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 Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 1:34 am
I'm watching Threshold of Hope on EWTN and Fr. Mitch just got done reading e-mails from viewers. One e-mail was a question about the names of Archangels that aren't in the Bible. He went on a small tangent and mentioned that we're also discouraged from naming our guardian angels and that, in fact, there was a document that says we are not allowed to. I didn't catch the name of that document and I can't rewind my TV! gonk So does anyone know of this (or a related) document from the Church? Why is it that we are not allowed to name our Guardian Angels? I've never heard of the Church discouraging naming our angels before. On the contrary, actually. I've only heard the opposite from other people and that we should discern, pray and ask them their names. About a year ago I asked mine her name and she told me it was 'Juniper' (and I realize angels are genderless I just prefer to refer to mine as a 'she' >.<). I didn't pick out her name, I just invited her to tell me and that's the name I heard. Now I'm wondering that if the Church really doesn't allow it, could it have been a tricky, little devil that was really whispering in my ear...? confused I would send in my own e-mail to the show, but I don't watch often. So I'm wondering if anyone here has an answer. Thanks guys! biggrin Princess Serikiyo Well, I found that document that I mentioned. Turns out it isn't exactly a document, per say, but it's from the Vatican's Website. Here's the excerpt: 217. Popular devotion to the Holy Angels, which is legitimate and good, can, however, also give rise to possible deviations:
*when the daily events of life, which have nothing or little to do with our progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ are read schematically or simplistically, indeed childishly, so as to ascribe all setbacks to the Devil and all success to the Guardian Angels. The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture. Full Link: HereSo I'm still a little confused, what exactly does it mean? Does it mean we are not allowed to call our Angels a name or that we just shouldn't name them ourselves?
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Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 1:50 pm
>_> there's a document saying about not naming guardian angels?
There was a visionary at the church I used to belong to; would get messages from the Blessed Mother and Jesus, though mostly from the Blessed Mother.
I know he was going through an application process of some sort to be on the "Church's approved" list of people getting divine messages. Can't remember the details, cos it happened when I was a kid.
But he also had a gift for naming people's personal guardian angels. I don't know if it was legit or not; but he had my very old school pre-Vatican II Catholic mother convinced. He named hers, mine, but said my lil brother wasn't ready yet. (which was totally the case, he had so many anger issues at the time...). From what I gathered, they're usually named/have similar names to patron saints and there's some correlation with personality; but I never figured out my connection because my personality certainly does not match up to this particular saint.
And there was something about not sharing your GA's name because it was considered deeply personal. Still haven't shared, and it's been, shoot, at least 10 years since I was told. I could never wrap my mind if I totally believed or was operating on superstition.
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Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 2:13 pm
Hmm . . . .
You know, I've never heard any official Church teachings either for or against naming your guardian angel. But then, I don't know much about the Church's doctrine on guardian angels, though I have heard about a million and one unofficial teachings on them. Of course, those tend to all conflict with each other pretty wildly, so I'm hesitant to accept ANY of them.
*goes to look in Catechism*
All it says about guardian angels specifically is that by each believer, there stands a guardian angel.
So I guess what I'm really trying to say here is . . . . . I dunno.
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Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 8:54 pm
Well, I found that document that I mentioned. Turns out it isn't exactly a document, per say, but it's from the Vatican's Website. Here's the excerpt: 217. Popular devotion to the Holy Angels, which is legitimate and good, can, however, also give rise to possible deviations:
*when the daily events of life, which have nothing or little to do with our progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ are read schematically or simplistically, indeed childishly, so as to ascribe all setbacks to the Devil and all success to the Guardian Angels. The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture. Full Link: HereSo I'm still a little confused, what exactly does it mean? Does it mean we are not allowed to call our Angels a name or that we just shouldn't name them ourselves?
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Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 2:37 pm
well, I imagine that if they have a name we should be careful not to get it wrong. people calling their guardian angel some random name is probably going to get the name wrong.
I suppose it would be helpful if they website gave justification for why we shouldn't name our GA's.
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Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 8:14 pm
Dr 42 well, I imagine that if they have a name we should be careful not to get it wrong. people calling their guardian angel some random name is probably going to get the name wrong. I suppose it would be helpful if they website gave justification for why we shouldn't name our GA's. Yeah, that would really be helpful! sweatdrop I'd imagine that God named our angels when he made them, so we'd never know their real names until we got to heaven (aside from the ones in the Bible). So I think that any names we call them by aren't their real names, but are "simplified?" for us humans.
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Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:36 pm
my grandmother ALWAYS wanted to know what the name of her guardian angel was, and went through a period of time when she would pray about it over and over again. one night, she woke up, and was just thinking about her guardian angel. she prayed really hard about it and heard a whisper in her ear "Larry"
so after that, even up to the time of her death, she always talked about her guardian angel Larry.
I believe her, and I still think they have names smile
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Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 11:38 pm
kikkaku my grandmother ALWAYS wanted to know what the name of her guardian angel was, and went through a period of time when she would pray about it over and over again. one night, she woke up, and was just thinking about her guardian angel. she prayed really hard about it and heard a whisper in her ear "Larry" so after that, even up to the time of her death, she always talked about her guardian angel Larry. I believe her, and I still think they have names smile Hehe.. for some reason that tickles me to imagine a guardian angel named Larry. 4laugh
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Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:50 pm
Princess Serikiyo kikkaku my grandmother ALWAYS wanted to know what the name of her guardian angel was, and went through a period of time when she would pray about it over and over again. one night, she woke up, and was just thinking about her guardian angel. she prayed really hard about it and heard a whisper in her ear "Larry" so after that, even up to the time of her death, she always talked about her guardian angel Larry. I believe her, and I still think they have names smile Hehe.. for some reason that tickles me to imagine a guardian angel named Larry. 4laugh she told us that when she heard the name she thought "larry?! what kind of name is that for an angel?" and cried because she was disappointed and didn't think it was a good enough name. she eventually accepted it smile
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Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 2:49 pm
Princess Serikiyo Well, I found that document that I mentioned. Turns out it isn't exactly a document, per say, but it's from the Vatican's Website. Here's the excerpt: 217. Popular devotion to the Holy Angels, which is legitimate and good, can, however, also give rise to possible deviations:
*when the daily events of life, which have nothing or little to do with our progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ are read schematically or simplistically, indeed childishly, so as to ascribe all setbacks to the Devil and all success to the Guardian Angels. The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture. Full Link: HereSo I'm still a little confused, what exactly does it mean? Does it mean we are not allowed to call our Angels a name or that we just shouldn't name them ourselves? { ｂｌａｉｒｅ ~ ｃｈａｎ } "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." (John 3:16)  Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:6)............ What I believe is being said through this article is that although "popular devotion to the Holy Angels" is "legitimate and good", it can however "give rise to possible deviations." This means, from what I understand, that although we are allowed show devotion to the Holy Angels who watch over and guide us, we must be careful not to mistake this devotion and allow it to guide us away from "our progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ." This clarifies that the Holy Angels are indeed the divine servants and messengers of God who help watch over us, and are like a channel between ourselves and God. They are not an individual which we should be showing devotion which interferes with our devotion to God.
It is then stated towards the end of the article that, "The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged." When you give something a name, for example a new puppy, you soon enough grow attached to it and call it your own. The same can be said for the Holy Angels. In giving them a name you become attached to them and may without realizing it begin praising them for success that you should really be praising God for. Since it was clarified earlier in the article that the Holy Angels act as a channel between ourselves and God, it is important to understand that God is the one whom you should be thanking for your success through prayer and devotion, and not the Holy Angels, whom are simply carrying out what God asks of them. So to simplify, what is being said through the article is that it is alright to show devotion to the Holy Angels who watch of us, however give due thanks to God all that he has done for you. We are only human, and so find it difficult to overcome temptation. Personalizing our Angels is a temptation which could possibly lead to a misguided devotion to them rather than to God, and so the Church discourages the naming of the Holy Angels in order to help remove this temptation and so maintain our devotion to God. It is also clarified in the article that the only exceptions to this rule are the Holy Archangels Gabriel, Raphael and Michael, who are specifically referenced by name in the Holy Scriptures, which are the divine inspiration of God.
I hope this helps answer your question Princess Serikiyo and clarify what exactly was being said in the article.
P.S. - Dr 42 also has a good point. Aside from the Holy Archangels Gabriel, Raphael and Michael, there is no other mention in Holy Scripture of any of the Holy Angels by name. So we cannot be certain that the name we think we heard whispered in our ear or mentioned in a dream is actually the name of a Holy Angel, a demon trying to misguide us, or perhaps our subconscious mind recalling something you heard or thought up without realizing it. Like Princess Serikiyo, I believe that God gave each of the Holy Angel's a name of their own, which we may one day come to know when we enter into Heaven. May God bless you in all the good that you think, say and do. Message Design © Blaire-chan
Message Artwork © Ada Kurai...
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:50 am
Blaire-chan Princess Serikiyo Well, I found that document that I mentioned. Turns out it isn't exactly a document, per say, but it's from the Vatican's Website. Here's the excerpt: 217. Popular devotion to the Holy Angels, which is legitimate and good, can, however, also give rise to possible deviations:
*when the daily events of life, which have nothing or little to do with our progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ are read schematically or simplistically, indeed childishly, so as to ascribe all setbacks to the Devil and all success to the Guardian Angels. The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture. Full Link: HereSo I'm still a little confused, what exactly does it mean? Does it mean we are not allowed to call our Angels a name or that we just shouldn't name them ourselves? { ｂｌａｉｒｅ ~ ｃｈａｎ } "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." (John 3:16) Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:6)............ What I believe is being said through this article is that although "popular devotion to the Holy Angels" is "legitimate and good", it can however "give rise to possible deviations." This means, from what I understand, that although we are allowed show devotion to the Holy Angels who watch over and guide us, we must be careful not to mistake this devotion and allow it to guide us away from "our progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ." This clarifies that the Holy Angels are indeed the divine servants and messengers of God who help watch over us, and are like a channel between ourselves and God. They are not an individual which we should be showing devotion which interferes with our devotion to God.
It is then stated towards the end of the article that, "The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged." When you give something a name, for example a new puppy, you soon enough grow attached to it and call it your own. The same can be said for the Holy Angels. In giving them a name you become attached to them and may without realizing it begin praising them for success that you should really be praising God for. Since it was clarified earlier in the article that the Holy Angels act as a channel between ourselves and God, it is important to understand that God is the one whom you should be thanking for your success through prayer and devotion, and not the Holy Angels, whom are simply carrying out what God asks of them. So to simplify, what is being said through the article is that it is alright to show devotion to the Holy Angels who watch of us, however give due thanks to God all that he has done for you. We are only human, and so find it difficult to overcome temptation. Personalizing our Angels is a temptation which could possibly lead to a misguided devotion to them rather than to God, and so the Church discourages the naming of the Holy Angels in order to help remove this temptation and so maintain our devotion to God. It is also clarified in the article that the only exceptions to this rule are the Holy Archangels Gabriel, Raphael and Michael, who are specifically referenced by name in the Holy Scriptures, which are the divine inspiration of God.
I hope this helps answer your question Princess Serikiyo and clarify what exactly was being said in the article.
P.S. - Dr 42 also has a good point. Aside from the Holy Archangels Gabriel, Raphael and Michael, there is no other mention in Holy Scripture of any of the Holy Angels by name. So we cannot be certain that the name we think we heard whispered in our ear or mentioned in a dream is actually the name of a Holy Angel, a demon trying to misguide us, or perhaps our subconscious mind recalling something you heard or thought up without realizing it. Like Princess Serikiyo, I believe that God gave each of the Holy Angel's a name of their own, which we may one day come to know when we enter into Heaven. May God bless you in all the good that you think, say and do. Message Design © Blaire-chan
Message Artwork © Ada Kurai...
I heartily agree with this response.
We want to avoid making our Guardian Angels idols.
A thing is easier to idolize if it has a name, look, and a personality,
especially if we can't be sure of either of those three things.
<3
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