Do you know the name of your Guardian Angel?

Years ago a Bible study friend of mine talked about going shopping with Lenore. Who was Lenore? Her guardian angel. How did she know her name? She asked her.

So I began to ask my guardian angel what her name was. After several years with no results, I started calling her Grace. If she didn’t like that name, she could tell me what to call her.

Months went by with Grace and I doing things together. Mostly I called on her because of electrical storms, traffic jams or nightmares. Sometimes I remembered her when I was joyful. She watched over me when I slept.

As I recuperated from injuries from a traffic accident, I couldn’t fulfill my responsibilities and I needed her. Early one morning after a difficult night, I tried to put myself in the presence of God by surrendering all my concerns, my pain, my unachieved goals and desires. In my weakness, the Holy Spirit gave me many graces. I received insights about several ministry projects, including new ways to use our website for evangelism. I sought guidance on a manuscript about joy that I was writing, but nothing came about that. While I was in this listening position that God sometimes puts me in, I heard distinctly in my mind, “Her name is Joy.” I hadn’t even asked!

Immediately I thought of my dear friend Joy who is in heaven. I wonder if she had anything to do with answering my prayer about my angel’s name? How dear it is call my guardian angel by her name. Even though I know that humans don’t become angels when they go to heaven, I felt both of them watching over me.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, a characteristic of God and sign of his presence in our lives. God is love, the first fruit. Joy, the second fruit, arises from the love of God within us. Joy leads us to peace and to the other fruits of the Spirit as each fruit creates the next one. Love creates joy and joy makes us patient. Patience produces kindness; kindness leads to generosity. Generosity helps us to be faithful to God. That faithfulness makes us gentle and then we can master self-control.

My guardian angel Joy, as my heavenly liaison, connects me to God’s love and leads me to peace, at least when I cooperate. When I resist Joy by doubting God’s love, peace doesn’t come my way.

When I’m sad and can’t find Joy anywhere, I can call her into my world by singing praise songs to God, even when I don’t feel like it. Soon “I’ve got that Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart!”

(© 2013 Nancy H C Ward)

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Nancy Ward

Nancy Ward writes about conversion, Christian community, and Catholicism. After earning a journalism degree, she worked for the Diocese of Dallas newspaper and the Archbishop Sheen Center for Evangelization, then began her own editing service. She’s a regular contributor to CatholicMom.com, SpiritualDirection.com, CatholicWritersGuild.com, NewEvangelizers.com and a contributing author to The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion. Now, through her Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story: Tools, Tips, and Testimonies workshops, retreats, book, and DVD, she shares her conversion story at Catholic parishes and conferences, equipping others to share their own stories.

You may also like...

6 Responses

  1. Jane says:

    My guardian angel asked me for a nickname, so I made a list and I think he helped me pick out a nickname I could use for him. We both understand that God gave him a name and for some reason he didn’t want to tell it to me. Since naming connotes ownership, I didn’t want to do it, but he pushed me until I was convinced he really wanted it. We went through a baby name book and I made a list until I worked out something he didn’t mind being called. I found out later there’s a bilingual pun in the nickname we chose, so I figure he had to be involved. 🙂

    I believe the prohibition is against trying to discern your guardian angel’s name because some people used to use angel names like wards of power, almost like magic, and you couldn’t really know if the angel names were for good-guy angels or fallen angels. But if you decide to call your guardian angel Declan or Fred just so you have something to call him, I cannot see that there’s any problem with it. At the very least, *my guardian angel* sees no problem with me picking a nickname for him, so I’ll trust him that it’s okay.

  2. Nanette says:

    Lovely post. I, too, know my guardian angel’s name. I didn’t ask for it to be revealed but in a intense prayer session it was…what a surprise….what a gift! Interested in angels? Check out Lorna Byrne, a Catholic Irish Mystic. Would love to know your opinion of her and what she writes. I try to be very discerning on this topic. Will take a deeper look at your blog and hope I can find your conversion story. Another topic of interest. God Bless. N

  3. becca says:

    I believe mine was revealed to me in a dream and confirmed by at least two different signs in the following days so I call him that name. I don’t know if it is his real name but it is something that I can call him.

  4. Leslie Lynch says:

    🙂 I never thought about asking my guardian angel his/her name… Gonna have to try that!

    • Nancy Ward says:

      It’s not theologically correct to name them yourself, but the name can be revealed to you and it’s an exciting moment of grace. 

%d