintentionally omits this great supernatural reality and these most effective missionaries. Actually, in the most precise sense, the angels are the only creatures that are by nature missionaries: angelos (Gk. messenger, legate). They are God's creatures whose function is to constantly adore him and minister to him, carrying out His mission of holiness.
We rightfully call God "our Father" which is an expression of our Divine (albeit adoptive, though no less real) status! We are God in Jesus Christ, flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones. So, we have kingly authority over the angels. We command and they obey. They must obey us whenever we direct them for our own spiritual good or that of other persons. Use them to convert people that you want to convert and they will never fail you. Use the prayer of the Guardian Angels and even transpose it to apply to other individuals or groups of people in any encounter and you will see incredible and constant unfailing results! Enlighten! Guard! Rule! Govern!...me,...him,...her,...them,...etc.
Having had a lifelong devotion to the Guardian Angel(s) I only began for the past month entrusting specific intentions of evangelization and personal sanctification to their care with clear and marked results every time. In the apostolate directed towards specific persons I have had hundreds of repeated successes without any failure, a significant contrast to my whole life of often apparently frustrated results. The angels come through every time no matter how difficult the case!
Furthermore, I know personally of a priest who admits that he has had a particular struggle in the area of chastity for many years, where everything recommended by the Church and numerous confessors has been consistently ineffective, even the discipline and every manner of ascetical practice! However, ever since he began to pray in this way, clearly and confidently and in the moment of temptation to the Guardian Angel(s), he has in every case been victorious to ward off the temptation without falling! The angels never fail him!
The method? Besides the basic norms of the Christian life: daily prayer and an habitual life of holiness, daily Mass and communion; including daily Rosary and aspirations throughout the day with an habitual presence of God and recourse to Him, etc., make specific commands to the Guardian Angel using the Guardian Angel Prayer (preferably in Latin), in parts (e.g. illumina eum!) or whole, applying the invocations to specific intentions and circumstances. To loyally respond is the angelic specialization! To sanctify this one right now and right here, and to manifest the change! The results will not fail to amaze!
Ángele Dei,
qui custos es mei,
me tibi commissum
qui custos es mei,
me tibi commissum
pietáte supérna,
illúmina,
custódi,
rege
et gubérna.
Amen.
illúmina,
custódi,
rege
et gubérna.
Amen.
P.S. I often prefer to sing it: the simple Gregorian Chant version which I'll find for my readers some other time.
P.S.S. By the way, the chant below: "Tota pulchra es Maria" is a most beautiful antiphonal style chant which I only heard and sang for the first time last 8th of December in our priest residence of Rome. One of the great and simple treasures of our Catholic heritage of which we have been so long largely deprived!..."Late have [we] loved you!" --Augustine
