DeoQuest and TweetignwithGOD

 

1.41 Zijn er echt engelen in de hemel?

Maria en engelen
Overal in de Bijbel brengen engelen boodschappen en aanbidden ze God in de hemel. Ze waken over de mensen. Ook jij hebt een beschermengel.
The Wisdom of the Church

What are angels?

Angels are pure spiritual creatures of God who have understanding and will. They have no bodies, cannot die, and are usually not visible. They live constantly in God’s presence and convey God’s will and God’s protection to men.

An angel, wrote Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, is “so to speak the personal thought with which God is turned toward me”. At the same time the angels are turned completely toward their Creator. They burn with love for him and serve him day and night. Their song of praise is never-ending. In Sacred Scripture the angels who have fallen away from God are called devils or demons. [Youcat 54]

In what way are angels present in the life of the Church?

The Church joins with the angels in adoring God, invokes their assistance and commemorates some in her liturgy.

“Beside each believer stands an angel as a protector and shepherd leading him to life.”

(Saint Basil the Great)

[CCCC 61]

Can we interact with angels?

Yes. we can call on angels for help and ask them to intercede with God.

Every person receives from God a guardian angel. It is good and sensible to pray to one’s guardian angel for oneself and for others. Angels can also make themselves noticeable in the life of a Christian, for example, as bearers of a message or as helpful guides. Our faith has nothing to do with the false angels of New Age spirituality and other forms of esotericism. [Youcat 55]

This is what the Church Fathers say

Let our glorying and our confidence be in [God] let us be subject to his Will. Let us consider the whole multitude of angels, how they stand and minister to his Will. [St. Clement of Rome, Letter to the Corinthians, Chap. 34 (MG 1, 276)]

This is the office of angels, to minister to God for our salvation. So that it is an angelical work, to do all for the salvation of the brethren: or rather it is the work of Christ himself, for he indeed saves as Lord, but they as servants. [St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Hebrews, 3:4 (MG 63, 30)]