Tag: Suriname

Angel of God, My Guardian Dear

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As a child living in the jungle interior of Suriname, South America, I frequently would visit the home of my widowed aunt and her two children who lived on the same mission compound as my family. One of the things in her home that captured my attention was the painting of the guardian angel watching over two small children crossing a very unstable bridge over a river full of rapids. The children seem so unaware of the danger, perhaps because they are young and innocent, but maybe because of the protection of their guardian angel.

Beyond that painting I don’t remember being taught that I had a guardian angel, yet I can also say nobody taught me to the contrary. Jesus actually teaches about guardian angels in the Gospel of Matthew (18:1-10 NRSV).

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!

“If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire.

“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.

And if that wasn’t enough the writer to the Hebrews (1:14) tells us: “Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” I can almost guarantee dear reader, that at some point in your life, you have a time in which you sensed protection from an invisible force, when you have looked back and maybe even declared, “God must have sent me an angel!”

God has assigned us this protection from our guardian angel. This angel continually sees the face of our Father in heaven. What a wonderful and sweet connection! This is better than any secret service detail afforded to the president and other high level officials. We don’t own the angel; we can’t tell the angel what to do; we don’t name the angel or try to control the angel.

Here is the prayer that Catholic children learn early in life:

Angel of God
My guardian dear
To Whom His love
Commits me here
Ever this day
Be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide. Amen.

On this feast day of the Holy Guardian Angels, we pray, “O God, who in your unfathomable providence are pleased to send your holy Angels to guard us, hear our supplication as we cry to you, that we may always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Image from Appalachian Magazine

Call Me a Bibliophile

I love books! I collect books! By definition I am a bibliophile. My love for books began early. At the age of six I went with my parents and sister to the tropical rainforest of Suriname in South America. That was in 1963. My mother would be my teacher for the next four years. She went prepared with an array of books that would create in me a desire to read and more books to feed my desire to read more.

One of the great treasures that my parents took with us was the 20-volume set of Collier’s Encyclopedia. In the evenings I would chose a volume and read through it. How I loved reading the biographical articles, especially of the kings and queens of England! In the evening, when my dad got home, I would tell him stories from American history, the great battles of wars fought and won. I admire my dad as he listened to me tell him what I was sure he was hearing for the first time.

Along with the encyclopedia, my parents had also purchased the Collier’s Junior Classic 10-volume set. I could chose fairy tales, tales of heroes, stories from history, and many others that found deep resonance in my life. But how could I forget the Egermeier’s Bible Story Book. Every night before going to bed my mom would read a story or two to my sister and me and our hearts were filled with the amazing stories of heroes of the Bible.

Why so much reading? Well, there was no television, no internet, no movies, no smartphone, no video games…we did have a record player and I would listen to stories in that way as well. By the time I saw “Mary Poppins” many years later, I had the songs and dialogue memorized from listening to the record.

When my children came along I told them stories and I read them stories. I have fond memories of reading “The Chronicles of Narnia” to my three kids. And I am so thankful to say that each one developed a love for books and reading. Could it be it was because they too lived overseas?

Now I have eight grandchildren, ranging in age from 12 down to 2, and number nine is due to be born just before Christmas. I love to read to my grandkids and they will usually let me, but to be honest, they have a lot more distractions in their lives than I or my children had.

The past two Christmases I have made a cross-stitch Christmas ornament for each one, but this year I have been thinking that I would like to get each one a special book that they could enjoy now and that would increase their love for reading, a book that excites them and opens to them a world of discovery as reading did for me. That is challenging because you honestly have to weed out a lot of popular books because they are so deficient in plot and content.

Last night I was watching “The World Over” with Raymond Arroyo on EWTN and he interviewed Dr. Matthew Mehan, a teacher in the Washington, DC, area who has just written a book: Mr. Mehan’s Mildly Amusing Mythical Mammals. The book is written for children between eight and twelve years of age and combines “captivating poems” with whimsy and “breathtaking paintings.” As I listened to the interview I realized I had found the first book that I want to present. It will go to my grandson who turns seven next month and is reading well beyond his age.

So my plan is to record myself reading the book so my grandson will not only have the book, but my voice reading it to him long after I’m gone. Thanks to Amazon it should arrive on Saturday!