I have, at least twice in my life, felt like someone was assigned to keep watch over me. Both incidents involved automobiles and both played out in near slow motion, as if normal time was suspended and I was somehow caught up in a different pace of motion than everyone surrounding me. A guided meditation many many years ago brought a name to me: Pedro. And since then I have thought, well, if I do have a guardian angel, I think his name might be Pedro.
I don’t know why I’d have a Latino guardian angel, but then again, I don’t know why I wouldn’t. Almost always willing to suspend disbelief, I am all for this proposition. And I am intrigued by the idea of winged beings, although I don’t necessarily think that angels have these wings. Just as I agree that there’s a superhero inside each and every one of us, I would also agree that there’s an angel in each of us, too. Superheroes and angels don’t always look like we expect them to. We’re probably passing by legions of both every day on the streets.
Today, the 2nd of October, we celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels. It’s a celebration that goes back to the Fourth Century, with folks setting up altars in their homes in honor of their guardian angels. This is no big celebration––it’s a very quiet and contemplative one, actually––and there are no real traditions associated with it. I think, however, if you are aware of a Pedro in your life, or of any source of protection, this is a good day to honor that being of light in whatever way you see fit.
Image: A still from Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 1946. That’s Henry Travers portraying Clarence, George Bailey’s guardian angel. You know the story.