Our Little Angel Gabriel

Since we had the chance to meet and hold our little one, though he/she was no longer alive, we decided we would like to name him/her.  I came across the name Gabriel and it seemed to fit the baby well.  We're unsure of the gender, though I always think of the baby as a boy and even think I may have seen "boy parts," though I'm not positive.  However, angels, though in the bible they are presented as men, don't have genders.  This is why I felt Gabriel was appropriate, named after the angel Gabriel, who announced the conception of Jesus to Our Lady as well as St. John the Baptist to Zachary.  I was due about the time of the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25th) when the angel Gabriel appeared to Our Lady to tell her she was to be the Mother of God which made the name feel all the more providential.

Little Gabriel had a very proper burial at Mom and Dad's (since we live in an apartment and didn't want to bury him here).  Dad cleared a beautiful spot out in the back and made a white little casket for our baby to be buried in.  It felt the most respectful to the body of our baby to bury him and it gives my human mind comfort knowing my baby is close.

It's hard not to wonder what Gabriel would have looked like, what personality he would have had, and what was in his future.  But God obviously saw something in that future that wouldn't have been good for him, and in His Mercy spared him from a life that might have sent him to eternal punishment.  Who knows, but as always, knowing this was the Will of God is a comfort and I don't need to understand or know why since Our Lord already does.

Speaking of angels, I picked up a little booklet off the shelf about Guardian Angels recently.  It made me realize how much overtime mine must be doing through all this.  They comfort us, strengthen us, help us through temptation, admonish us when we have sinned and watch out for both our bodily and spiritual welfare.  It's pretty incredible that God has blessed each and every one of us with such a valuable companion through life.  They even fight for us on our deathbeds to keep away temptations and then, should we be in the perfect state of grace, present our souls to God to be rewarded in Heaven.  However, they won't do much in our favor if we have ignored them all our lives.  We should pray to them, ask them to present our prayers to God and plead for us since they are the messengers of God; thank them for the many times they have stepped in to save us from temptation or from bodily harm; ask them to keep watch over us and for their continued guidance and support.

Here's a cute little clip of William and Daddy dancing after dinner one night to brighten your day. ;)

~Lindsay