Angele Dei : O Angel of God

Here are two prayers posted in honour of the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. [Reproduced by courtesy of Treasury of Latin Prayers. ©copyrighted by Michael Martin].

I pray especially today for PAB, whose birthday it is.

Dopter. Paris.

The first is Angele Dei, also know as the Prayer to One's Guardian Angel appears in medieval collections of St. Anselm's works (c1033-1109). The English translation given below is from the later half of the 19th century.

Guardian Angels protect their charges against the assaults of demons to preserve them from sin. Several passages in Scripture mention them in passing. (Dn 10: 13,20-21, Tob 12:12, Mt 18:10, Acts 12:11,15).

Angele Dei,
qui custos es mei,
Me tibi commissum pietate superna;
(Hodie, Hac nocte) illumina, custodi, rege, et guberna.
Amen.

Angel of God,my guardian dear,To whom His love commits me here;Ever this (day, night) be at my side,To light and guard, to rule and guide.Amen.

''Je te le confie : conserve le pour l'éternité.'' ''I entrust him to thee : keep him safe for eternity.''

Courtesy of Holy Card Heaven. 
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported Licence. 


Here's the second, from an 11th century prayer book belonging to Abbot Aelfwine:

The Celestial Guide. Bouasse Jeune, Paris. Pl.1016

Credo quod sis angelus sanctus, a Deo omnipotente ad custodiam mei deputatus. Propterea peto, et per illum qui te ad hoc ordinavit, humiliter imploro, ut me miseram(um) fragilem atque indignam(um) semper et ubique in hac vita custodias, protegas a malis omnibus atque defendas, et cum Deus hinc animam meam migrare iusserit, nullam in eam potestatem daemonibus habere permittas, sed tu eam leniter a corpore suscipias, et in sinum Abrahae [1] suaviter usque perducas iubente ac iuvante creatore ac salvatore Deo nostro, qui est benedictus in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

I believe that thou art the holy angel appointed by almighty God to watch over me. On this account, I beg and humbly implore thee, through Him who hast ordained thee to this task, that in this life thou wouldst always and everywhere guard me, wretched, weak, and unworthy that I am. Protect and defend me from all evil, and when God has bid my soul to leave this world, permit not the devil to have any power over it. Rather that thou wouldst gently take it from my body and lead it sweetly unto the bosom of Abraham with the biding and assistance of God our Creator and Saviour, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 
From Wilmart, Auteurs Spirituels et Textes Devotes Du Moyen Age.

''Le céleste conducteur. Voilà ta Mère, elle t'apprendra comment il faut aimer et glorifier Jésus.''  ''The Celestial Guide. There is your Mother who will teach you how you must love and glorify Jesus.''

Courtesy of Holy Card Heaven. 
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported Licence. 


[1] [22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell.
Factum est autem ut moreretur mendicus, et portaretur ab angelis in sinum Abrahae. Mortuus est autem et dives, et sepultus est in inferno. [Luke 16]

Reproduced by courtesy of Treasury of Latin Prayers. ©copyrighted by Michael Martin

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum tutus semper sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam