About this prayer

The Church teaches that every person is given a guardian angel from birth, a companion assigned to watch over and guide them through life. This short prayer, taught to generations of Catholic children, is often the very first prayer a child learns after the Sign of the Cross. Its simplicity is the point: four lines, easy to memorize, said without needing a book or a card.

Despite how often it’s treated as a children’s prayer, it isn’t only for children. Adults facing decisions, danger, or simply a hard day can pray it just as sincerely.

When to pray it

Morning and night are the traditional times, alongside a child’s bedtime routine, or your own. It’s also a good one to reach for before a drive, a difficult meeting, or anytime you want to ask for quiet, ordinary protection.