Philosophers stress the rationale for angels. “A perfect God would necessarily create the best of all possible worlds. So He created angels who do not belong to man’s concept of matter, time and space.”
As one of God’s masterpieces, angels live in His presence and sing His glories. With intuitive intelligence, they “contemplate on what they know—God, themselves, each other and us.”
Purely spiritual, they surpass in perfection all visible creatures as the splendor of their glory bears witness. They are the “mighty ones who do His word, heartening to the voice of His word.” Present since creation, “they stand beside each believer as protector and shepherd leading him to life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
As one of God’s masterpieces they do not belong to “man’s concept of matter, space and time.” They are spirits in pure form and pure minds of superior intelligence and no gender. But they can be seen by blessed people to help man in spiritual and earthly tasks.
Man’s staunch friend
Saint Thomas Aquinas is called Angelic Doctor because of his marvelous intelligence about angels. He wrote “voluminously and magnificently about angels.” In Power of God and Summa of Theology, he discussed the hierarchies, ministry and speech of angels. On evil, he discussed Satan, the fallen angel. He experienced a unique grace of confirmation in chastity when two angels wrapped a rope like belt around his waist.
Saint Francis of Assisi is called the Seraphic Saint and Father. His seraphic love for Jesus was great, intense and fiery that inspired others to love God, too.
Saint Bonaventure continued Saint Francis’s devotion to angels in his mystical and theological writings.
Saint John Bosco’s teachings courted the anger of heretics. Whenever a group of men conspired to harm him, a big dog he named Grigio appeared to defend him.
Saint Lidwina of Schiedam became bedridden after an accident. Her angel was a visible companion to give her consolation. Once, a fire threatened her life, her angel placed a tough branch of aromatic spell on her chest to enable her to part the curtains to avoid suffocation.
After a pledge of spiritual conversion and strict penance, a demon appeared before her to frighten Saint Margaret of Cortona. Her guardian angel appeared before her and said, “Fear not daughter and do not lose courage. I am with you, the guardian angel of your soul which is an exalted abode of God.”
Saint Gemma is a stigmatic mystic of Lucca, Italy. Her angel was present when she received her stigmata from Jesus. Destined to save thousands of souls from the fires of hell, she was protected by her angel from committing sin. Once she was with a group of friends, she was about to share her thoughts when her angel appeared and looked at her sternly.
Task helper
Saint Zita de Lucca, the patroness of domestic helpers worked for the Fatinelli Family in Lucca, Tuscany. The other servants “resented her well-known dislike of sinful suggestions, foul language and exactitude in supplying for their deficiencies.”
Once she left her task of baking bread to attend to someone’s needs. The other servants told the Fatinelli family of the oversight. They went to investigate and saw angels baking the bread for Zita.
Saint Isidore, the patron saint of farmers, died in 1130. He was canonized only after 492 years after his death because of the scarcity of materials about him, but could not disregard the many marvelous events witnessed around the tomb and his preserved body.
Blessed with celestial visions, he went to Church everyday and prayed while working. His companions complained that his prayer life is the cause of his tardiness.
To verify the accusations, the landlord spied on him. He was really late in coming to work although he finished the tasks assigned him. The landlord witnessed angels were helping him in the field.
Angels too helped priests administer the Holy Eucharist. Some saints who received communion from angels are Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto, Saint Gerard Majella, Saint Francesca of the Five Wounds, Saint Agnes of Montepulciano, Saint Catherine of Sienna, Saint Paschal Baylon and Saint Stanislaus of Kostka.
Words of caution
Stories about angels fascinate men through the ages. Esoteric philosophies in the New Age Movement sometimes classify angels in the categories of fairies, elves, spirit guides and even ascended masters of other religions. And worst, descendants of God, thus, above angels.
The Church then reminds the faithful of the Satan’s ability to “masquerade as angel of light,” to lead people astray from God’s truth (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Damo-Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.