Have you ever felt that somebody is constantly praying for you? How consoling it is to feel that somebody is praying for me and taking good care of me beyond time and space!
I often feel I am surrounded by good-hearted guardian angels. Especially when I get up early in the morning, I strongly feel that guardian angels have sincerely worked for me all night long. I think guardian angels are generous companions who are willing to dedicate themselves to ease conflict, tension, or problems in me.
Especially when my heart is hurt or hardened, guardian angels console, purify, and heal me. Through their thoughtful and considerate healing process, my inner strength is fortified and lets me begin again. Even the times when I am not able to forgive, accept, and be reconciled are transformed into inspiring and hopeful moments.
I think this inner movement or change is the fruit of the communion of saints, guardian angels, and prayerful people such as parents and family, sisters and brothers, friends and colleagues, teachers and professors.
It is beautiful to see that the unseen supernatural power accompanies and empowers us along the spiritual journey of life as freely and abundantly as possible. This inner power lets us make challenges and change possible.
According to Wikipedia, a guardian angel is "an angel assigned to protect and guide" a person or group. There are many beings like guardian angels in our lives. My mother, now 93 years old, is constantly praying for me and my family. My sisters and brothers, especially my second sister, are faithfully praying for me as well as for a wide circle of acquaintances. Community members are also the best group of guardian angels.
I still remember Jesuit Fr. Nudas, the late Filipino professor who willingly opened another Shakespeare course when an old professor in charge of Shakespeare didn't accept me in her graduate class.
I have a good memory of generous professors who encouraged and helped me to study further. I really appreciate the goodwill of Prof. Kim Sung-uk, Prof. Lee Byung-ju, Prof. N. Epistola, Prof. H. Abad, Fulbright Prof. G. Burns, etc.
I did my best, and they with warm-hearted sympathy cheered and helped me. I think all of them are guardian angels on earth. Some of them have already passed away, but their goodwill and generous spirit are still alive in me. Through this, we can be guardian angels of one another.
The proofreaders of newspapers are also guardian angels in a broad sense. The spirit of thinking of others and paying attention to their situations creates a communion of love, collaboration, and unity beyond time and space. It is the power of prayer and love that sustains, encourages, and empowers us.
Like the roots of redwood trees, guardian angels lead us to be interrelated and collaborate as a network in the universe.
Tall pine trees have usually long roots that spread deep under the earth. The roots sustain the tree. The deeper the roots are, the stronger the tree grows.
Unlike pine trees, redwood trees have shallow roots in contrast to their height. Even though the roots are not as deep as the roots of pine trees, the roots of redwood trees spread in all directions, intertwining with other redwood trees; they are also so closely interrelated and inter-locked with one another that they do not fall down when earthquakes, storms or strong winds occur.
Not a single tree falls because they grow in clusters or groves and are connected by roots. They never stand alone; they need one another to survive. This interrelation, unity, and communion are the very acts of guardian angels.
Almost every living being needs others to survive. Our family, friends, teachers, professors, and community members are people like interrelated guardian angels. We need to sustain, support, encourage, and empower one another. And this positive movement and power will surely bring us peace, joy, happiness, and freedom.
Let us pray to our guardian angels that protect and empower us. The following is the traditional prayer to guardian angels. "Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side to light, guard, rule, and guide. Amen."
The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Nov. 13, 2012
Gratitude for my guardian angels
ReplyDelete(The Korea Times, Nov. 22, 2012, Lee Eung-tae)
A recent article, ``Guardian Angels,” written by Kim Ae-ran and published in The Korea Times moved me to think about myself.
The story was so touching that I immediately thought of people who have dedicated themselves to supporting me. I totally agree with that most of us have guardian angels that help us to stand firm in this troubling world.
Like Kim Ae-ran I believe that I have been guarded by many angels in many ways. My parents, of course, gave me life. Though they couldn’t really afford to pay tuition, they managed to put three male children through college. Their love for us continues. They are true guardian angels.
Even though my father passed away long ago, I still find him whenever I face challenges. I conjure him up or he enters my dreams to give consolation. Then I feel I am refreshed again thanks to him. My mother, who is now 86, still regards me as her immature youngest kid. She often calls me up with seasonal advice. I feel guilty at the thought that she takes care of me when I am supposed to care for her. In her eyes, I am still a helpless child. She doesn’t know that she is now a fragile old lady.
Being a guardian angel to someone isn’t easy. It cannot be achieved with coercion or pretense. Rather, it can be realized when we have a mind as loving as an angel’s. We know our guardian angels not on big occasions but in small sincere talks.
My wife goes to church every morning for dawn prayer, leaving me asleep. When she comes home, she is full of high spirits, humming merrily as she prepares breakfast. Whatever the content of her prayers ― think most of them are concerned with her husband and children ― he is certain to meet her Guardian Angels. Or else, she may be happy because she plays the role of a Guardian Angel for my family.
A teacher next to me greets me every morning with a big smile. She is always eager to help me. As a co-worker, she is another guardian angel of mine helping and giving encouragement whenever I feel under the weather.
And I cannot forget Mr. Frederick, professor at Kaya University, who inspired me to write English columns in the Korea Times. Without his kind encouragement I couldn’t go on writing columns. As he taught me how to fly high in the creative sky, I could experience this fantastic world with strong wings. In this sense, he must be the Guardian Angel of my literary life.
I also feel grateful to my 40 students who will surely be Guardian Angels to somebody. Those young ladies I met just a month ago for the first time as their homeroom teacher had to take a sick leave and I took charge of her class. Despite our brief acquaintance, they make me happy in many ways. A couple of students handed me chocolate sticks on double-11 day. Some other students gave me a flower made of maple leaves. Those people are my guardian angels empowering me to stand firm just like a redwood tree. Without them, I wouldn’t be what I am. They have taught me what real angels are like.
Then, how about myself? Am I a guardian angel to people in need, my students for example? Those young ladies are so fragile and vulnerable that, without strong guidance, they will become victims of many vicious temptations.
Nowadays, gloomy stories about financial problems are breaking my heart. This winter is forecast to be much colder. Many people living in the marginalized sector are worried about how they will spend this winter. Instead of being intertwined redwood roots, most of us are too obsessed with our personal problems to help others.
In the lead up to the presidential elections, most candidates are talking as if they were the only guardian angels who could save us. However, we have been so disillusioned by empty pledges that most of us are unmoved. Confessing my own self-repentance, I wish our next president will be a real guardian angel sincerely dedicated to making us happy.
Nov. 15, 2012, Elizabeth Kang (elizabethkang@empas.com)
ReplyDeleteDear sister,
I am writing because I read your article in the Korea times November 13th , on Guardian Angels.
I was so moved ..I think that you made a very, very important point...I think the beautiful power of prayer is so important ...I clipped out your article to show to my daughters.
I would like to explain briefly about myself. I come from Wales, UK and my husband is a Korean from Cholla Buk do.
We live in Ansan and have 3 daughters. The eldest is in the USA. She lives with her parents in law and studies education in Reutgers. Her husband is studying for his doctorate in politics at Columbia.
The other 2 daughters are here in Korea.
I would love to send you a book which i found very inspiring. Can I send it to you? If so to where? I presume that your first language is Korean?
How long have you been a sister? How did you receive your calling?
Well, I will sign off now.
Thanks again very much for your deeply inspiring article ...
Liz
(Mrs Elizabeth Kang)
ReplyDeleteNov. 19, 2012, Roger Barwise (rbarwise@yahoo.com)
…. I have been meaning to write this letter to you all week. I just loved your column in the Korea Times on Tuesday. I could not agree more with you. My wife and I are both alive and well on this earth only because of the action of angels who wrought God's miracles in our lives. If I told you how many times God and his angels have saved my own life you would probably not believe me or think that I were exaggerating, but it is true nonetheless and in looking back over my 62 years I still can't believe I yet walk on this earth.
… So, we have experienced both God's angels from Heaven, who healed me and God's angels here on earth who healed Joy. It was so heartening and so inspiring for us to witness "regular" human beings who actually put the tenets of the Bible into action in their daily lives to do Christ-like things. Joy and I are in such debt to God and to His dear people here on earth who took his teachings to heart in order to help fellow human beings. Truly, God is good all the time. And people are good, and sweet and kind.
We have been enlightened as to the deeply powerful and divine current of love and kindness that runs through the human race. Anything that is not truly of love is not only against God but is against the human race, too. So Joy and I have discovered and benefitted enormously from the great love that was shown to us by other people and, by divine extension, God Himself working on our behalf.
And I thank you, Sister Kim for sharing your joy-filled message with the world through your column in the Korea Times. The presence of angels is deeply comforting and in a troubled world they are indeed very bright spots we can take to heart.
May the Lord be with you,
Roger Barwise