On this memorial of the Guardian Angels, I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to a phenomenal book, Father Henri-Marie Boudon’s Devotion to the Holy Angels. His book is guaranteed to help deepen your knowledge and appreciation not only for your guardian angel, but also for all nine choirs of them—the seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels and angels.
As a convert to Catholicism, one of the greatest aspects of the faith that I came to learn and deeply love is the Communion of Saints. The Communion of Saints has three parts--the Church Militant—us here on earth, Church Suffering—those in purgatory, and the Church Triumphant—all the saints and angels in Heaven. Although I have prayed to my guardian angel and believe in the protection and intercession of the angels, it was only after reading Father Boudon’s Devotion to the Holy Angels that I had to consider whether simply believing in the angels is the same thing as having a devotion to them. And because of that, I came away realizing how much more there is to discover about the angelic hosts that serve throughout the spiritual realm.
I was extremely impressed by how clearly Father Boudon offers a thorough explanation of both why we should practise devotion to the holy angels and how we can integrate that devotion into our daily spiritual lives. Although this book is a spiritual classic written hundreds of years ago, its central message is still an important one because although God has surrounded us with heavenly assistance, we go through much of our lives without acknowledging that reality. Father Boudon has done a magnificent favor for us with his book by trying to help us rectify that reality.
One of the best ways Boudon demonstrates this is through his emphasis on how the angels serve humanity. He points out that these heavenly beings are not simply distant inhabitants of Heaven whom we occasionally invoke when we are frightened or in need, instead they actively desire our good. They do this by assisting us on our journey towards holiness by protecting us from the influence of evil, and accompanying us throughout the hour of our death. Knowing that makes me think differently about the angels who surround us every day, but has helped me be even more appreciative of my own guardian angel.
Although Father Boudon’s explanation of the motives for why we should have devotion to the angelic choirs has been beautifully outlined, I believe that the second half of his book is the most valuable. In it, Father Boudon shows us how we might actually live that devotion by providing twelve concrete practices to grow in our devotion to the nine choirs of angels. These practices convert what might seem to be an abstract theological idea into something extremely practical.
Several of his suggestions especially resonated. One is the instruction to make it a habit to hold interior conversations with the angels to become more aware of their presence throughout the day. Two more recommendations are to celebrate the feast days set aside for the angels with heightened devotion and to visit churches and chapels dedicated to them. One powerful recommendation can be done anywhere, and at anytime, by practicing particular virtues, or from abstaining from particular vices—and doing these things in honor of the angels.
Perhaps most striking to me is his recommendation for us to imitate the angels by being concerned for souls by laboring for the conversion of others and praying for the souls in Purgatory. This practice shows us that devotion to the angels doesn’t cause us to turn our attention away from other people, rather it makes us more concerned about them.
Through this book, Father Boudon helps us understand that authentic devotion to the angels is ultimately not about the angels themselves, but instead acts as a way to draw ever closer to God. For through appreciation of the angels’ love and obedience for God, as well as admiring their purity, their worship, and their desire for our salvation, then we are inspired and encouraged to cultivate these same qualities ourselves.
We might easily think of prayer only in terms of what we can see and hear, but our Christian understanding of reality should be far larger than the visible world. Father Boudon encourages us to grow in awareness of the heavenly companions already sharing our journey and to also confidently seek their assistance. It is this instruction that makes this more than a book about angels, but instead is a book about learning how to live with a greater awareness of the spiritual reality around us.
Devotion to the Holy Angels is a book for anyone to increase their knowledge and devotion to the holy angels. It is especially instructive for anyone who wants to better understand the nine choirs of angels and the Church’s tradition that encourages us to seek out the friendship and assistance of the angelic hosts.
Although Father Boudon writing reflects the time period in which he wrote, this is not a negative. Instead, I found his language to lend itself best to being read slowly and reflectively, and this permitted the wisdom he shares that we are not making our journey towards God alone to be highly consolingly. For God, in His goodness, has given us spiritual companions who desire our holiness and to assist us in our struggles, while they defend us against evil, and accompany us on our journey toward Heaven. Therefore, our question should not be whether angels are real, but how differently might our lives be if we remembered that they are?
Prayers that you find this book to be as edifying as I did, and may all of our guardian angels, as well as the entire angelic host, continue to guard, defend, and guide us towards our eternal home.