Your invisible Friend & Guardian (3)

Do you know? The duties of our Guardian Angels do not end when our earthly lives end. They will still be with us and accompany us before God's Judgement Seat and entrance into Heaven. And if the soul is sent to Purgatory, its Guardian Angel will offer at the throne of God the charities performed on the earth for the good of that Holy Soul, and visit the Holy Soul from time to time and console it until its release. St Margaret Mary Alacoque has witnessed this close relationship: "...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." According to early Church Fathers, the Guardian Angel also helps the soul by inspiring friends and relatives left on earth to pray and offer Masses for their departed loved one. So our Angels will not deserted us until our souls are return back into the Heavenly Home. 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. How grateful we should be to our Guardian Angels for all their devotion to us and all our indebtedness to them! St Bernard taught us that one should show to his Guardian Angel, reverence for his presence, devotion and affection for his benevolence, and unbounded confidence in his protection. "O angel of God, to whose holy care I am committed by the divine clemency, enlighten, guard, guide, and govern me. Amen!" (100 days Ind.)

References: Rev Richard O'Kennedy, "The Holy Angels", New York: Catholic Publication Society Co, 1887 https://angelsandsaintsandus.blogspot.com/2011/11/angelsand-holy-souls.html