Job and the Kingdom of Angels

On this Feast of the Guardian Angels, I am reminded of one of my favorite films is "It's  Wonderful Life", the Frank Capra film that explores the question uttered by many, "What if I'd never been born?"  The beloved main character, George Bailey has fallen on hard times, and it seems that there's no way out of his dilemma.  His despair grows deeper and deeper, until he finds himself on the edge of a bridge in the quaint fictitious town of Bedford Falls.  He struggles with the urge to end it all, and just when he is about to jump, another figure falls out of the darkness into the cold icy waters below.  Instead of ending his days, George jumps in to save  what turns out to be Clarence, an angel trying to earn his wings.  As the two dry out in the bridge's wheel house, Clarence and George begin to chat, with Clarence asking most of the questions, and George rehashing some of the reasons why he's in such despair.  At one point George says, "It would probably have been better if I was never born at all."  "Oh no," Clarence responds, "You mustn't say such things!"  But then Clarence stops himself, looks to the heavens, and begins to chat with "Joseph", the angel in charge.  "Hmmm," Clarence wonders, "What d'ya think?"  And after a good Hollywood, effective pause, Clarence says to George, "OK, you've got your wish.  You've never been born!"

Enter Job, the famed depressed one from the Old Testament.  We could certainly offer many examples on why Job had a bad attitude, but lets just say he's one of the more honest "sad sacks" in all of literature, divinely inspired or not.  He told it like it was.  "Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again.  The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!" (Job 1: 21)  Not too much later in Job's journey, he reached that point where we saw George Bailey on the bridge.  "Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, 'The child is a boy!'  Why did I not perish at birth, come forth from the womb and expire?" (Job 3: 3, 11)

 "Hmmm, what d'ya think?"

Now, if you're a fan of Capra's "Wonderful Life", then you know that Clarence brought George through it all, and earned his wings!  "That a boy Clarence!"  Job saw his journey through as well, and came to embrace, once again, the joy of his exult, "blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Now enter Jesus Christ, as witnessed in the Gospel of Matthew.  He meets with his disciples, who want to know "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?  He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.  See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."" (Mt. 18: 1-5, 10)

Many would say that to humble oneself to BE LIKE a child, is to simply TRUST like a child, which a lot of times means that you really don't think too much, you just trust in your surroundings, and do the right things.  Also notice the children; "their angels in heaven always look upon the face of [God]."  We are called to have that trust and be like a people who know that they have an angel, close to God, ready to care for and protect them.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies the reality of just what an Angel is, for as "St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'"With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word".  As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness." (CCC 329-330)

Both George and Job come to the realization that to enjoy the "Kingdom" and be the best they can be, they too need to trust like a child, and know that their protection comes from God, the Father, with a little help from His Holy Angels!