The feast of the Guardian Angels

Today is the feast of the Guardian Angels but first I am reminded of an old Eastern fable of a man who had a special ring. Whoever wore it became a kind, generous, loving and much loved person. It was handed down from father to son with the same result. But one man had three sons and he loved each one of them. Before he died he had two more identical rings made. On his death bed he called each son one by one and gave them a ring. Each thought he had received the special ring but when they discovered that each had a ring they discussed and argued about which one had the magic ring. Finally they went to a wise judge who said that they looked identical to him but that only the three sons could discover which was the special ring. ''But how?'' they asked. ''If one of you is living as a very good, generous and loving man, then we will all know that he is wearing the magic ring.'' The story teaches us that our beliefs or hopes are tested by our life experiences and actions. So I ask if we have had experiences when we have been saved from an accident or an unpleasant event by what seems to have been an intuitive decision or almost a miraculous intervention. Could it have been through the protection of our guardian angels who as Jesus tells us in the gospel today are continully in the presence of the Father in heaven watching over us?. The Jewish people at the time of Jesus were very aware of the spirit world as are so many indigenous peoples from the Incas to the Maori.. It is not so evident in our materialistic society today but as we trust in the Holy Spirit promised by the angel Gabriel to bring Jesus to Mary so we may trust in today's messengers, the angels, human or divine, who guide us on our life journey to God.