Angel of God
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom his love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
Text: The Raccolta, translated by Ambrose St John (1880), public domain.
In Latin
Angele Dei, qui custos es mei,
me, tibi commissum pietate superna,
illumina, custodi, rege et guberna. Amen.
About this prayer
The Latin prayer goes back to the Middle Ages and is often linked to Reginald of Canterbury (eleventh century); the English rhyme is a nineteenth-century rendering. It rests on Jesus' words about the children's angels (Matthew 18:10). Children learn it early, and many pray it morning and night.