Episode Transcript  

One

Why Angels Matter

In this series we have been meditating on one of the most beautiful truths of the Catholic faith: God’s plan is to make us share in his divine life so that we can cooperate in his saving work.

This plan does not involve human beings alone. From the very beginning, God invited both angels and humans to participate in His divine being and activity.

God does not need angels. And God does not need humans.

But God is first a Father who wants to raise up children who share in everything He is, everything He has, and everything He does.

So God created angels and humans to share in His divine life and to have the joy of collaborating with Him in two things: making the world a more perfect place and helping one another get to heaven.

Two

What Do We Know about Angels?

We actually know a lot about the angels because God has revealed quite a bit about them.

Angels are persons with intelligence and free will.

They are different from us because we are a composite of a physical body and a spiritual soul. Angels, on the other hand, are pure spirits created directly by God. They are persons, but they do not have physical bodies, and so they are not subject to physical limitations, aging, or material change like we are.

Angels have infused knowledge. While humans learn gradually through experience and reasoning, angels are created with knowledge given directly by God. They do not reason step by step the way we do. Their knowledge is intuitive, meaning they grasp truth directly rather than through a process of reasoning.

However, their knowledge is not infinite. Each angel knows according to the measure God gives it, and higher angels receive greater knowledge than lower angels in order to share it with them. Just like a family – older siblings share knowledge with younger ones. 

Angels have great knowledge, but it is limited in two important ways: they cannot know the future unless God reveals it to them, and they cannot know our thoughts unless we reveal them.

This is why we pray to the angels. By prayer, we mean that we ask them to help us. They stand ready to assist us, but they cannot read our minds, so we must freely ask for their help.

Three

The Creation and Choice of the Angels

Angels were created by God at the beginning of creation, at the dawn of the material universe.

They were not created in heaven in the sense of being immediately united to God in perfect union. Upon their creation, God gave the angels the knowledge they needed to know Him, to love Him, and to freely choose whether they would share forever in His divine life, or reject Him.

Scripture speaks of the sin or fall of a group of angels who radically and irrevocably rejected God and His reign:
“God did not spare the angels when they sinned” (2 Peter 2:4).

The good angels freely chose God and were confirmed forever in their participation in His life. The fallen angels freely rejected Him and lost that participation forever.

The primary mission of the good angels is to glorify God and to collaborate with Him in governing the world and in guiding and assisting us on our journey toward union with Him in heaven.

There are nine choirs of angels. I’m sure some angels sing, but when we say there are nine choirs of angels, we mean that there are three levels or hierarchies of angels, and three groups within each hierarchy—making nine categories or choirs of angels.

First level: Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones
Second level: Dominions, Virtues, and Powers
Third level: Principalities, Archangels, and Angels

Four

The Nine Choirs of Angels

Every angel shares in the life of God, and every angel shares in some activity of God. But no angel shares in everything God is or does. Each one participates according to the measure God gives. 

It’s really stunning to think about the way God allows the angels to cooperate with Him in taking care of the world. Consider this: 

The Seraphim are consumed with the fire of God's love, they inspire the others to love him as well. 

The Cherubim share in a unique way in the knowledge of God and help others gain insight into His wisdom. 

Thrones ensure that God's justice is carried out in creation. 

While the Dominions oversee and direct the angels in the lower choirs. 

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the orderly motion of the stars and planets belongs especially to the choir of the Virtues, who apply God’s power to the structure and harmony of the cosmos.

The Powers defend the world against the forces of evil. 

The Principalities are the Angels who are responsible for nations, groups of people and cities. 

The Archangels are tasked with fighting evil, delivering messages and with a ministry of healing. 

Finally, the ninth choir, the Angels—our guardian angels—those closest to us are sent from God to light and guard, rule and guide us.

Five

The More the Merrier

Dr. Mark Miravalle, in his book Time to Meet the Angels, shares in the insights of a mystic who relates what Jesus wants us to know about the Angels

My children, there is so much talk of the enemy and the enemy is so glorified in your world, that many souls forget that heaven is far and away more powerful than the pitiful band of bitter ones who serve darkness. These want only your misery. Conversely, the unlimited number of good and holy servants, want only your joy and safety. But your prayers are necessary to mobilize all of this power. In these times, many souls spend time with darkness through their activities and recreation. In doing so, souls are inviting the enemy’s companionship. If souls do not invite our companionship, through prayers and requests, we do not force ourselves. So surround yourself with all that is Light and the enemy will avoid you. Ask for an honor guard of My angels and you will be enveloped in powerful beings from heaven who will insure that you complete your missions in safety. Children, you are God’s little creatures. You will not be abandoned. 

God doesn’t need angels or humans. But God is a Father who wants to raise up children who share in His divine being and activity – this is the great Catholic principle of participation. So, God created angels and humans to share in his divine life and to have the joy of collaborating with him in two things – making the world a more perfect place; and helping each other to heaven. So, as our resolution - are we giving the angels the joy they could have by remembering their presence and asking for their help? And what will we do today to be more aware of the presence of the Angels and seek their counsel, help and protection? 

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