Anyone who has a dog or especially a cat knows they seem to see things we cannot see. Clearly, they hear and smell many times greater than humans. They also see in ultraviolet, which is invisible to humans. The lens of the human eye blocks UV light. Cats and dogs also have a wider peripheral vision than humans.

It doesn’t take any special training to teach a dog to play Frisbee, but it is impossible to teach them to play football. For that, one needs human intelligence.

From the sidelines, I often hear the coaches yell, “Watch the ball.” That’s true in any sport involving a round or elliptical ball (inflated or deflated).

It is also necessary to be aware of all that is going on in the field of play.

Today is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. We can’t see them because they are pure spirit but we can be aware of them with the eyes of faith.

Long before Christianity, guardian angels are mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, what we call the Old Testament. God tells Moses, “My angel will go before you.” The story of Tobias and his angel who go on a journey. Significantly Tobias is also accompanied by a dog who apparently is able to see the angel.

The most often quoted scripture verse on this subject is the 91^st Psalm where the author writes, “For he will command his angels to guard you in all your ways.”

In the New Testament, angels are everywhere mentioned as messengers between God and human beings. The first part of the “Hail Mary,” which you recite before, during and after a game, are the words spoken by an angel to Mary, telling her the Lord is with her.

The word “angel” is from the Greek word “άγγελος”, which means “messenger.” Last year, on this date, Pope Francis preached on Guardian Angels. He said to pay attention to our “travelling companion.” He added, “We all have an angel with us, who guards us…” The Pope then asked each person if they are aware of their relationship with their guardian angel. He said, “Do I listen to him? Do I bid him good day in the morning? Do I tell him:  ‘guard me…”? Pope John XXIII attributed the idea of summoning the Second Vatican Council to an inspiration from his guardian angel.             There is a traditional Catholic prayer I and many others learned as children. It’s known throughout the world, “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule and guide.” According to Catholic theology, every person is assigned a guardian angel. I am sure there are several Catholics on the Caldwell team. But they may not all be aware of their guardian angel this evening. But you are aware of yours.

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