Michel from Chalmette, LA, asked :
Hi Julie,
What is the name of my guardian angel?
I’ve tried calling in to your show and have not been able to get through.
Thanks so much!!!
Michel
Hi Michel,
The name of your guardian angel is Rafa, short for Raphael.
Since it’s the Christmas season, I thought it’d be fun to look into the history and significance of this type of angel so, here goes …
A guardian angel is depicted as a supernatural being assigned to a person as a type of messenger and protector and it’s my understanding that we keep the same guardian angel throughout all of our lifetimes.
The Bible mentions angels 273 times and the concept of angels pre-dates Judaism and is found in ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, Egyptian and Persian religions.
It’s interesting to note that according to a 2008 Baylor University survey conducted by the Gallup Organization, 55% of Americans believe, at some point in their lives, they’ve been protected by their guardian angel.
Since I was raised Roman Catholic, the concept of my having a Guardian Angel has been a constant throughout my life and is my frame of reference for how I “see” angels. They appear to me just as they look in statuary and art; large, winged beings wearing a white robe belted at the waist with a rope. Someone raised in a non-Judeo-Christian culture may see angels differently, perhaps as a purple ball of energy.
As a tiny child, I was taught and recited the Guardian Angel prayer (believed to have originated in the 11th century) every night before I went to sleep and I can still say it today …
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever this day, be at my side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
And interestingly enough, Guardian Angels are even present when we die. My book Angelic Attendants: What Really Happens As We Transition From This Life Into The Next describes how lots of angels surround us and play a pivotal role at the end of everyone’s life.
So, my prayer this Christmas is, may the angels bless and protect you and your family always.
With love, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!