Guardian Angels

Video: Guardian Angels

Video: Guardian Angels
Video: NIVIRO - The Guardian Of Angels [NCS Release] 2024, March
Guardian Angels
Guardian Angels
Anonim
Guardian Angels - Angel, Guardian Angel
Guardian Angels - Angel, Guardian Angel
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In many religions of the world guardian angels occupy a special place. It is believed that they accompany us throughout our lives, remaining invisible. They are heralds of divine revelations, protectors and helpers in good deeds. And yet, despite this constant presence, we rarely think about who is behind our right shoulder.

The word "angel" came to us from the Greek language, where it meant "messenger", along with Christian texts. But the existence of angels was known long before the advent of Christianity. Almost all peoples had an idea of invisible creatures helping people.

The ancient Persians called them feruers, in the Sufi tradition - muvakkali (this word means "guardian, curator, guard, representative"). The Romans believed that everyone has their own genius - a patron spirit. Genius, according to the Romans, was an entity that was born with a person and determined his life path.

But the most complete information about angels can be found in Judaism and Christianity. The Bible and the Torah speak of spiritual incorporeal beings, more perfect than man, and created before him. According to legend, angels appeared even before the visible world appeared. They constitute the heavenly host, in which there is a strict hierarchy.

But their main task is to preserve the existing world. According to St. Gregory the Theologian, "… being servants of the Will of God, not only by their natural ability, but also by the abundance of Grace, they are transferred to all places and accompany everyone everywhere, both by the quick fulfillment of the ministry and by the lightness of nature."

Angels control natural elements, nations, participate in divine services (they can only be seen by those who have received special grace - the saints and the righteous).

According to Holy Scripture, angels are divided into nine angelic ranks. The closest to God are the seraphim, cherubim and thrones. Seraphim surround the throne of the Lord. They have a human form, each of them has six wings. With two they cover their face, with two they cover their legs, and with the help of two more they fly and constantly praise God with songs.

Cherubim have a different appearance. The prophet Ezekiel in the famous vision of a chariot depicts the cherubim as humanoid, with four faces and four wings. Their legs have calf feet and are shiny as copper. But perhaps the most unusual thing about the images of cherubim is their faces. The face of a lion was connected to a human face on the right side, and a calf and an eagle on the left.

Cherubim are surrounded by countless hosts of the righteous and the darkness of angels, they reflect in themselves the unapproachable majesty of God and His glory. Less is known about other angelic orders. Thrones, dominions, powers, powers and beginnings, about which Dionysius the Areopagite wrote in the book "Heavenly Hierarchy", are practically unknown to ordinary believers.

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But the last two ranks - archangels and angels - are familiar to us both from numerous images and from texts. We even know their names: Michael - ("who is like God"), Gabriel - ("man of God"), Raphael - ("help, healing of God"), Uriel - ("fire and light of God"), Salafiel - ("Prayer to God"), Ifremiel - ("the height of God"). The number of archangels sometimes also includes two names that are not mentioned in the Bible: Jehudiel - ("the praise of God") and Barachiel - ("God's blessing").

Muslims know four great archangels: Gabriel, or the angel of Revelation; Michael, or patron angel; Israel, Angel of Death; Israphil, the angel of the Resurrection. They also have an angel of prayer - Sandalfon.

Hundreds of thousands of angels are subordinate to them, who act as impartial witnesses of human life. According to the Qur'an, there are two angels near each person during his lifetime, who write down his good and evil deeds and thoughts day after day.

Despite the fact that angels are incorporeal, there are a huge number of their "portraits" captured by icon painters or worldly artists. Interestingly, these images have changed quite a lot over time. In the first centuries after the advent of Christianity, angels were portrayed as ordinary people.

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Archangel Gabriel. Fragment of a fresco in the Church of Santa Maria Antiqua. Mid-7th century Rome

For example, in the fresco of the Annunciation of the 2nd century, the Archangel Gabriel is painted in a decorated tunic with an orarion, his face and figure do not have any distinctive features. Radiance and wings, which we today consider an indispensable belonging to angels, appeared on icons and frescoes only from the 4th century. Later, in Byzantium, a whole system of symbols arose, which made it possible to indicate the hierarchical position of the depicted angel.

However, one should not forget that the icon painters sought to give an ideal image to creatures (more precisely, entities) that are invisible under ordinary conditions. Therefore, the details of the garments of angels, wings and radiance are more a symbol, an indication of their special role, than a reflection of the real state of affairs.

The appearance of angels in visible form is usually associated with some important events. The Bible describes the appearance of angels to the Old Testament patriarchs and the righteous: Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Lot … However, in our time there are many cases when guardian angels were their wards and helped them.

There are so many examples of such help that a separate book would be needed to present them. As a rule, a person at this moment hears a voice warning of danger. If the warning is heard, then death can be avoided: press the car brake a moment before the collision or, without realizing their actions, leave the house on the eve of its destruction.

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Often, relatives later recall that at that moment, when a misfortune almost happened, they suddenly thought about the impending disaster and turned with prayer to God. However, guardian angels care much more about our souls than about our bodies.

Indeed, sometimes a serious illness or injury can become an impetus for understanding the true value of life. It is not for nothing that almost all Orthodox saints have gone through the test of weakness and pain …

Guardian angels are capable of many things. They can give the right advice in a difficult situation, comfort in a moment of despair, support a person's courage in a moment of trial. But in order for all this to happen, it is necessary to maintain contact with your guardian angel, to listen to his voice.

Among the non-canonical stories about angels, there are a huge number of signs and beliefs regarding communication with them. It is believed, for example, that guardian angels are of two types: earthly and heavenly. One of the deceased relatives or friends can become the earthly guardian angel of a person.

In some localities, it is believed that this responsibility rests with grandmothers - after death, they take care of their loved ones. Occasionally, care for a person is assigned to someone who was an enemy to him during his lifetime. So he can atone for his sin. But according to popular beliefs, only a select few people who have an important life mission ahead of them have heavenly guardian angels. They have greater capabilities than the souls of the dead, and more often communicate with a person, directing him to the true path.

In Orthodoxy, it is believed that a person is protected not only by a guardian angel, which is given to a Christian at baptism, but also by a saint in whose honor the convert was baptized. It is not by chance that along with the birthday, until recently, the name day was celebrated, which was also called "the day of the angel."

Both in the official religion and in popular beliefs, angels appear to be creatures capable of seeing or hearing the thoughts of the people entrusted to them. Those who are fortunate enough to be born into religious families know from childhood the story of an angel standing behind a person's right shoulder, and a line whose place is behind the left shoulder (by the way, this is why we spit over our left shoulder when we are afraid of the evil eye).

If a person strives for good, does good deeds, his angel laughs with joy. If, on the contrary, it cries. In some cases, the angel can leave a person for a while. Most often this happens when he does not listen to his advice, does not live according to his conscience.

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But there are also exceptions to this rule. In many villages, it is believed that a guardian angel cannot guard the peace of a sleeping person if sharp objects are lying on the window of his room: knives, pins, needles. There is also a belief that an angel leaves a person a few days before his birthday and returns only a week after this holiday.

For about two weeks, a person is left without his protection. However, even in the most difficult cases, the guardian angel does not deny his ward and returns to him; if a person repents of his actions and asks an angel for help.

It is interesting that in the legends about guardian angels it is said that some people have not one angel, but several. It is believed that most people have three guardian angels. Most of all (up to nine) guardian angels belong to those people who carry out a special mission.

At the same time, neither wealth nor social status of a person is of decisive importance. His talent, spiritual purity and faith are important. But those who have only one guardian angel are considered unhappy people. They are rarely lucky, they constantly find themselves in unpleasant situations. The people said that one angel "does not have time" to help a person, and they tried to choose a name for him, which was borne by several saints.

It was believed that each of them would look after the person along with his guardian angel. However, the number of ethereal helpers can be increased. It's simple - do good deeds, try to adhere to pure thoughts, because even Hermes Trismegistus formulated one of the fundamental laws of the spiritual world: like attracts like.

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Followers of Agni Yoga believe that a guardian angel can accompany a person not only in this earthly life. He accompanies the incarnated soul even before birth. He does not participate in the process of choosing his place of birth and parents by the soul.

But when a special "subdivision" of angels draws up a life program for the soul - events that will help it learn the necessary qualities - the guardian angel is nearby. If some events of the future incarnation seem to him too harsh or not fully deserved, he can intervene in the discussion of the fate of a person and try to give him another chance to make the right choice.

After a person is born, the guardian angel tries with all his might to help him so that he successfully cope with the program of his training in this life. After all, the karmas of a person and his guardian angel are closely related, and, being a highly spiritual being, the angel seeks to do his "job" in the best way. At the moment of a person's death, the guardian angel temporarily transfers his soul into the hands of the angel of death, which frees it from now unnecessary energy shells.

According to the teachings of Agni Yoga, in addition to the guardian angel, each person is accompanied in life by many other spirits. Some of them are hostile, their task is to direct a person to the path of evil. Others are there simply out of sympathy for a particular person.

They are attracted to him by the similarity of thoughts and feelings. In other words, what kind of person is “from the inside”, he attracts such helpers. If his thoughts do not rise above the satisfaction of basic instincts, his disembodied "entourage" will be exactly the same - lower spirits and demons.

Angels are sensitive to human prayers. Their desire to help is limited to only three conditions. First of all, guardian angels cannot cancel the punishment for the sins of past lives. They also cannot harm anyone, so it is useless to ask angels to punish your enemies, even if they are rapists or murderers.

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Finally, if it seems to you that the guardian angel is in no hurry to fulfill your request, then the time for the fulfillment of your desire has not yet come. Or you are asking for something that you don't really need at all. After all, angels view your life from the point of view of spiritual improvement, and people most often worry about material goods or about matters that are insignificant from the point of view of the soul.

When angels want to reward a person, they do not give him money or power, but love, hope and faith. Their gifts are spiritual, like our defenders themselves: peace in the soul, strong bright feelings. These are the ingredients of true happiness.

There are many beliefs about how to communicate with your guardian angel. In Orthodoxy, there are special prayers addressed to him. Here is one of them: “To the angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me by God from heaven, I earnestly pray to you: you enlighten me this day, and save me from all evil, instruct me to a good deed and direct me to the path of salvation. Amen.

And here is another appeal: “My angel, take me under your holy tutelage, teach me who doesn’t know, and comfort the suffering person, save him from danger, help me in business, may your good will be done forever and ever. Amen". More concise formulas are accepted by the people. For example, after washing your face in the morning, you can say: “My angel, come with me for the whole day. I will live with faith. And serve you."

But in fact, our keepers do not need any special texts. Our thoughts and feelings for them are an open book. Therefore, you can always turn to them. And in order to hear the answer, just listen to your inner voice. Your guardian angel will definitely respond. Maybe the answer will come right away.

Or perhaps you will get the information you need during a chance meeting with a friend or read it in a book that caught your eye in time. And no matter what happens to you, remember: you are not alone. Nearby are beautiful winged creatures who sincerely love you and are always ready to help.

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