Angel Information

 

Angel Information

A Little Information for you...about angels...

They are pure spirits, the closest image and likeness of the Creator, were the effect of a divine act of creation.

Angels are "sons of God," living witnesses of the creation of the material universe, where our Angels, began with time and was created by God.

"Angels are spirits," says Saint Augustine, "but it is not because they are spirits that they are Angels. They become Angels when they are sent, for the name Angel refers to their office (job description) not to their nature. You ask the name of this nature, it is spirit; you ask its office, it is that of an Angel (i.e., a messenger).

In the Scriptures of the Old Testament, the most frequently used name to designate the Angels is mal'akh, which means, messenger or legate.

They have been given the name of angels or messengers because their most common duty is to fulfill His word to children here on earth.

"Let us remember," writes Saint Bernard, " that the citizens of that country are spirits, mighty, glorious, blessed, distinct personalities, of graduated rank, occupying the order given them from the beginning, perfect of their kind ... endowed with immortality, passionless, not so created, but so made - that is, through grace, not by nature; being of pure mind, benignant affections, religious and devout; of unblemished morality; inseparably one in heart and mind, blessed with unbroken peace, God's edifice dedicated to the divine praises and service. All this we ascertain by reading, and hold by faith."



GUARDIAN ANGELS

Just as kings give their children a tutor, an attendant from their won court, so the King of Heaven has given men, His adoptive children through grace, tutelary spirits, guardians and protects from His own court.

St. Bernard says that the Angels constantly surround the souls of the faithful in their charge with the most tender care and love. They have but one great desire, that of leading us safely through life until we attain the glory and peace which they themselves possess and fully enjoy while in our company here on earth.

They defend and protect our immortal soul from the seduction of the world and the wiles of Satan. They often shield us from sudden dangers that threaten our life, or come to our rescue when some harm has befallen us. This becomes often manifest with little children who quite often come out of serious accidents without any injury. The mind of the little children cannot be reached with warnings and inspirations, because it is not yet functioning; and thus the Guardian Angel must take direct action in case of danger. Adult persons, in the full use of reason, are warned and cautioned by their Angel, but because they remain free to heed or to ignore such warnings of their Angel, many unfortunate things happen to them in spite of their heavenly protector.

THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL THE DUTIES OF A GUARDIAN ANGEL IS THAT OF POSITIVELY HELPING MAN IN THE TREMENDOUS WORK OF SAVING HIS IMMORTAL SOUL. THEY ACCOMPLISH THIS BY EXCITING IN OUR HEARTS PIOUS AND SALUTARY THOUGHTS AND DESIRES OR, AT TIMES, SALUTARY FEAR OF GOD'S JUDGMENTS. THEY BECOME INTERMEDIARIES BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, AS THEY LAY OUR NEEDS AND OUR FEARS BEFORE HIM, OFFERING GOD OUR DESIRES AND OUR PRAYERS, AND IN RETURN THEY BRING US HIS GRACE AND HIS GIFTS.

The often mentioned activity of the Archangel Raphael, in favor of old Tobias and his son, is the best illustration of the manifold duties of a Guardian Angel. The entire book Tobias gives us not only an example of patience and charity in the holy man Tobais, but also revels to us the wonderful and loving ministry of our Guardian Angels.

Our Guardian Angels pray for us and with us, and they offer our prayers, our suffering, and our good desires to the throne of God. The most consoling truth is revealed by the glorious Archangel Raphael: "I discover then the truth unto you, and I will not hide the secret from you. When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, and didst leave thy dinner and hide the dead by day in thy house and bury them at night, I offered thy prayer to the Lord."





Another duty of our Angels is that of praising God, and they wish us to join them in this heavenly occupation. This is the first thing that the Archangel Raphael demanded before revealing his identity: "Bless ye the God of heaven, give glory to him in the sight of all that live, because he has shown his mercy to you." When the faithful soul, leaving this mortal body, shall look for the first time upon the enchanting features of her heavenly guide and try to offer thanks for his loving service, she will probably hear the same answer that the grateful Tobias received from the Archangel Raphael: "Peace be to you, fear not; for when I was with you, I was there by the will of God: bless ye him, and sing praises to him."

When in need of spiritual assistance or in order to ask for prayer, they at Padre Pio's suggestion (Capuchin priest living a S. Giovanni Rotondo Italy) - send their own Guardian Angel to him and often with happy results. It is reported by one, associated with the good Padre, that one morning he complained about the constant arrival of Guardian Angels with various petitions during the night, saying: "Those Guardian Angels didn't let me sleep a moment last night!."

It is at the hour of death that the good Angel shows the greatest zeal in protecting and defending the soul committed to his/her care, invoking often the assistance of other Angels against the wiles and the fury of Satan. According to Origen, " At the hour of death the celestial escort receives the soul the moment it leaves the body." This common Christian belief, of the soul being accompanied by its Angel to the Divine Tribunal is based on the words of Our Lord: "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." (Luke 16:22)