I said how remarkable it is that everyone, Christian or not, has a guardian angel.

One of my friends agreed with a joyful smile. He commented that it’s not only true that everyone has a guardian angel; it’s also pretty universal that people believe in the guardianship of angels.

(I commented that I was too stupid to notice without being told by the Church!)

My friend then used children as an example. Even if adults miss the point, do children? It seems that, in general, children live the presence of guardian angels a lot better than adults. They’re often perfectly happy to play “by themselves” (but with an imaginary friend of some sort) and know that, while in one sense it is true they are by themselves, it’s not quite true. They are “alone” but not necessarily withdrawn into themselves; they may be withdrawn into a real, concrete reality. Maybe it is their “best friend in heaven” that they know.

There’s a divine simplicity about that.

This seems to be on the mark. Didn’t Little Văn talk about his “most faithful travelling companion”, when he was out and about playing as a young child? And more to the point, when we were told by Jesus about the existence of guardian angels, didn’t he use children as an example: “their angels see the face of my Father in heaven” (Mt 18:10)?