Formerly the angels were according to the number of nations, but now according to the number of believers. How do we know this? Listen to what Christ says: "Take heed, despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 18:10). Know that each of the faithful has an Angel. And each of the ancient righteous had an Angel, as James says: "The angel who delivers me from all evil, may he bless these young men" (Gen. 48:16). St. John Chrysostom (113, 131).

If you have deeds in your soul worthy of Angelic preservation, and your mind is enriched with the knowledge of the truth, God will inevitably assign guardians and guardians to you for your virtues and will protect you with angels. Look, then, what is the nature of the Angels! One Angel is equal to a whole army and a numerous host. Thus, in the majesty of your guardian, the Lord grants you an army, and in the fortress of the Angel, as it were, He protects you from everywhere with his protection (4:254).

An angel is assigned to each of the faithful, worthy to see the Heavenly Father... That with each of the faithful there is an Angel, who as an educator and pastor governs his life, no one will argue against this, remembering the words of the Lord: "Despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 18:10). And the Psalmist says: "The angel of the Lord encamps around them that fear Him" (Psalm 33:8). The angel will not depart from all those who believe in the Lord, unless we ourselves drive him away by bad deeds. As the stench drives away bees and pigeons, so the guardian of our life, the Angel, is driven away by a sorrowful and stinking sin... Since each of us has a holy Angel encamping around those who fear the Lord, sins can cause disaster: we will no longer be covered by the wall, that is, by the holy forces that make people invincible as long as they are with them (113:131).

Any soul left (for stagnant in evil) without the protection of the Guardian Angel is given over to be plundered by enemies and trampled underfoot. St. Basil the Great (5:163).

The King Himself declares what must be: "From henceforth ye shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending to the Son of Man" (John 1:51). And indeed, we see angels accompanying His Ascension and announcing His Second Coming (Acts 1:10-11). Angels loosening bonds (Acts 12:7) and opening prisons for the Apostles (Acts 5:19); finally, the Angel who appeared to Cornelius, who was just emerging from the darkness of paganism, in order to show him the entrance into the Christian Church (Acts 10:3-6).

Jesus Christ, according to the words of John the Theologian, is "the Holy One, the True One, having the key of David, Who openeth and no man shuts" (Rev. 3:7). And so, if He has opened the heavens, who dares to shut it? Or who dares to say that now is not the time to see the angels of God ascending and descending by the will of the Son of man? "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to minister to those who are to inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). Who can now say that they are already idle and we are without help?

But the more unquestionably we are convinced of the proximity of the holy angels and of their readiness to help us, the more carefully we must think about why in our days we hear so little about this help, and even less believe what we hear about it. Or are there no Angels near us, or do we not notice them, or do we remove them from us? That they do not exist is not true, as we have seen. It is therefore true that we either do not notice them or even move them away from ourselves.

Just as in visible manifestations people often took the holy Angels for people like them, so it can easily happen that a person will take their invisible actions for his own human or ordinary, natural actions. Is it accidental, for example, that in the midst of perplexity or some inactivity of the mind, a pure, holy, and salvific thought suddenly shines forth like lightning? That silence instantly reigns in a confused or cold heart, or the heavenly flame of love for God is kindled? If every manifestation by its nature testifies to the presence of an active force, then do not these inner manifestations of our soul testify to the presence of the heavenly Powers, which, out of love for mankind, throw rays into our minds and sparks into our hearts? Are these not the actions of the Angels, according to the words of the prophet Zechariah, speaking in us? What a pity that we do not notice this angelic help! For, not noticing it, we do not accept it as we should, and do not use it; Not making use of it, we remain ungrateful and guilty, and do not prepare ourselves for other similar visits, and in this way we even remove our guardians from us.

If we, people, distance ourselves from people whose inclinations are opposite to our inclinations, if the teacher renounces the disciple who does not heed the instructions, or the educator from the student who rejects guidance, even if the father removes the disobedient son, how can the holy angels not finally withdraw from us, if we do not follow their saving suggestions and leave their service fruitless for us? How can the heavenly Powers not withdraw from us, if we give ourselves up only to earthly things? How can pure spirits not depart if we live in the impurity of the flesh? How can the angels of God not depart if we constantly have in our thoughts and desires not God and His Christ, but the world and ourselves? Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow (114, 214-215).

THANKSGIVING

Sacrifice of praise

God demands such a sacrifice from us: "Unto Thee will I offer a sacrifice of praise" (Psalm 115:8). This sacrifice is pleasing to Him, as the Prophet says: "I will praise the name of my God in song, I will exalt Him in praise, and it will be more pleasing to the Lord than an ox than a calf" (Psalm 68:31-32). This sacrifice should be offered by Christians in the evening, in the morning and at noon, following the example of the Psalmist: "In the evening, and in the morning, and at noon, I will beseech and cry out" (Psalm 54:18). It is better to bless the Lord at all times, as the same Prophet of God says of himself: "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise is unceasingly in my mouth" (Psalm 33:2). If anyone wants to praise God in eternal life, let him not cease to praise and glorify Him here. St. Tikhon of Zadonsk (104:40).

Every day reveals to us innumerable blessings, whether we desire it or not, whether we know about it or not. God does not require anything from us except gratitude to Him for everything we have given, in order to give us an even greater reward for it. St. John Chrysostom (38, 560).

Has the day passed, give thanks to Him Who gave us the sun for the fulfillment of the day's affairs and Who gave us fire to illuminate the night and serve for other worldly needs (8:62).