Originally posted by Augustine
St.Peter was freed from prison by an angel according to Acts 12. When a woman heard him knocking on their door and told the others, they were in disbelief; they didn't think it could possibly be St.Peter;
15 They said to her, "You are mad." But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel!" (Acts 12:15)
Interesting..."his angel". Even a Protestant Bible commentary (like that of John Wesley) will say that this reflects the common belief of the Jews, (including the Apostles obviously) that people had their own Guardian Angels given to them, and even that they sometimes assume the visible form of the one they guard. That they say his angel is quite interesting, since such a statement takes for granted that people have a guardian angel.
It is clear in the Scriptures (like in Deuteronomy 32:8, or Daniel 10) that God gives nations a Guardian Angel; so too it would seem individuals.
As it says in the Psalms...
11 For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)
As Christ Himself taught directly,
10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. (St.Matthew 18:10)
"Their Angel." There we go again...someone having a particular Angel.
What is also interesting, is that it says here this Angel both protects them, (as is obvious in other passages), but also see's God (Beatific Vision) and is in a position to supplicate before Him. Angels pray for those whom they protect. They are one link in the chain of the economy of grace.
