Saint John Bosco's guardian angel Prayer
HOLY
GUARDIAN
ANGEL
1. My Guardian Angel, you who have not forgotten to take such great care of me, a contrite sinner: Oh! I implore you, strengthen my soul with a living faith, steadfast hope, and burning charity; so that, rejecting the world, I may desire to love and serve my God alone!
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Pray 3 times: Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here; ever this day be at my side, to light and to guard, to rule and to guide. Amen.
Pray 3 times: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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2. Most noble prince of the Heavenly court, who has lowered yourself to take such great care of this poor soul of mine, defend it from the snares and assaults of the devil, that I may never again offend my Lord!
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Pray 3 times: Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here; ever this day be at my side, to light and to guard, to rule and to guide. Amen.
Pray 3 times: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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3. Most glorious spirit, who with diligent kindness does tirelessly occupy yourself with the welfare of my soul, obtain for me the grace that I may be ever devoted to you, and that I may always be faithful in carrying out all that you will suggest to me in my heart.
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Pray 3 times: Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here; ever this day be at my side, to light and to guard, to rule and to guide. Amen.
Pray 3 times: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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4. Most merciful guardian of my soul, you have so many times humbled yourself in coming from Heaven to earth in order to exercise your ministry for my benefit! Grant that I, too, may acquire a true spirit of humility. And may I be fully convinced that by myself I can do nothing, except with your powerful aid and the grace of my Lord!
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Pray 3 times: Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here; ever this day be at my side, to light and to guard, to rule and to guide. Amen.
Pray 3 times: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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5. Most gracious spirit, who exerts so much effort and care for the salvation of my soul, obtain for me from Our Lord, that at the end of my life, in the care of your defense, my soul may in that moment pass from your hands into the most loving embrace of my Jesus!
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Pray 3 times: Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here; ever this day be at my side, to light and to guard, to rule and to guide. Amen.
Pray 3 times: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Final Prayer: Because, my most gracious Guardian, all that you do for me is directed solely to the salvation of my soul: Oh! I beg you, when I come to the end of my life and am immersed in the sorrow of my affliction; when my soul is about to separate from my body to appear before it’s Creator; defend my soul from it’s enemies, that rising victorious, it may be conducted by you to enjoy forever the glory of Paradise! So be it. Amen!
"When sorrows and misfortunes, physical or spiritual, afflict you, turn to your Guardian Angel with strong trust and he will help you." Saint John Bosco
"My children, jump, run and play and make all the noise you want but avoid sin like the plague and you will surely gain Heaven."
The great Saint John Bosco was born in Italy in 1815. His dad died when John was only two years old, leaving his mom, "Mamma Margaret," to raise three boys by herself. In his youth, John worked as a shepherd and also added any odd jobs he could find to help his family.
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God communicated with John in an extraordinary way through dreams, beginning at nine years old. John understood through his dreams that God wanted him to work with young people, especially poor children. Even as a boy, John did just that. He attracted hundreds of younger boys and they would pray together and learn catechism lessons together. To keep their attention, John would often juggle or do slight-of-hand tricks. He would then explain hard to understand homilies that the boys had heard at Sunday Mass. As word spread about John, even adults would come and listen to him.
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When John was old enough, he entered the seminary and in 1841 was ordained a priest. He opened a boarding house for poor boys with "Mamma Margaret" by his side to help him. Besides teaching the boys the truths of their Catholic faith, he also taught them trades such as shoemaking, printing, and bookbinding. Don (Father) Bosco formed his boys to not only be good students and workers, but most importantly, to become Saints!​
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Don Bosco often talked about how important it is to have a strong devotion to our Guardian Angel. He told the boys of his oratory, “Remember that you have an Angel as a companion, guardian and friend. If you wish to please Jesus and Mary, obey your Guardian Angel’s inspirations. When tempted, invoke your Angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Take courage and pray because your Guardian Angel also will pray for you, and your prayers will be answered. Ignore the devil, and do not be afraid of him; he trembles and flees at your Guardian Angel’s sight. Ask your Angel to console and assist you in your last moments.” Don Bosco continually instilled in his boys a great reverence and love for their Guardian Angels. He often sang a hymn in honor of Guardian Angels that he had set to music, which the boys sang with great enthusiasm!
One Sunday, when the boys were all gathered in the sacristy for their weekly meeting, Don Bosco gave each of them a holy card with a prayer to their Guardian Angel on it. He then instructed them, “Pray to your Guardian Angel. Invoke his aid if you should find yourself in any serious danger of body or soul and I assure you that he will help and protect you.”
A few days later, one of the boys, an apprentice bricklayer, was working on a building. As he went back and forth on the scaffold, a support suddenly snapped. He felt the wooden planks on which he and two other boys were standing give way. At the first ominous splintering of wood, he realized that there was no escape. The scaffold collapsed, and the three boys plunged from the fourth story to the street below amid a rain of planks and bricks! Falling from such a height meant certain death!​​ However, this boy, while falling, remembered Don Bosco’s words and loudly invoked his Guardian Angel: “O my good Angel, help me!” His prayer saved him. As people rushed to the young apprentice, believing him dead, he stood right up! He didn't even have a scratch! As for the other two boys, one died instantly and the other died shortly after reaching the hospital.
On the following Sunday, the boy who was saved returned to the sacristy meeting where he told his astonished friends what had happened. Later, many of these boys told how they too had received extraordinary graces thanks to a fervent devotion to their Holy Guardian Angels that Don Bosco had inspired in them.​
Saint John Bosco, pray for us!
Pray that we will always follow the guidance of our Holy Guardian Angel!
Did you know that communities of people also have Guardian Angels as protectors? For example, Saint Michael the Archangel is the protector of Israel (see the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament, chapter 12). Saint Michael is also recognized as the protector of the Church.
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In Portugal at Fatima, a Holy Angel appeared to the three children, Lucia, (now Saint) Francisco and (now Saint) Jacinta in 1916. The Angel identified himself as the Guardian Angel of their country, Portugal.
We may piously believe that the United States of America also has a Guardian Angel. ​The following prayer was granted an Imprimatur by +Most Reverend Jeffery M. Monforton, the Bishop of Steubenville, Ohio on November 1, 2016.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel of the United States of America
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O glorious Guardian Angel of the United States, to whom God has entrusted the care of our beloved country, we honor you and thank you for the care and protection you have given to this great nation from the first moment of its inception.
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O powerful Angel Guardian, whose watchful glance encompasses this vast land from shore to shore, we know that our sins have grieved our Lord and God and marred the beauty of our heritage. Lead us to a deep conversion, so that we may return to the embrace of His merciful love!
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O Holy Angel, obtain for us through the intercession of the Queen of Heaven before the throne of God, the graces we need to overcome the forces of evil so rampant in our beloved land.
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Help us, our God-given protector and friend, to respond wholeheartedly to the urgent pleas of the Mother of God at Fatima. Assist us to offer the prayers and sacrifices necessary to bring peace and goodness to our nation.
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We want to make you known and loved throughout our land, so that docile to your inspirations we may know, love and serve our Lord more faithfully and so become once more "one Nation under God!" Amen.
