The Protection of the Good Angels at Death
from various sources
They Assist Us at the Hour of Death
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"Soul Brought to Heaven" -
by William Adolphe Bourgereau
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Especially at the Hour of Death, when the Wicked Enemies
Redouble theirAssaults in Order to Win the
Decisive Battle for Eternity, our
Guardian Angel will Assist us if we have been Faithful to him during Life. We read in the
Lives of many Saints that their Guardian Angels were
Visibly Present at their Last Hour, Comforting them in their
Final Struggle, Strengthening them against the Redoubled
Attacks of Hell, Announcing to them the Hour
of their Death and giving them the Assurance that they would be Heirs of the
Kingdom of Heaven. Not a few of the Saints
at their Death were seen being Carried by Exultant
Angels into the Heavenly Paradise. Frequently, too, the
Holy Guardian Angels have Procured for their Protégés the
Grace of a Happy Death, by calling a
Priest to Administer the Last Sacraments.
In the Acts of Saint John of Avila of Spain, we find the following Incident, the Saint himself Vouching for its
Truth:
Story
In the Year 1585, the Rev Father Centenares, a Member of Saint John's Community, was
awakened one Stormy Night and Requested to take Holy Viaticum to a
Dying Person. At First the Priest hesitated and thought to Wait until Morning, as he did
not know the way and the Night was very Dark. But the Love
of God Triumphed over Fear, and he started out, taking
with him Two (2) Consecrated Hosts. But scarcely had
he left the Church when Two (2) Youths of Heavenly Appearance
placed themselves at his Right and Left Side. They held Burning Candles, which were not Extinguished by the Falling Rain, and
accompanied the Priest to the Sick Person and Back-again to the
Church.
When he had placed the Sacred Host in the
Tabernacle, they Vanished as Suddenly as they had Appeared. While the Good Priest was Wondering in Astonishment at this
Occurrence, he received a Message from Saint John which contained the words: "Do not be Astonished at what has
happened to you this night. It is quite certain that the Two Youths whom you saw were Angels sent by God to Reward your Zeal ".
Poem
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This poem, by the Venerable Cardinal John Henry Newman, is an Inspired Vision of a Soul's Passage from this World to the Next,
accompanied by his Guardian Angel. A portion of the poem became a much loved Oratorio of the same name, at the hands of Victorian
composer, Edward Elgar.
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They Console the Poor Souls
One of the most Beautiful and Consoling Features of the Church's Teaching concerning the
Guardian Angels is the fact that the Mission of the Holy
Angels does not Terminate with the Earthly Life of their Charges, but only upon the Entrance into
Paradise of those Souls Committed-to their
Care. Should it happen that at the Moment of Death a
Soul in the State of Grace is not yet Worthy
to Behold the Face of the Most High, the Angel
Guardian conducts it to Purgatory ----- the place of its
Purification and Expiation ----- and thereafter is Most Zealous in
Procuring for it all the Assistance and Consolation
in his Power.
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Four (4) Times every Second, Angels descend to
the Earthly Altars of God during Mass to Collect the
Precious Blood of Jesus and Shower it like Cool Dew
upon the Suffering Souls in Purgatory.
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Story
A Touching Incident is Related-in the Chronicles of the Jesuit Order concerning the Zeal of the Holy
Angels in gathering Suffrages for the
Souls in Purgatory. A Holy Priest of that Order was in the Habit of
Reciting the Rosary every day for the Poor
Souls in Purgatory. One day, through Inadvertence,
he Retired without having Recited it, but Scarcely had he Fallen Asleep when he was Awakened by his
Guardian Angel, who said, "My son, the Souls in Purgatory are Awaiting the usual Performance
of your Charity"
In the Writings of the Holy Fathers it is Revealed that the Celestial Messengers of Mercy
go even further. They Descend-to the Altars of Earth, and Drawing the
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ from the Golden Chalices during the
Thousands of Holy Masses
Daily Celebrated, they Shower It like a
Cool Dew upon Purgatory. Four (4)
Sacred Chalices every Second, are
Lifted-up in Consecration to God. Over
Three Hundred Thousand (300,000)
Masses are offered throughout the World every 24 Hours.
Story
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was one day Transported in Spirit into
Purgatory. There she beheld, among other things, an Immense Space filled-with Flames and
Glowing Coals and, amid these, a Great Number of Poor
Souls in Human Form, Raising their Hands to Heaven
and Imploring Mercy. But all the while their Guardian
Angels were at their Side, Inspiring them with Courage and Comforting them in the most Tender Manner.
The Guardian Angels assist with a Special Zeal, those
Souls in Purgatory who have been most Devoted to them during Life.
It is the Teaching of some Spiritual Writers that the Angels inform the
Suffering Souls of the Happenings in this World about which those
Souls would be Concerned. Saint Augustine tells us that "The Departed may be
Informed by the Angels of things happening in the World, insofar as this is Permitted by Him to Whose Judgment everything is Subject".
It is likewise Believed that the Angels Reveal to the
Poor Souls the Benefactors who are assisting them by their
Prayers, and at the same time urge the Suffering
Souls to Pray for these Good Friends
(i.e. Communion of Saints)
As soon as the Hour of Release has Struck, for One of the
Suffering Souls, the Guardian Angel
of that Happy Soul is Commissioned-by God to
Descend-into Purgatory, to Open the Doors of its Prison
and to Lead the Delivered Soul without delay into the Eternal
Habitations of Paradise. The Good Angel
Descends with the Rapidity of Lightning into the Dismal Prison of Pain to Carry-out the Work of
Release, because his Love for his Cherished Ward urges him to Liberate the
Poor Soul and to Lead it to the Sight and Possession of
God. The Guardian Angel is often Accompanied-by
other Angels, or by a whole Multitude of
Angels, and then the Entrance-of the Released Soul is Truly a
Triumphant One.
Though the Assistance which the Holy Angels Render-to the
Souls in Purgatory is very Consoling,
yet it is to be Feared that some Persons Consigned-to the Purging
Flames may be Deprived-of the Aid of the
Angels, because during Life they were not Devoted-to their Guardian Angel,
or because they Neglected to Aid the
Poor Souls.
"Purgatory" - by Lodovico Carracci - from Pinacoteca, Vatican . . . . . .
This Depiction of One Phase of the Communion of Saints shows Mary, Queen of the Angels
dispatching an Angel to Purgatory as the Saints in Heaven (i.e. Church Triumphant)
Constantly Plead for God's Mercy upon the Church Suffering.
Similarly stated: when at Last the Soul is
Freed-from every Stain and Debt of
Sin, at "Mary's Bidding, the Queen of Angels and of Saints, the
Guardian Angel will fly with it to the Celestial Jerusalem, Escorted as the Church so Beautifully Sings, by the Jubilant Company of the
Martyrs and the Choirs of Angels, all Exulting with him, for the Crown is Won", the Precious
Blood has finally Triumphed. Happy
and Blessed shall we be, if by our Devotion to
and Love of our Heavenly Companion, we Deserve
to be Particularly Assisted by him at our Last Hour. May he Offer for us then to the
God of Mercy, the Divine Blood, our
Ransom and our Passport to
Heaven's Eternal Joys.
 Fatima Prayer
Oh my Jesus
Forgive us our Sins,
Save us from the Fires of Hell,
And lead all Souls to Heaven,
Especially those who have Most Need of Thy Mercy.
Amen
One of the Primary Reasons for Our Lady's Appearance at
Fatima was to Alert us that Souls would be
Lost because there is no one to Pray for them. Ask the Help of the
Mother of Jesus Who
was at the Foot of the Cross for that First
Sacrifice, Offering herself and
her Dying Son for the same
Redemptive Purpose as He. Ask her
to Assist with you at Mass, and Help you to Surrender your
Will to God as she did, no
matter how Difficult. For God gives
Himself to us, especially in Holy Communion,
in the 'Measure' that we give Ourselves to Him.
Our Duty as Christians Requires that we Save not
only our own Souls, but those of all Men/Women. Once a Person
Dies, he/she is Completely Helpless to do anything to Further their Own Cause with
God.
How many Loving Parents are needlessly Anguishing
in Purgatory because their Children can not find the Time to
Pray for their Release? The Most Powerful Means of Attaining their Release is through
Participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Never assume your
Loved Ones are in Heaven. Saint Augustine
asked for Prayers for his Saintly Mother (Saint Monica), for over
Twenty (20) Years after her Death.
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