By Jacqueline Kelly –
From childhood, we are fascinated with fairies with beautiful white robes and wings and are curious to know more about their existence. At home, our parents tell us to pray to our Guardian Angels to protect us at night and at school, our teachers tell us to hang angels on our Christmas trees.
In the old testament, God’s messengers, the angels appeared on earth to speak to humans and to give messages from God.[Num 22:23]. God sends the angels as messengers to instruct even His prophets.
“Make friends with the angels” is the advice which the great Pope Leo gives every Christian and it is the advice that everyone should follow. If, we, make friends with the angels, we shall receive innumerable and great favours. Our angel friends, too, will shield and protect us from countless dangers, evils, sickness and accidents which without their help, we could not possibly avoid. All these powerful and loving protectors will secure for us a degree of happiness that without their assistance, we could not hope for in this vale of tears.
Angels are our dearest and best friends. A good friend, a friend who is able and always ready to help us, a friend to whom we can share recourse in all our troubles and sorrows, is one of the greatest blessings God can give us.
Among humans, we rarely or never find such a friend, but this is not, so, with the angels. They are most desirous to be our friends and they love us with all their intensity of their angelic nature. Since, they are all powerful and generous, we can have the fullest confidence in their help and friendship. The one friendship on this earth that gives us an idea of the love of the angels is the affection of a mother. A mother’s love is the purest, the most generous, the strongest of all human love. God has placed in the mother’s heart an instinct of love so great that it almost borders on the supernatural.
She forgets herself and thinks only of her children. She maybe, young or old, rich or poor, full of weaknesses and imperfections can rise to such a love as this, what may we not expect from God’s angels, who have no defects, no imperfections and who love us with all the mighty power of their glorious angelic nature.
The teachings of the Church about the angels are most beautiful and consoling, but unfortunately, many Christians have meagre knowledge of the great world of the angels. They know little about the Blessed Spirits, love them little and seldom pray to them. Worst of all, they do not realize their presence. They show no confidence in them, and they do not call on them for help when dangers and difficulties press around. As a result, they forfeit a thousand blessings that they might easily enjoy and fall victim to a thousand hurdles that they might easily have avoided. Do not the angels exist?
Are they not our best friends? Is there not much to be said about them? Those who encourage the faithful to read books on angels receive the most striking graces.
Angels are purely spiritual and heavenly beings and as such they do not have bodies. Their names are mentioned nearly 300 times in the Bible. The angels surround our lives from infancy to death. [Lk 16:22] [Ps 34:7].These spiritual creatures have intelligence and free will, they are personal and immortal and surpass in perfection all visible creatures. [328, 330, Cathecism of the Catholic Church].
The angels are messengers of God. It was Angel Gabriel who appeared to Mother Mary and revealed God’s plan that through her God’s Son, Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world and offer His life for the sins of mankind.
- Mary was struck at the Archangels’ revelation that her cousin, Elizabeth had conceived a child in her old age. [Lk 1-39:45]
- From scripture, we learn that angels heralded the birth of Christ, announcing the good news to shepherds watching their flocks. [Lk 2:8-16].
- When Joseph came to know about Mary being with child he started pondering on it. In [Mt 1:20-23] says that while Joseph was still pondering over the matter, an angel appeared to Him in a dream.
When Jesus was a few days old, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the Child and His Mother and go back to the land of Israel” [Mt 2:19-21]. - Angels ministered to Jesus during His agony in the Garden at Gethsmane. [Lk 22:43]and [Mt 28:3-8]
The Angel of God appeared to Moses, Isaac, Jacob, Elijah and in the Jewish Scriptures, Angel Gabriel appears to Prophet Daniel, to explain his visions.
Our Lady appeared to St. Dominic, accompanied by three angels and told him to recite the rosary as the principal weapon of warfare. When Mary breathed her last, a silvery light shaded with blue and angelic creatures show themselves . They place themselves around the bed, bend over it and lift the immobile body and flapping their wings they go away taking with them the body of their Queen.
October 2, is celebrated as the Feast Day of the Holy Angels and Guardian Angels. Novenas and Litanies are recited to the Holy Angels to intercede and protect us in our daily activities and to shield us from the evil spirits at the hour of death.
We have the seven angels before the Throne of God. They are the seven selected Princes of Paradise that they may obtain for us the grace to avoid the seven deadly sins and that they may enrich us with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Church honours Saint Michael as one of the most important angels in heaven. He is invoked as the Protector of the Church against the power of satan.
Archangel Raphael first appeared in Holy Scripture in the Book of Tobit whose name means “God Heals”. Archangel Raphael is regarded as the angel of joy and is invoked as the angel of healing. He called himself, ‘Azariah’ when, in human form he became the travelling companion of the young Tobias on his journey to Rages.
Archangel Gabriel’s name means “God is my strength” Archangel Gabriel is the messenger angel, acting as a messenger of God. Archangel Jophiel’s name means ‘Beauty of God’. She helps us to see and maintain beauty in life and supports us in thinking and staying positive.
Archangel Ariel is the patron saint of animals and the environment. Archangel Ariel’s name means ‘Lion or Lioness of God’. Her role is to protect the earth and it’s natural resources.
Archangel Azrael’s name means “Whom God helps”. He is referred to as the “Angel of Death”. Azrael meets souls and helps them in the transition of death.
Archangel Chamuel’s name means “He who sees God”. His mission is to bring peace to the world and as such he protects the world from fear and lowers negative energies. We should remember that during Holy Mass, the angels come down to assist at mass and we kneel amidst a multitude of Holy Angels, who are present at the Adorable Sacrifice, with reverential awe. We should join our voices with theirs in praising God. They present our prayers to God. The Seraphim, Cherubim and the Archangels join the rapturous melodious voices singing “Gloria” and “Halleluiah” to God.
Saint Gregory the Great stated that, ‘The heavens open and multitudes of angels come to assist in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.” According to Saint Augustine, “The angels surround and help the Priest when he is celebrating Mass”.
In the past, angels have appeared to saints. “If the angels were capable of envy, they would envy us for two things, one, is receiving of Holy Communion and the other is suffering” [Saint Faustina’s Diary, 1804]
When we hear Holy Mass devoutly, offering it to the Almighty God in honour of any particular saint or angel, thanking God for the favours bestowed on him or her, you afford that saint or angel a new degree of honour, joy and happiness and draw his special love and protection on yourself.
O Holy Angel at my side, go to church for me,
Kneel in my place at Holy Mass.
Where I desire to be,
And when the priest communion takes,
O bring my Lord to me,
That His sweet heart may rest on mine,
And I His temple be.