The angels in sacred writing and in church life

Da Paolo Tessione - July 15, 2019

Are they not all spirits in charge of a ministry, sent to serve those who must inherit salvation? ". (Heb 1,14:102) “Bless the Lord all you angels, powerful executors of his commands, ready to the sound of his word. Bless the Lord you angels his ministers, who do his will. " (Psalm 20, 21-XNUMX)

THE ANGELS IN THE HOLY WRITING

The presence and work of angels appear in many texts of the Old Testament. Cherubs with their dazzling swords guard the way to the tree of life, in earthly paradise (cf. Gn 3,24). The angel of the Lord orders Hagar to return to his lady and saves her from death in the desert (cf. Gn 16,7-12). The angels free Lot, his wife and two daughters from death, in Sodom (cf. Gen 19,15: 22-24,7). An angel is sent before Abraham's servant to guide him and to find him a wife for Isaac (cf. Gn 28,12). Jacob in a dream sees a staircase that rises up to heaven, with angels of God ascending and descending it (cf. Gen 32,2:48,16). And further on these angels go to meet Jacob (cf. Gn 3,2). "May the angel who freed me from all evil bless these young people!" (Gn 14,19) exclaims Jacob blessing his children before dying. An angel appears to Moses in a flame of fire (cf. Ex 23,20). The angel of God precedes the encampment of Israel and protects it (cf. Ex 3:34). "Behold, I am sending an angel before you to keep you on the way and to let you enter the place I have prepared" (Ex 33,2:22,23). "Now go, lead the people where I told you. Behold, my angel will precede you "(Ex 22,31Z6,16); "I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanite ..." (Ex 22: 13,3). The donkey of Balaam sees an angel on the road with his sword drawn in his hand (cf. Nm 2). When the Lord opens his eyes to Balaam he too sees the angel (cf. Nm 24,16). An angel encourages Gideon and orders him to fight the enemies of his people. He promises to remain with him (cf. Jg 2: 24,17-2). An angel appears to Manoach's wife and announces the birth of Samson, despite the woman being sterile (cf. Jg 1,3). When David sins and chooses the plague as punishment: "The angel had stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it ..." (2 Sam 19,35) but then withdraws it by order of the Lord. David sees the angel striking the people of Israel and begs for forgiveness from God (cf. 8 Sam 90:148). The angel of the Lord communicates the will of Yahweh to Elijah (cf. 6,23 Kings XNUMX: XNUMX). An angel of the Lord struck one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the survivors woke up in the morning, they found them all dead (cf. XNUMX Kings XNUMX:XNUMX). The angels are often mentioned in the Psalms (cf. Psalm XNUMX; XNUMX; XNUMX). God sends his angel to close the lions' mouth so as not to make Daniel die (cf. Dn XNUMX). Angels frequently appear in the prophecy of Zechariah and the book of Tobias has the angel Raphael as a prominent character; the latter plays an admirable role of protector and shows how God manifests his love for man through the ministry of angels.

THE ANGELS IN THE GOSPEL

We often find angels in the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus. The angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah and announces the birth of the Baptist (cf. Lk 1,11:XNUMX and ff.). Again Gabriel announces to God, by God, 1 incarnation of the Word in her, by the work of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 1,26:XNUMX). An angel appears in a dream to Joseph and explains to him what happened to Mary, he tells him not to be afraid to receive her at home, since the fruit of his womb is the work of the Holy Spirit (cf. Mt 1,20). On Christmas night an angel brings the happy announcement of the Savior's birth to the shepherds (cf. Lk 2,9: XNUMX). The angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and orders him to return to Israel with the child and his mother (cf. Mt 2:19). After the temptations of Jesus in the desert ... "the devil left him and behold angels came to him and served him" (Mt 4, 11). During his ministry, Jesus speaks of angels. As he explains the parable of the wheat and the tares, he says: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man. the field is the world. the good seed are children of the kingdom; the tares are children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed it is the devil. The harvest represents the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. So as the tares are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the world, the Son of man will send his angels, who will gather from his kingdom all the scandals and all the workers of iniquity and throw them in the fiery furnace where it will be crying and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears hear! " (Mt 13,37-43). "For the Son of man will come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and will render to each according to his actions" (Mt 16,27:XNUMX). When referring to the dignity of children he says: "Be careful not to despise one of these little ones, because I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 18, 10). Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, he says: 'In fact, we do not take a wife or husband at the resurrection, but we are like angels in heaven "(Mt 2Z30). Nobody knows the day of the Lord's return, "not even the angels of heaven" (Mt 24,36). When he judges all peoples, he will come "with all his angels" (Mt 25,31 or cf.Lk 9,26:12; and 8: 9-XNUMX). By presenting ourselves before the Lord and his angels, therefore, we will be glorified or rejected. Angels participate in the joy of Jesus for the conversion of sinners (cf. Le 15,10). In the parable of the rich man we find a very important task for angels, that of taking us to the Lord at the hour of our death. "One day the poor man died and was brought by the angels into Abraham's womb" (Le 16,22:XNUMX). In the most difficult moment of Jesus' agony in the garden of Olives came "an angel from heaven to comfort him" (Le 22, 43). On the morning of the resurrection angels appear again, as had already happened on Christmas night (cf. Mt 28,2: 7-XNUMX). The disciples of Emmaus heard about this angelic presence on the day of the resurrection (cf. Le 24,22-23). In Bethlehem the angels had brought the news that Jesus was born, in Jerusalem that he had risen. The angels were therefore instructed to announce the two great events: the birth and resurrection of the Savior. Mary Magdalene is fortunate to see "two angels in white robes, seated one on the side of the head and the other on the feet, where the body of Jesus had been placed". And he can also listen to their voice (cf. Jn 20,12: 13-XNUMX). After the ascension, two angels, in the form of men in white robes, introduce themselves to the disciples to say to them “Men of Galilee, why are you looking at the sky?

THE ANGELS IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

In the Acts the protective action of the angels against the apostles is narrated and the first intervention takes place for the benefit of all of them (cf Acts 5,12: 21-7,30). St. Stephen cites the apparition of the angel to Moses (cf. Acts 6,15). "All those who sat in the Sanhedrin, fixing their eyes on him, saw his face [the face of Saint Stephen] like that of an angel" (Acts 8,26:10,3). An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying: 'Get up, and go towards the south, on the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza "(Acts 10,22:12,6). Philip obeyed and met and evangelized the Ethiopian, official of Candace, queen of Ethiopia. An angel appears to centurion Cornelius, gives him the good news that his prayers and alms have come to God, and orders him to send his servants to look for Peter to have him come there, to that house (cf. Acts 16 ). The envoys tell Peter: Cornelius "was warned by a holy angel to invite you to his house, to listen to what you have to say to him" (Acts 12,23:27,21). During the persecution of Herod Agrippa, Peter is put in prison, but an angel of the Lord appeared to him and sent him out of prison: “Now I am truly sure that the Lord has sent his angel and has torn me from Herod's hand and from all that the people of the Jews expected "(cf Acts 24: XNUMX-XNUMX). Shortly afterwards, Herod, struck "suddenly" by "an angel of the Lord", "gnawed by worms, expired" (Acts XNUMX:XNUMX). On the way to Rome, Paul and his companions in danger of death due to a very strong storm, receive the salvific help of an angel (cf Acts XNUMX: XNUMX-XNUMX).

THE ANGELS IN THE LETTERS OF SAINT PAUL AND OTHER APOSTLES

Numerous are the passages in which angels are spoken of in the letters of Saint Paul and in the writings of the other apostles. In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul says that we have come to be "a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men" (1 Cor 4,9: 1); that we will judge angels (cf. 6,3 Cor 1: 11,10); and that the woman must bear "a sign of her dependence on account of the angels" (XNUMX Cor XNUMX:XNUMX). In the second Letter to the Corinthians he warns them that "Satan also masks himself as an angel of light" (2 Cor 11,14:XNUMX). In the Letter to the Galatians, he considers the superiority of angels (cf. Gai 1,8) and affirms that the law 'was promulgated by means of angels through a mediator "(Gal 3,19). In the Letter to the Colossians, the Apostle enumerates the different angelic hierarchies and underlines their dependence on Christ, in whom all creatures subsist (cf. Col 1,16 and 2,10). In the Second Letter to the Thessalonians he repeats the doctrine of the Lord on his second coming in the company of the angels (cf. 2 Thess 1,6: 7-XNUMX). In the First Letter to Timothy he says that "the mystery of piety is great: He manifested himself in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit, appeared to the angels, was announced to the pagans, was believed in the world, was assumed in glory" (1 Tim 3,16, XNUMX). And then he admonishes his disciple with these words: "I beseech you before God, Christ Jesus and the chosen angels, to observe these rules impartially and to never do anything for favoritism" (1 Tim 5,21:XNUMX). St. Peter had personally experienced the protective action of angels. So he speaks of it in his First Letter: “And it was revealed to them that not for themselves, but for you, they were ministers of those things that have now been announced to you by those who preached the gospel to you in the Holy Spirit sent from heaven: things in which the angels wish to fix their gaze "(1 Pt 1,12 and cf 3,21-22). In the second letter he speaks of the fallen and unforgiving angels, as we also read in the letter of St. Jude. But it is in the letter to the Hebrews that we find abundant references to angelic existence and action. The first topic of this letter is the supremacy of Jesus over all created beings (cf Heb 1,4: XNUMX). The very special grace that binds the angels to Christ is the gift of the Holy Spirit granted to them. Indeed, it is the Spirit of God himself, the bond that unites angels and men with the Father and the Son. The connection of the angels with Christ, their ordering to him as creator and Lord, is manifested to us men, especially in the services with which they accompany the saving work of the Son of God on earth. Through their service the angels make the Son of God experience that he became man who is not alone, but that the Father is with him (cf. Jn 16,32:XNUMX). For the apostles and disciples, however, the word of the angels confirms them in the faith that the kingdom of God has approached in Jesus Christ. The author of the letter to the Hebrews invites us to persevere in the faith and takes the behavior of angels as an example (cf. Heb 2,2: 3-XNUMX). He also speaks to us of the incalculable number of angels: "Instead, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem and myriads of angels ..." (Heb 12:22).

THE ANGELS IN THE APOCALYPSE

No text is richer than this, in describing the incalculable number of angels and their glorifying function of Christ, the Savior of all. "After that, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds" (Ap 7,1). 'Then all the angels around the throne and the elders and the four living beings bowed deeply with their faces before the throne and worshiped God saying: Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen '"(Ap 7,11-12). Angels blow the trumpet and unleash plagues and punishments for the wicked. Chapter 12 describes the great battle that takes place in heaven between Michael and his angels on the one hand, and Satan and his army on the other (cf. Rev 12,7: 12-14,10). Those who worship the beast will be tortured "with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb" (Rev 21,12:2). In the vision of Paradise, the author contemplates "the twelve gates" of the city and on them "the twelve angels" (Ap 26). In the epilogue John hears: “These words are certain and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what is to happen shortly "(Ap 2,28, 22,16). “It is I, Giovanni, who has seen and heard these things. When I heard and saw that I had them, I prostrated myself in adoration at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me ”(Ap XNUMX). "I, Jesus, sent my angel, to testify to you these things about the Churches" (Rev XNUMX).

ANGELS IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Apostles' Symbol professes that God is "the Creator of heaven and earth" and the explicit Nicene-Constantinopolitan Symbol: "... of all visible and invisible things". (n. 325) In Sacred Scripture, the expression "heaven and earth" means: all that exists, the whole of creation. It also indicates, within the creation, the bond that at the same time unites and distinguishes heaven and earth: "The earth" is the world of men. "Heaven", or "the heavens", can indicate the firmament, but also the "place" proper to God: our "Father who is in heaven" (Mt 5,16:326) and, consequently, also the "heaven ”Which is eschatological glory. Finally, the word "heaven" indicates the "place" of the spirit creatures, the angels, who surround God. (N. 327) The profession of faith of the Lateran Council IV states: God, "from the beginning of time, created out of nothing the one and the other order of creatures, the spiritual and the material, that is, the angels and the terrestrial world; and then man, almost a participant of both, composed of soul and body ". (# XNUMX)