The Company of Guardian Angels. True friends present alongside us
The existence of angels is a truth taught by faith and also glimpsed by reason.
1 - If in fact we open Sacred Scripture, we find that very frequently we speak of Angels. A few examples.
God placed an Angel in the custody of the earthly Paradise; two Angels went to free Lot, Abra-mo's grandson, from the fire of Sodom and Gomorrah; an Angel held Abraham's arm when he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac; an Angel fed the prophet Elijah in the desert; an Angel guarded Tobias' son on a long journey and then brought him back safely into the arms of his parents; an Angel announced the mystery of the Incarnation to Mary Most Holy; an Angel announced the birth of the Savior to the shepherds; an Angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt; an Angel announced the resurrection of Jesus to the pious women; an Angel freed St. Peter from prison, etc. etc.
2 - Even our reason finds no difficulty in admitting the existence of the Angels. St. Thomas Aquinas finds the reason for the convenience of the existence of the Angels in the harmony of the universe. Here is his thought: «In created nature nothing proceeds by leap. There are no breaks in the chain of created beings. All the visible creatures overlap each other (the most noble to the least noble) with mysterious ties that are headed by man.
Then man, made up of matter and spirit, is the ring of conjunction between the material world and the spiritual world. Now between man and his Creator there is a boundless abyss of distance, therefore it was convenient to the divine Wisdom that even here there was a link that would fill the ladder of being created: this is the realm of pure spirits, that is, the kingdom of the Angels.
The existence of the Angels is a dogma of faith. The Church has defined it several times. We mention some documents.
1) Lateran Council IV (1215): «We firmly believe and humbly confess that God is one and only true, eternal and immense ... Creator of all visible and invisible, spiritual and corporeal things. He with his omnipotence, at the beginning of time, drew from nothing the one and the other creature, the spiritual and the corporeal one, that is the angelic and the terrestrial one (minerals, plants and animals) ), and finally the human, almost synthesis of both, made up of soul and body ".
2) Vatican Council I - Session 3a of 24/4/1870. 3) Vatican Council II: Dogmatic Constitution "Lumen Gentium", n. 30: "That the Apostles and the Martyrs ... are closely united with us in Christ, the Church has always believed it, has venerated them with particular affection together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Angels, and has fully invoked the help of the their intercession ».
4) The Catechism of St. Pius X, responding to questions nos. 53, 54, 56, 57, states: "God did not create only what is material in the world, but also the pure
spirits: and creates the soul of every man; - Pure spirits are intelligent, bodyless beings; - Faith makes us know the pure good spirits, that is the Angels, and the bad ones, the demons; - The Angels are the invisible ministers of God, and also our custodians, having God entrusted each man to one of them ».
5) Solemn profession of Faith of Pope Paul VI on 30/6/1968: «We believe in one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - Creator of visible things, like this world where we spend our life I was running away -the, and invisible things, which are the pure spirits, also called Angels, and Creator, in each man, of the spiritual and immortal soul ».
6) The Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 328) states: The existence of spiritless, incorporeal beings, which Sacred Scripture usually calls Angels, is a truth of faith. The testimony of Sacred Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition. At no. 330 says: As purely spiritual creatures, they have intelligence and will; they are personal and immortal creatures. They outperform all visible creatures.
I wanted to bring back these documents of the Church because today many deny the existence of the Angels.
We know from Revelation (Dan. 7,10) that in Pa-radiso there are endless multitudes of Angels. St. Thomas Aquinas maintains (Qu. 50) that the number of the Angels surpasses, without comparison, the number of all material beings (minerals, plants, animals and human beings) of all times.
Everyone has a wrong idea of the Angels. Since they are portrayed in the form of beautiful young men with wings, they believe that the Angels have a material body like us, although more subtle. But is not so. There is nothing bodily in them because they are pure spirits. They are represented with wings to indicate the readiness and agility with which they carry out God's orders.
On this earth they appear to men in human form to warn us of their presence and be seen by our eyes. Here is an example taken from the biography of Santa Caterina Labouré. Let's listen to the story you made yourself.
«At 23.30 pm (on July 16, 1830) I hear myself called by name: Sister Labouré, Sister Labouré! Wake me up, look where the voice came from, draw the curtain and see a boy dressed in white, from four to five years old, all shining, who says to me: Come to the chapel, the Madonna is waiting for you. - Dress me quickly, I followed him, always keeping to my right. It was surrounded by rays that illuminated wherever he went. My surprise grew when, when we reached the door of the chapel, it opened as soon as the boy touched it with the tip of a finger ».
After describing the apparition of Our Lady and the mission entrusted to her, the Saint continues: «I don't know how long she stayed with her; at some point he disappeared. Then I got up from the steps of the altar and saw again, in the place where I had left him, the boy who said to me: she left! We followed the same path, always fully illuminated, with the fan-ciullo on my left.
I believe he was my Guardian Angel, who had made himself visible to show me the Virgin Santissi-ma, because I had begged him a lot to get me this favor. He was dressed in white, all shining with light and aged from 4 to 5. "
Angels have an intelligence and power immeasurably superior to human. They know all the forces, attitudes, laws of created things. There is no science unknown to them; there is no language that they do not know, etc. The lesser of the angels knows more than all men know, they were all scientists.
Their knowledge does not underlie the laborious discursive process of human knowledge, but proceeds by intuition. Their knowledge is susceptible to increase without any effort and is safe from any mistake.
The science of the angels is extraordinarily perfect, but it remains always limited: they cannot know the secret of the future which depends exclusively on the divine will and on human freedom. They cannot know, without us wanting it, our intimate thoughts, the secret of our hearts, which only God can penetrate. They cannot know the mysteries of divine Life, of Grace and of the supernatural order, without a particular revelation made to them by God.
They have extraordinary power. For them, a planet is like a toy for children, or a ball for boys.
They have an unspeakable beauty, it is enough to mention that St. John the Evangelist (Rev. 19,10 and 22,8) at the sight of an Angel, was so dazzled by the splendor of his beauty that he prostrated himself on the ground to worship him, believing he was seeing the majesty of God.
The Creator does not repeat himself in his works, he does not create beings in series, but one different from the other. As no two people have the same physiognomy
and the same qualities of soul and body, so there are no two Angels who have the same degree of intelligence, wisdom, power, beauty, perfection, etc., but one is different from the other.
Trial of the Angels
In the first phase of creation the Angels were not yet confirmed in grace, therefore they could sin because they were in the darkness of faith.
At that time, God wanted to test their loyalty, to have a sign of particular love and humble subjection from them. What was the proof? We do not know it, but it, as St Thomas Aquinas says, could only be the manifestation of the mystery of the Incarnation.
In this regard, it is reported what Bishop Paolo Hni-lica SJ wrote in the magazine "Pro Deo et Fratribus", December 1988:
“I recently happened to read such a profound private revelation about St. Michael the Archangel as I had never read in my life. The author is a visionary who had the vision of Lucifer's struggle against God and of St. Michael's struggle against Lucifer. According to this revelation God created the Angels in a single act, but his first creature was Lucifer, bearer of light, head of the Angels. The Angels knew God, but only had contact with Him through Lucifer.
When God manifested his plan to create men to Lucifer and the other Angels, Lucifer claimed to be the head of humanity too. But God revealed to him that the head of humanity would be another, namely the Son of God who would become man. With this gesture of God, men, although created inferior to the Angels, would have been lifted up.
Lucifer would also have accepted that the Son of God, made man, was greater than he was, but he absolutely did not want to accept that Mary, a human creature, was greater than he was, the Queen of Angels. It was then that he proclaimed his "We will not serve - I will not serve, I will not obey".
Together with Lucifer, a part of the Angels, instigated by him, did not want to renounce the privileged place that had been assured them and therefore they proclaimed "We will not serve - I will not serve".
Certainly God did not fail to admonish them: “With this gesture you will bring eternal death both to yourself and to others. But they continued to reply, Lu-cifero in the head: "We will not serve you, we are freedom!". At a certain point, God, as it were, retreated to give them time to decide for or against. Then the battle began with Lucife-ro's cry: "Who like me?". But at that moment there was also the cry of an Angel, the simplest, the most humble: “God is greater than you! Who like God? ". (The name Mi-chele means exactly this "Who like God?". But he still didn't bear this name).
It was at this point that the Angels parted, some with Lucifer, some with God.
God asked Michele: "Who is fighting against Luci-fero?". And again this Angel: “Who have you established, Lord! ". And God to Michele: “Who are you who speak like this?
Where do you get the courage and strength to oppose the first of the Angels? ".
Again that humble and submissive voice replies: "I am nothing, it is You who give me the strength to speak like this". Then God concluded: "Since you considered yourself nothing, it will be with my strength that you will win Lucifer!" ».
We too never win Satan alone, but only thanks to the strength of God. For this reason God said to Mi-chele: "With my strength you will overcome Lucifer, the first of the Angels".
Lucifer, carried by his pride, thought of establishing an independent kingdom separate from that of Christ and of making himself like God.
How long the fight lasted we don't know. St. John the Evangelist, who in the vision of the Apocalis-se saw the scene of the celestial struggle reproduce, wrote that St. Michael had the upper hand over Lucifer.
God, who until then had left the Angels free, intervened by rewarding the faithful Angels with Heaven, and punishing the rebels with a penalty corresponding to their guilt: he created Hell. Lucifer from Angel lo very bright became Angel of darkness and was pre-cipito in the depths of the infernal abysses, followed by his other companions.
God rewarded the faithful Angels by confirming them in grace, whereby, as the Theologians express themselves, the state of the way, that is, the state of trial, ceased for them and entered eternally into the state of termination, in which it is impossible. every change both for good and for evil: thus they became infallible and impeccable. Their intellect will never be able to adhere to error, and their will will never be able to adhere to sin. They were elevated to the supernatural state, so they too enjoy the Beatific Vision of God. We men, by the Redemption of Christ, are their companions and brothers.
Division
A multitude without order is confusion, and the state of the Angels certainly cannot be such. The works of God - Saint Paul writes (Rom. 13,1) - are ordered. He established all things in number, weight and measure, that is, in perfect order. In the multitude of angels, therefore, there is a wonderful order. They are divided into three hierarchies.
Hierarchy means "sacred kingdom", both in the sense of "holy ruled kingdom" and in the sense of "holy ruled kingdom".
Both meanings are realized in the an-gelic world: 1 - They are ruled holy by God (from this point of view all the Angels form a single hierarchy and God is their only Head); 2 - They are also those who govern holy: the highest among them govern the inferior, all together govern the material creation.
The Angels - as St. Thomas Aquinas explains - can know the reason for the things of God, the first and universal principle. This way of knowing is the privilege of the Angels who are closest to God. These sublime Angels constitute the "First Hierarchy".
The Angels can then see the reason for things in created universal causes, called "general laws." This way of knowing belongs to the Angels who make up the "Second Hierarchy".
Finally, there are the Angels who see the reason for things in their particular causes that govern them. This way of knowing belongs to the Angels of the "Third Hierarchy".
Each of these three hierarchies is divided into different degrees and orders, distinct and subordinate to each other, otherwise there would be confusion, or monotonous uniformity. These grades or orders are called "choirs".
1 in Hierarchy with its three choirs: Serafini, Cherubi-ni, Troni.
2nd Hierarchy with its three choirs: Dominations, Vir-tù, Power.
3 a Hierarchy with its three choirs: Principati, Arcan-geli, Angeli.
Angels are staggered into a true hierarchy of power, whereby others command and others execute; the upper choirs illuminate and direct the lower choirs.
Each choir has particular offices in the governance of the universe. The result is a single immense family, which forms a single great lever of command, moved by God, in governing the entire universe.
The head of this immense angelic family is St. Michael the Archangel, so called because he is the Head of all Angels. They govern and watch over each part of the universe to converge it for the good of men in order to the glory of God.
A large number of Angels have the task of guarding-telling us and defending us: they are our Guardian Angels. They are always with us from birth to death. it is the most delicate gift of the Most Holy Trinity to every man who comes to this world. The Guardian Angel never abandons us, even if we, as unfortunately usually happens, forget it; it protects us from many dangers for the soul and the body. Only in eternity will we know how many evils our Angel saved us.
In this regard, here is an episode, quite recent, that has the incredible, happened to the lawyer. De Santis, a man of seriousness and integrity to all proof, residing in Fano (Pe-saro), in Via Fabio Finzi, 35. Here is his story:
"On December 23, 1949, Christmas anti-freeze, where I went to Fano in Bologna with the Fiat 1100, together with my wife and two of my three children, Guido and Gian Luigi, in order to pick up the third, Luciano, who was studying in the Pascoli College of that city. We set out for six in the morning. Against all my habits, at 2,30 I was already awake, nor could I go to sleep again. Of course, at the time of my departure I was not in the best physical condition, since my insomnia had undone me and exhausted me.
I drove the car to Forlì, where due to fatigue I was forced to give up driving to the largest of my children, Guido, with a regular driving license. In Bologna, taken over by Luciano from Collegio Pascoli, I wanted to go back to the wheel again, to leave Bologna at 2 in the afternoon for Fano. Guido was at my side, while the others, with my wife, talked in the back seat.
Beyond the area of S. Lazzaro, as soon as I entered the state road, I experienced greater tiredness and heavy head. I could no longer sleep and often I happened to bow my head and inadvertently close my eyes. I wished Guido would replace me once again behind the wheel. But this one had fallen asleep and I didn't have the heart to wake him up. I remember I did, a little later, some other ... reverence: then I don't remember anything!
At a certain point, aroused abruptly by the deafening roar of the engine, I regain consciousness and I realize that I am two kilometers from Imola. - Who was the one who ran the car? What is this? - I asked out of consternation. - And nothing happened? I anxiously asked my parents. - No - I was answered. - Why this question?
The son, who was at my side, also woke up and said he had dreamed that at that moment the car was going off the road. - I have only been sleeping until now - I went back to saying - so much so that I feel refreshed.
I really felt good, sleep and tiredness had disappeared. My parents, who were in the rear seat, were incredulous and astonished, but then, even if they could not explain how the car had been able to travel a long way by itself, they ended up admitting that I had been motionless for a while. long stretch and that I had never answered their questions, nor echoed their speeches. And they added that more than once the car seemed to be about to collide with some trucks, but then it steered dexterously and that I had crossed many vehicles, among which even the well-known courier Renzi.
I replied that I had not noticed anything, that I had seen nothing of all this for the reason already said that I had slept. Calculations made, my sleep behind the wheel had lasted for the time needed to travel about 27 kilometers!
As soon as I realized this reality and the cata-verse to which I had escaped, thinking of my wife and children, I was very afraid. However, failing otherwise to explain what had happened, I thought of a providential intervention by God and I calmed down somewhat.
Two months after this event, and precisely on February 20, 1950, I went to S. Giovanni Rotondo by Pa-dre Pio. I was lucky enough to meet him on the stairs of the convent. He was with a Cappuccino unknown to me, but which I later knew was P. Ciccioli from Pollenza, in the province of Macerata. I asked P. Pio what had happened to me last Christmas antivigilia, returning with my family from Bologna to Fano, aboard my car. - You were asleep and the Guardian Angel was driving your car - was the answer.
- Are you serious, Father? it's really true? - And he: You have the Angel who protects you. - Then placing a hand on my shoulder he added: Yes, you are asleep and the Guardian Angel was driving the car.
I looked questioningly at the unknown Capuchin Friar, who, like me, had an expression and a gesture of great amazement ». (From «The Angel of God» - 3rd reprint - Ed. L'Arcangelo - San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), pp. 67-70).
There are angels placed by God to guard and defend nations, cities and families. There are Angels who surround the tabernacle in an act of adoration, in which Jesus of the Eucharist is a prisoner of love for us. There is an Angel, believed to be St. Michael, who watches over the Church and its visible Head, the Roman Pontiff.
St. Paul (Heb. 1,14:XNUMX) explicitly states that the Angels are at our service, that is, they protect us from the innumerable moral and physical dangers to which we are continually exposed, and defend us from demons who, not yet definitively locked in in-prison, infest creation.
Angels are united with each other in tender and mutual love. What to say about their songs and their harmonies? St Francis of Assisi, finding himself in a state of great suffering, a single beat of music made him hear by an Angel was enough to stop feeling the pain and raise it in a great ecstasy of joy.
In Paradise we will find very cordial friends in the Angels and not proud companions to make us weigh their superiority. Blessed Angela of Foligno, who in her earthly life had frequent visions and found herself in contact with the Angels several times, will say: I could never have imagined that the Angels were so affable and courteous. - Therefore their coexistence will be very delicious and we cannot imagine what sweet interest we will enjoy in entertaining with them heart to heart. St. Thomas Aquinas (Qu. 108, at 8) teaches that "although according to nature it is impossible for man to compete with the Angels, but according to grace we can merit a glory so great as to be associated with each of the nine angelic choirs ». Then men will go to occupy the places left empty by the rebel angels, the devils. We cannot therefore think of the angelic choirs without seeing them studded with human creatures, equal in holiness and glory even to the most exalted Cherubni and Seraphim.
Between us and the Angels there will be the most affectionate friendship, without the diversity of nature hindering it in the least. They, who govern and manage all the forces of nature, will be able to satisfy our thirst for knowing the secrets and problems of the natural sciences and will do so with the utmost competence and great fraternal cordiality. Just as the Angels, although immersed in the beatific vision of God, receive and transmit to each other, from higher to lower, the beams of light that radiate from the Divinity, so we, although immersed in the beatific vision, will perceive through the Angels not little part of the infinite truths spread to the universe.
These Angels, shining like so many suns, immensely beautiful, perfect, affectionate, affable, will become our attentive teachers. Imagine their outbursts of joy and the expressions of their tender affection when they have successfully crowned all they have done for our salvation. With what grateful interest we will be told then by thread and by sign, each from his Anelo Custode, the true story of our life with all the dangers that have escaped, with all the help made available to us. In this regard, Pope Pius IX was very happy to recount an experience of his childhood, which proves the extraordinary help of his Guardian Angel. During his Holy Mass he was an altar boy in the private chapel of his family. One day, while he was kneeling on the last step of the altar, during the offer-thorium he was suddenly seized with fear and fear. He was very excited without understanding why. His heart began to beat loudly. Instinctively, looking for help, he turned his eyes to the opposite side of the altar. There was a handsome young man who gestured with his hand to get up immediately and go towards him. The boy was so confused at the sight of that apparition that he dared not move. But the energetically luminous figure still gives him a sign. Then he got up quickly and went to the young man who suddenly disappears. In the same instant a heavy statue of a saint fell right where the little altar boy stood. If he had remained for a while longer than before, he would have died or been seriously injured by the weight of the fallen statue.
As a boy, as a priest, as a bishop, and later as a Pa-pa, he often recounted this unforgettable experience of his, in which he found the help of his Guardian Angel.
With what satisfaction we will hear from them their own story no less interesting than ours and probably even more beautiful. Our curiosity will certainly stimulate the learning of the nature, the duration and the scope of their trial to deserve the glory of Paradise. We will know with certainty the stumbling block against which Lucifer's arrogance clashed, ruining himself irreparably with his followers. With what pleasure we will let them describe the spectacular battle sustained and won in the heights of the skies against the furious hordes of the superb Lucifer. We will see St. Michael the Archangel, at the head of the ranks of the faithful Angels, sprang to the rescue, as already at the beginning of creation, so also at the end, with holy indignation and with the invocation of divine help, assail them, overwhelm them in the fire eternal of Hell, created especially for them.
Already as of now our attachment and familiarity with the Angels should be alive, because they have been entrusted with the task of escorting us into earthly life up to introducing us to Paradise. We can be sure that our dear Guardian Angels will be present at our death. They will come to our rescue to neutralize the pitfalls of demons, to take over our soul and bring it to Pa-radiso.
On the way to Heaven, the first consoling encounter will be with the Angels, with whom we will live together eternally. Who knows what fun entertainments they can find with their keen intelligence and inventiveness, so that our joy never fades in their delightful company!