Guardian Angels

Has anyone here ever wondered where our loved one's guardian angels were when they took their own lives?

Is it like my mom said - that my husband didn't listen to his?

Was it that there was a greater force - depression, mental illness, that was greater? If so, where do those things come from? Are they spawned by the devil? So what does the devil get out of it - the pain of our loved one's suffering and then them taking their life?...b/c he doesn't get our loved ones...God gets the last laugh in that our loved ones join him in heaven, where they are welcomed and loved....

Just wondering....

booboo

I don't know the ansers but have pondered the samequestions. For me it is only a victory for the devil if the destruction of aftermath serves him. He'd rather surrender one ,our loved one, in hopes of greater spoils. Our thoughts, actions, self hate, anger, jealousy, rage, sloth- even indifference suits him. As for his part in our losses- my jury is out on exactly who his victim was Scott or the rest of us. He can take on the appearance of an angel ( becauses he is one) and use it wickedly. Perhaps he cheered Scott on, seduced him, I don't know. My evidence suggests he targets what we love most, be that life, love, family, God . . .whatever we live for. So I guess if he could score a trifecta with a suicide win, family destruction and fallout jackpot- he'd definitely go for it. I ramble, sorry. Just some of what swims around and mostly I just work to ensure the payday he expects never comes.
V--

Booboo, I can only answer you with what I know from the Bible itself: and God's Word tells us that "life and death are in
God's Hands." From that I can surmise that our loved ones' guardian angels, while with our loved ones, didn't interfere.
From God's Word, we also learn that yes, the devil IS at work here on earth. In 1Peter 5:8 we read:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

The good news is he is a defeated foe......he doesn't win....I agree w/ Scott's Mom--that the enemy of our souls
not only would entice our loved ones to do this, but he also would enjoy what it does to us.

I encourage you, if possible, to look into the scriptures for yourself.....I truly believe God has spoken to every
situation, every problem, every human plight imaginable, in His Word. And it's there that I find my HOPE that
I will be with my son again in Heaven one day. ((((HUGS))))

Thank you Scott's mom and Matnet for your responses...they were very helpful...

Matnet,

I belong to a group at my church where we discuss different aspects of the bible..unfortunately, the group stopped meeting before Thanksgiving and will pick up again in late February or March...

I asked this question, bc I prayed to our guardian angels non-stop, at home and in church...I prayed to mine for me, and to my husband's for him...I am not sure if you are familiar with the prayer:

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

So you see where some of my questions came from, for the most part?

Also, during a portion of the Mass, when the offertory gifts are being brought to the altar, our guardian angels are supposed to be bringing our requests to the altar, to God....well, I prayed and prayed to my and my husband's guardian angels...and I attended mass...so I'm left here thinking, where did those prayers, those pleadings, go?

i always tell myself devil can destory a person body but not the soul.
Someone told me to feel better because my mum is definelty much happier than i am now as she is in heaven.

It so strange you know, baby born with tumour, innocent people got killed, why this sort of thing happen? We have no answer, but only GOd know why...

I don't know Booboo, I just know I pray directly to God....when Christ died, and the curtain in the Holy of holies
was torn in two, that opened the door for us to go directly to God Himself. I mean no disrespect whatsover.....the Bible
tells us that people and angels are created beings......and I don't believe people "become angels" when they die.
The Bible doesn't say that anywhere......but as far as praying, I pray to God Himself.
I prayed for my son every day.......I believe God heard them....I also believe God knew (before the foundations of the
world, as His Word says) that He knew the day my son was going Home.....so in essence, that wasn't going to change
no matter what I prayed. That's what I believe.......I still encourage you to read the Bible for yourself--not waiting for
the group to start up again. God Himself tells us to "search the scriptures." I go to church every week, and listen to
my pastor's message. BUT, even he tells us all, to be in God's Word for ourselves.....we aren't to take ANY man's
word for it, but read it for ourselves. That is where the peace comes from. Read these verses from Hebrews 4:11-13

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

It's very true--once we read and continue to read the scriptures for ourselves, it changes everything....our pastor encouraged us on Sunday to
read all four of the gospels over and over, in 2011........maybe you'd like to do that too? His reasoning was that when we really come to know
whom Jesus was (is) then we'll know God the Father. Jesus did say "I and the Father are One." I've read the gospels many times (Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John) but will be reading them again, over and over.....the beautiful thing about reading God's Word is it ALWAYS is relevant to our lives
TODAY!!

Hi, Matnet..

Thank you for your post and taking the time to share your thoughts with me....

I'm not sure if we belong to the same religion...I'm Catholic, well Roman Catholic...

At one of our last prayer sessions, we explored the Holy Trinity..the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in depth...and the scripture that we examined clearly stated that the Holy Trinity are three distinct "entities," so to speak...and that you are "supposed" to pray to all 3 individually...and, while I wasn't aware of that, many people in the group were already aware of it and prayed to the distinct entities for separate requests....the group meetings are part of the "Why Catholic" groups that many, many churches are participating in throughout the country...and, during each session, we pray, read aloud a chapter from the accompanying book/guide, and read passages from the Bible and examine them, and then close with another prayer session...

As far as angels go, if people and angels are created beings, then it follows that they are created in the image of God and created by God...whether people turn into angels once they enter the gates of heaven, I do not know...and that is something that I would like to follow-up on....but, based upon scripture, I have made it a point to pray to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit separately...and, of course, I pray to Mary....

I think that the next time that am in the rectory, I will pull the Monsignor aside to ask him about guardian angels..He has been a source of tremendous comfort during these months...He's always "lending an ear" to me about all of these questions...heck, I even stumped my church group one week, and the leader said, I am going to have to ask the Monsignor tomorrow...it was kind of funny, though..everyone was looking through their Bibles and would read a passage out loud and say, no, that's not it, etc., etc....and, so I had to bring up the episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond," where their daughter asks the meaning of life, and Ray's mom looks in the Bible and says, "I've found it," and she reads the passage out loud and says, no that's not it...so Ray calls their priest and leaves a message saying that they have a quick question for him, what is the meaning of life? It was a funny episode and so closely resembled what happened at my group that night (although my question wasn't about the meaning of life....we were talking about creation that night)....

It's funny Booboo, no, I'm not Roman Catholic YET you and and I both call
our Savior Jesus Christ.......there are huge differences in what we believe Booboo...
I think it's a good idea to talk to your Monsignor......I'm glad he has been a tremendous
comfort to you. (((HUGS)))

Hi, Matnet...

So what religion are you? You had mentioned a pastor...

...but to answer your other post, yes, I will take up reading the Bible this year....thank you for suggesting it....it has been something that I have been thinking about and you have further encouraged me....

I think we had talked about church in the past and yo had mentioned that you were thinking about attending more frequently..or seeing a counselot there..I can't remember which...does your church have committees or small groups that meet? Besides my counselor, the small group meetings had saved me..it gave me something to look forward to once a week while they were going on and I have met great people...I have gone out to dinner and breakfast with a few people from the group....

Btw, did you ever see that episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond?" It was funny..you, see originally they thought that their daughter was asking about where babies come from...so Ray over-prepared to speak with her..he had books tabbed, including the Bible I think, and had notes...and then she cut him off and said, no dad, I know that a man and a woman have to DO something....I just want to know WHY we're here..and, of course, Ray panicked and went to speak with his wife..then his parents stopped in, which led to th events that I described in my last post...

Anyway, that's about it...can I ask you, do you believe in angels?...besides, your son, of course...

I'm Christian Booboo.......yes, I definitely believe in angels! I believe everything in the Bible is literal and true. Angels live
in Heaven with God....and do His work (including watching over us) I believe it as it's told....that God made man (after earth) and I believe that after God put Adam and
Eve in the garden, they sinned. And that sin is what brought death to mankind. But God took care of that when he sent Christ
to die for our sins. And I'm so glad He did!! When I said I don't believe humans turn to angels, its' because the Bible doesn't say
that...we are "man" here AND there......the Bible says God gives us a glorified body when we get to Heaven. But angels are
God's messengers and ministers, they aren't people, and I don't believe we become them when we get to Heaven.
No, I have been going to church (or better to say have been a member of a church) since my kids were tiny. We started out in
Florida--we lived right across the street from a great church....I began to go and took my kids......I remember my son Mark--he'd
cry when I handed him over to couple who taught his toddler class. But he'd cry silently--always broke my heart..no sound, just tears.
He did that alot as a kid....in looking back, I can see he tried to hold his feelings in even then!
Anyway, not long after I joined that church my husband did too......and in '93 we moved back to NJ to be closer to family.
At that point we joined a church where my sister went and we were at that one until 2002.....the pastor retired and we found
another church and have been there since. Yes, we do small groups which is great, but we haven't gone. It's a shame because
it's such a great way to get to know the people in your group, AND our group is hosted by a couple who lost a child. (she was an infant-
they lost her in 2001--but they have a huge family of 8 more kids!!)
We have a few people at church who've lost kids--one couple lost their 21 yr. old son to suicide: our exact situation.....their son
passed one month before our son was born. And another family lost their 14 yr. old daughter the same year as the couple's son--
only this young girl passed the day after my son was born......I believe God puts us together with our "church families." He knows
whom we need......while I still go weekly, I don't feel as though I'm very involved in church activity right now.....it's been hard. First,
it's hard going out at night--I'm usually very tired....2nd, I kind of still feel "disconnected" from the rest of the world...it's almost like
people are separated into two camps: those who've lost a child and those who haven't.. I just don't always feel a part of the "other camp"
anymore. I hope that passes with more time.
Yes, I have seen that Raymond episode, but long ago, so I don't remember it all. That show is one of the funniest I've ever seen in
my life........((((HUGS)))) Booboo.