What is the role of the guardian angel in our life?

Thanks for that question! Perhaps your guardian angel prompted you to ask that!!!

Some quick understanding of guardian angels:

 A guardian angel is an angel (a created, non-human, non-corporeal being) that has been assigned to guard a particular person from the time of his birth, especially to help that person avoid spiritual dangers and achieve salvation. They are not separated at death but remain with that person in heaven.

 They are always in communion with God and are able to present the needs and cares of their wards to Him.

 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Mt 18:10).

The Church teaches that “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God” [CCC 336].

Among the prayers to the Guardian Angels, the Angele Dei is especially popular and is often recited during family prayers, or at the recitation of the ‘Angelus’.

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, rule and guide. Amen.

A word of caution – We should not assign names to our guardian angels; for the Church teaches that “the practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture”. (Directory on Popular Piety)

Our guardian angels can act upon our senses and our imagination but not upon our wills. So, we can always pray to them to give us holy inspirations that will lead us more towards God. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Heb 1:14). What a privilege we have! As St. Jerome says “how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it”.

Therefore, we must have devout gratitude to God for having placed these heavenly spirits of great sanctity and dignity at the service of man. We must also cultivate an attitude of devotion to these holy angels of God, deriving from the knowledge of living constantly in their presence. It gives us serenity and confidence in facing difficult situations, since the Lord guides and protects the faithful in the way of justice through the ministry of His Holy Angels.

(Few additional references – Book of Tobit, Ex 32:34, Ps 90:11, Ps 34:7)