Do angels really exist? Yes. Many Christians believe in angels, because they weave throughout Scripture, acting for God. For Catholics, whether or not to believe in angels is clear. "The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls 'angels' is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition." ("The Catechism of the Catholic Church," #328.)
But, do angels have anything to do with us and our lives? A favorite Christian hymn, "On Eagle's Wings," is based on Psalm 91, and tells us "But to His angels He's given a command to guard you in all of your ways. Upon their hands they will bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone." Jesus himself, when he was with the little children, said, "Do not despise one of these little ones, because their angels in heaven always look upon the Face of my Heavenly Father." Their angels! God loves each of us personally and is interested in even the smallest details of our lives. If God allows us to be tempted, like Jesus, by that fallen angel Satan, isn't it logical that God, Who loves each of us personally, would send each of us a good angel or angels to comfort us, guide us, and protect us?
After his temptations in the desert, Jesus was ministered to by angels. After Jesus endured his final agonizing questioning and fear in the Garden of Gethsemane, again he was comforted and strengthened by angels before his arrest (see painting above by Carl Bloch.) Would God do anything less for us, who are God's beloved sons and daughters through Jesus Christ?
Both Scripture and Tradition tell us a great deal about angels. Angels have been present since Creation. They are a different order of creation than human beings. Humans are a combination of the material and spiritual since they have both bodies and souls. Angels, on the other hand, are spiritual beings; they don't have bodies.
As we see in Scripture, and as St. Thomas Aquinas says, angels can sometimes assume bodies when the need arises, which they condense from air by God's power so they can be seen and they can act. As purely spiritual beings, they have intelligence and will. They are personal individuals, immortal, surpassing the rest of creation in perfection and in the splendor of their glory. Therefore, we can answer one question: since human beings and angels are totally different kinds of created beings, human beings do NOT become angels when they die. Both angels and humans are created beings, who will live forever.
Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are His angels! As Scripture tells us, everything was created through Christ, in Christ, and for Christ. And they belong to Him still more, because He has made them messengers of His saving plan. With their whole beings, they worship God and are God's servants. Therefore, we can answer another question: No, angels were not created for us to worship them or to manipulate them into "performing" for us. Angels always turn our eyes to the worship of God. And, God sends angels forth to minister to, give messages to, and protect God's people.
Since Creation, we can find angels being sent to interact with God's people. I'll mention only a few of these angelic deeds. They closed the gates of Eden, the earthly paradise. Later, "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, he gave the people a number of words the Lord spoke (Exodus 20:1) One was, ' I am going to send an angel in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him..... But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and a foe to your foes.'"
In 6th century B.C., the prophet Daniel, a Hebrew, was a top administrator for King Darius, Prince of Babylonia. Because he served the one, true God, Daniel refused to pray to the King as if he were a God. For that, he was thrown into a den of lions. At daybreak, an anxious King - who still cared for Daniel - hurried to the den of lions to see if Daniel was still alive. "Oh, Daniel, servant of the living God," he cried, "has God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?'" Daniel replied, "O King, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before Him; and also before you, O King, I have done no wrong." And the King rejoiced. (Daniel 6: 19-23.)
We hear a great deal in Scripture about the three formidable Archangels: Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael.
Raphael's name means "God heals," or "God, please heal." Raphael is especially mentioned in the Biblical Book of Tobit, which is accepted as canonical by Catholics, Orthodox, and some Anglicans. Raphael is a venerated angel within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions, and he is often given the title "Saint Raphael". In the Book of Tobit, he comes into the life of young Tobias as a traveling companion when Tobias' father, the holy Tobit, sends him to collect some of his money. At first, Raphael travels incognito, giving Tobias a false name. Along the way, Raphael points out a beautiful woman, Sarah, and advises him to marry her. Raphael binds the demon who had been killing Sarah's former suitors. When Tobias and Sarah return to Tobit, Raphael tells Tobit what to use to cure Tobit's blindness. Finally, Raphael reveals himself.
Gabriel's name means "God is my strength." Gabriel is sent by God to the prophet Daniel (mentioned above) to explain his visions to him. Gabriel also enters into the story of Jesus. First God sends Gabriel to the very old priest, Zechariah, whose wife is very old. "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth, will bear you a son. You are to name him 'John.'" When Zechariah, obviously doubting, protests that this couldn't possibly happen because he and his wife are so old, Gabriel tells him who he is - the angel Gabriel - and says, "Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak; you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true." And so Zechariah remains struck dumb until his son, the great John the Baptist is born, and the silence is lifted so he can announce that his son is named John. (Luke 1)
God sends the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce to her "Peace be with you....do not be afraid... God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him 'Jesus.' He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God." When Mary, not doubting, but curious, asks, "How can this be? I am a virgin," the angel replies, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's Power will rest upon you."Mary finally says "yes," and the angel leaves her.
It's amazing how many people, when they think of angels, think of children's dolls or chubby cheeked cherubs, or sentimental creatures adorned with tinsel and haloes. But - think about Zechariah's and Mary's response to an angel; the angel had to say, "Do not be afraid." Angels must be overwhelmingly powerful and beautiful to behold - and even frightening.
In "Celebration of Angels," Timothy Jones tells us, "While angels undoubtedly act with gentle care, angels sometimes show an altogether different side. Childlike sweetness ...do(es) little justice to the swift, formidable creatures that charge in and out of the stories of the Bible. Indeed, one of the most common reactions to the wonder of angel appearances is fear. That they evoke alert and awe-struck terror is attested by the frequency with which they greet those they visit with 'Do not be afraid.' The Bible portrays them as winds, flames of fire, and sentries at watch in God's awesome Presence.
"Even more striking, the Bible depicts angels as warriors, heavenly 'bright squadrons' doing battle with demonic 'foul fiends....Author Madeline L'Engle (author of "A Wrinkle in Time"), writes, 'All the angelic host as they are described in Scripture have a wild and radiant power that often takes us by surprise.'
"....since the beginning of evil, good angels have been enlisted in a great, cosmic battle against fallen angels: Satan and his minions....Satan was an angel, evidently perfect in his original angelic state....Pride seems to have caused Satan's downfall....he is an enemy of God's people, as his Scriptural names suggest: Adversary, Accuser, Wicked One, Murderer....
One of the Bible's common references is to God is Lord of hosts, a military word associated with those enlisted in war."
And who is Prince of this Heavenly Host? The great archangel St. Michael, whose name seems to be a battle cry and a rebuke, flung in the face of Satan: "Who is like God?" In other words, "NO ONE is God BUT God!" In the Book of Daniel, Daniel sees in a vision that Michael is the defender of the Chosen People, and, in another vision, that Michael will come again in the End Times. In the Book of Revelation, Michael defeats Satan in the final Battle in Heaven.
There are four roles or offices of St. Michael in Catholic teaching. "His first role is the leader of the Army of God and the leader of heaven's forces in their triumph over the powers of hell. He is viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the spiritual warrior, with the conflict against evil at times viewed as the battle within. The second and third roles of Michael in Catholic teachings deal with death. In his second role, Michael is the angel of death, carrying the souls of all the deceased to heaven. In this role Michael descends at the hour of death, and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing; thus consternating the devil and his minions. Catholic prayers often refer to this role of Michael. In his third role, he weighs souls in his perfectly balanced scales. For this reason, Michael is often depicted holding scales. In his fourth role, Saint Michael, the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament, is also the guardian of the Church." (from Wikipedia.)
"St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Price of the heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world, seeking the ruin of souls."
This prayer was composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1886, after a horrifying vision of Satan and his minions.
Catholics are not the only ones to pray to angels. Timothy Jones writes, "The battles we face, the temptations we withstand or submit to, the good we accomplish, and the evil we leave unchallenged, are all ultimately part of a larger battlefield, one that, for now, stretches across creation into our daily lives and even our momentary thoughts. And God sends his appointed helpers to enter our own battlefields. That is why Martin Luther recommended praying at the end of each day 'Let your holy angel have charge concerning us, that the wicked one have no power over us.'"
Some of the angelic appointed helpers who God sends us are our Guardian Angels.
In October 2, 2018, the Catholic Feast of the Guardian Angels, Pope Francis spoke, using two of the quotes we've mentioned already. The first was God's Words to Moses, telling him to tell the Jews escaping Egypt that "Behold, I send an angel before you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared." The second was Jesus' words "Do not despise one of these little ones because their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my Heavenly Father."
Pope Francis spoke of the journey of life. He said that there are three dangers on that journey. The first is never getting started on that journey at all. People can settle down, get stalled, don't move, don't do anything, don't take risks. He tells us, ""The angels help us, they push us to continue on the journey." The second danger is the danger of going astray, a danger which can be corrected quickly if caught fast enough. The third danger is the danger of leaving the road and losing ourselves. "Our guardian angels," said Pope Francis, are there to help us avoid these dangers. But we need to ask for their help and be mindful of their presence."
The Pope continued, "And the Lord says, 'have respect for their presence.' The angel is authoritative; he has authority to guide us. Listen to him. 'Hearken to his voice, and do not rebel against him.' Listen to his inspirations, which are always from the Holy Spirit - but the angel inspires them.
"But I want to ask you a question: Do you speak with your angel? Do you know the name of your angel? Do you listen to your angel? Do you allow yourself to be led by the hand along the path, or do you need to be pushed to move?"
Our Guardian Angels are a bridge to the Father, says the Pope. They not only help us to journey well, but also show us our destination."
Angels are not simply ancient figures hidden on the pages of the Bible. They are alive and well and with us today. They guide us on the journey of our lives, like the angels who guided the Chosen People to the Promised Land, and like Raphael who guided young Tobias on his journey, giving him wise advice. Like the angels of Psalm 91, they guard us during the time of temptation, lest our spiritual feet trip on a stone of sin. They may even protect us physically, from time to time.
Our Warrior Guardian Angels guard and protect us on the spiritual battleground of our souls, like St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly Host, or the angels who guarded Daniel in the den of lions, for Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking the ruin of souls. They come to challenge us not to stand still on our spiritual journey, but to be open to surprises from God, and to be able to take risks, as Gabriel told an astonished Zechariah of the surprising miracle of his wife Elizabeth's upcoming birth in her old, old age, and also told Mary that she would be the mother of the Son of God. Always, like Gabriel, they wait for our response, for God respects our freedom above all else. Their voices may be simple whispers or prods to our souls, but they are there. As the Pope reminds us,
"The angel is the daily gateway to transcendence, to the encounter with the Father: that is, the angel helps me to go forward because he looks upon the Father, and he knows the way. Let us not forget these companions on the journey."
No matter how you picture your angel - and I have several images below - whether gentle or a warrior - give this angel a name. And don't forget to pray to this angel as your friend, infinitely wiser and stronger, who gives you love, hope, and inner and outer protection, according to God's Will. Remember, when we die we will rejoice before our Heavenly Father's Face with all the other human saints - and with the angels!