I had a very special prayer period today. I didn’t use a Scripture passage. (1) I needed to talk to my Father about something that happened last night, so I did.

Last night at about 2:30 a.m., a noise awakened me. I could hear my dog lapping water from his bowl in the laundry room - a familiar sound. But there was an “alien” metallic sound, too, coming from across my room. The only thing in that direction was the brass stand of my floor lamp. It took me a second, but I recognized a rapid, but distinct, “SOS” being tapped out. I grabbed my glasses and switched on the lamp beside my bed. The tapping stopped immediately. There was nothing near the floor lamp. However, a thin wisp of steam was rising from my vaporizer next to the lamp. I had forgotten to turn it off. It was nearly out of water. Had it emptied, it would have been a serious fire hazard.

I thanked my Father for the timely warning, and went back to bed feeling very safe and secure. The incident was very much on my mind when I woke up, and it stayed there. I kept trying to find a logical explanation for the tapping noise. Short of a tap-dancing spider in combat boots, there was none.

So, I went to my Father in prayer. He reminded me that our covenant included protection. I sat for a good half hour in utter awe at the thought of an angel kneeling on this tile floor, tapping on my lamp to draw my attention to a hazard. A real angel here! My Father seemed to smile at that as He reminded me that His angels were all over the place doing His work. (2) He reminded me of another set of incidents that happened a few years ago. I was in the process of deciding whether or not to come back into the Church, and all sorts of strange things were happening. Mostly, small household items were defying gravity to either strike me, or clatter noisily near me. A key had to jump up over a hook in order to fall, for instance. None of it had any basis in logic. It was kind of spooky, and the thought that if I went back into the Church worse would happen - statues would talk, and I would see apparitions - all my childhood fears about holy things. These I shrugged off. (3)

One morning, I woke up with the crucifix from my wall in my hand. I was gripping it for dear life. I had never figured out how it got there. My Father led me to realize, today, that one of His angels put it there to protect me. The devil was very determined to keep me out of the Church.

I can believe that I needed protection. Soon after the crucifix incident, a large can of vegetables flew off a pantry shelf and just barely missed my bare foot. Had it hit me, it would have broken the bones. My mother had just put that can away. It had to come up and over other things to fall. This upset her very much, and she took my crucifix and blessed the rooms down here with it. That put an end to the scare tactics.

Knowing how He has protected me, I broke out into a hymn of thanks and praise. Then He led me to an old, old prayer book I have that contains the Little Office of the Holy Angels. He wants me to include theses prayer with my hourly offering to Him in thanksgiving for His protection, and in petition for greater angelic activity. Angels are sorely needed in the world. If this is what my Father wants, then this is what I will do. (4)

The time went very quickly.

(1) Spiritual director: This is always OK.

(2) Spiritual director: If He protects you in physical things, how much more will He care about your relationship with Him and your spiritual well being.

(3) Spiritual director: Good

(4) Spiritual director: Good