Part 27
Thus we may say that the seraphim represents the Holy Ghost; the cherubim, the Word, the Son of God; the thrones, the Father. These choirs of angels are in the immediate presence of God. They are before His throne, and they see Him day and night in His temple: “and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell over them.” M. Olier says: “The seraphim proceed from God, as flames proceed from a furnace, and their circle surround Him as with a fiery blaze.” The cherubim are the rays of the divine wisdom, and are, so to say, the eyes of God, under which He seems to regard Himself, and all the external world. The thrones are the image of His sanctity. This hierarchy expresses the three great perfections which we adore in God, namely: His love, His knowledge, and His holiness. These typify also those beautiful operations of grace whereby God draws to Himself intelligent beings; by detaching them from creatures and attaching them to Himself, enlightening them interiorly by His heavenly wisdom, so that they freely follow the guidance of God, and making His throne in their hearts, in their affections, abides there forever.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Eighteenth Day.
Let us consider to‐day the angels of the second choir. They are the dominations, principalities and powers. Again their names are given to them for the virtues they represent, and not from their angelic nature. The three choirs of the first hierarchy were typical of the essential acts of God. The three of the second represent the external acts of God. The dominations represent the power of God. He is the absolute Lord of the universe; He is the Creator, the Maker, and therefore the possessor of all that is. The principalities govern the world, under God, and according to His divine providence. “By Me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things.” Hence the duty of this choir of angels is to praise God for the wisdom displayed in His ruling and legislating of the external creation. The angels of power put the laws of God into execution. They reward and punish; they are the representatives of executive power. They praise God in the power manifested in the carrying out of the laws impressed on the material and spiritual world. Should we not learn from these angels to praise the Almighty in all He has done?
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Nineteenth Day.
The third choir of the hierarchy of the angels are the virtues, archangels, and angels. The virtues are the first of these, and represent the acts of God towards individuals. Those works of God which surpass the power of man, such as miracles, or inward movements of grace, are performed by the virtues of the Most High; they hold an intermediate station between heaven and earth. Archangels are the great messengers, whom God has sent to His intelligent creation. The name is given because the goodness and kindness of God have distinguished them from the myriads of other angels, and given them an office, that of bearing to men the words of God; they also carry the prayers of the faithful on earth, and lay them before God’s throne in heaven; and they are sent to conduct souls to the portals of heavenly bliss. The archangels have the duty of protecting the Church; those who occupy high positions in the Church or State are said to be under the guidance of an archangel. In this manner the higher grade of archangels represents the higher degree of providence shown by God towards individuals. Let us unite ourselves with the choir of the archangels and praise God in them—those glorious spirits, that have so perfectly conveyed God’s messages to men.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Twentieth Day.
It is a belief which we may prove from the Scriptures, which is corroborated by many facts in the history of the world, and by the belief of ancient people, that God governs the world, even the natural world, through the agency of spirits; to each of whom He was pleased to depute certain offices. He made use of the good angels to maintain order in general, to watch over empires, to protect men, to carry His blessings to them, and to be the executives of His justice. Everywhere Scripture recalls this wonderful ministry of the angels; and there is not an epoch of time in which such a tradition did not exist. We read in the Gospel that Our Lord Himself was tempted by the devil, the fallen angel. Our blessed Lord teaches us that little children are dearer to Him than they are to their own mothers, and He has appointed angels to be their guardians. So great is a human soul in the eyes of God. We have to struggle not alone against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against those who have dominion in this world, and against evil spirits scattered in the air. But in this struggle we shall be assisted by the good spirits, whom God commissions to look after His beloved creatures.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Twenty‐first Day.
In the book of the Apocalypse, we read of the activity of the angels. We see them coming from heaven to earth; they bring down from almighty God orders for salvation as well as for punishment; hence the angels are called ministering spirits, sent for the ministry of our salvation. Especially may we conceive that in the service of the Church the angels are particularly active—that there are angels who intervene in the oblation, and bear it to the sublime altar of Jesus Christ, angels who are called angels of prayer, and who present before God the petitions of the faithful. St. Michael is the defender of the Church. The ancient Jewish people were protected by St. Michael, also. Other nations had their superior spirits, which are mentioned in the Scriptures as protectors; for the prophet Daniel speaks of the prince of the Greeks, the prince of the Persians, angels who preside spiritually and invisibly over these nations. Are we not also important as a nation, in the designs of God? Whom has God appointed over the affairs of our country? We know there is such a spirit; let us pray to him even without knowing him, for we are sure that our prayers will reach the one appointed by God to protect us.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Twenty‐second Day.
To each man an angel is appointed for his care: this we can prove from the Scriptures. “Their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father Who is in heaven.”—Matt. xviii. 10. St. Paul says, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?”—Heb. i. 14. Fallen man needed some help, and almighty God entrusted him to the care of the angels. Even God’s power, God’s wisdom, and God’s mercy demand it. First of all, the power of God demanded that the angels should not only serve Him, but serve His glory in His creatures. God’s wisdom demanded that each human being coming into the world should receive a guardian; for the devil has great power over us, and we would not be able to battle against the devil or the flesh without help. God desires to preserve His work: hence God’s mercy moves Him in favor of the fallen or those in danger of a fall, like unto a mother full of tenderness for her children. God gave His only Son for the redemption of mankind; precious, indeed, then, is this human soul, if worthy to be purchased by the blood of the Lamb; certainly precious enough, too, to be guarded with care by a superior intelligence.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Twenty‐third Day.
Not only the just, but also sinners, have guardian angels. Indeed it would appear that sinners and infidels need them more, for the sinner is so wayward, and yet God in His kindness wishes to bring him back to good ways, and so the gentle persuasion of a guiding spirit is necessary. The Scriptures do not limit the attendance of the guardian angels to those only who are in a state of grace; therefore it is likely that even after sin the ministering angel remains. While we are good we hardly need the presence of a good spirit; it is when we have turned to evil that we need that precious guide. The belief that a guardian angel attends us ought to impress itself deeply on our minds; we are never alone, we are taken care of by the ministers of God Our Father, and we have nothing to fear. Even though the world has turned against us, and we are surrounded by trouble on all sides, we are sure that this angel will bring comfort to us. Children should be taught from their early childhood that a guardian angel attends them; it will have a very good effect in shaping their lives.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Twenty‐fourth Day.
The guardian angels have certain duties to perform, and we can put them down in this wise. First, the angel guardian defends us from all evil. He can put thoughts into our minds which will put us on our guard against sin. Second, the angels oppose the cunning of the devil, who wants to destroy us. The devil argues in a very crafty manner, and unless we are strengthened by the love and the goodness of God we would be led astray by the devil’s superior intelligence. But our guardian angel brings light to the mind, and holds the soul in the desire of good. Third, they offer our prayers to almighty God, as we read in the Apocalypse, “There was given to [the angel] much incense, ... and the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God, from the hand of the angel.” Our angel intercedes for us with God with a personal and special interest, and we, on account of our great sinfulness, need an angel to help us to obtain grace and mercy from almighty God.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Twenty‐fifth Day.
We do most assuredly deserve punishment from God, because we do not behave ourselves as we should; like a naughty child, who, notwithstanding good advice and most tender interest, will go wrong, be obstinate and sulky. The good mother chastises the child in the same manner the spirit of God shows his disapprobation, in a gentle manner, for the angel of light would not resort to force, as the demon does in his attacks. We ought to be glad that we have a spirit of wisdom about us that will tell us of our sins; that excites the qualms of conscience, and will give us no rest until we make our peace with God. We often turn a deaf ear to the entreaties of the good spirit; we trample our conscience under foot and abuse it, bring up reasons to combat its correction: we argue with ourselves in obstinacy, and being left alone, who will gain the victory? The devil and our evil inclinations will gain the day assuredly. Docility to the interior voice is a necessary quality for a good life; to listen to God and spiritual influences ought to be, to say the least, the very natural consequence of a rational soul, tending to God with all its power.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Twenty‐sixth Day.
The influence of the angels in bringing us to heaven should be marvellous for that purpose. They have been assigned to our service, to bring our wandering spirits back to God. What a glorious conquest when an angel can snatch a soul from eternal perdition by his prayers and exertions! If the devil is active to gain us, would it not be against reason that the good angel would stand back and remain inactive? The last hours of a man, his judgment, and entrance into heaven, are the moments of the great and final duties of the guardian spirits; and if the soul be detained in purgatory, then the duty of the angel will be to offer the prayers of friends, relatives and of the Church to almighty God for the good of that soul. And perhaps by the kind possibility of the mercy of God, the angel will descend into the fires of purgatory and will speak consoling, comforting, and encouraging words to the soul whose greatest torment is the separation from God for a time, until its purgation is complete.
Prayer.
O angel of God. etc., etc.
Twenty‐seventh Day.
St. Bonaventure has written extensively on the holy angels, and has meditated on their ways. It was a useful practice to him and helped to sanctify him. He gives us twelve effects consequent to the duty of taking care of us, which these angel guardians manifest and perform. First, they accuse of sin, as we read in Judges ii. 1. Second, they absolve from the debt of sin by inspiring sorrow in the soul, and a firm purpose of amendment. Third, they remove the obstacles that stand in the way of doing good; for the angels strangled the first‐born of the Egyptians, who opposed the going away of the Israelites. Fourth, they drive away demons, as is related in the twelfth chapter, of Tobias. Fifth, they teach us in matters of religion. Sixth, they reveal the secrets of God to us. “Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”—Gen. xviii. 17. Seventh, they console us. Eighth, they strengthen us in the way of God. Ninth, they convey and bring back, as we read in Tobias, “I will conduct him thither and bring him back to thee.” Tenth, they overthrow our enemies.—Is. xxxvii. Eleventh, they mitigate the violence of temptations. Twelfth, they pray for us, and bear our prayers to God.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Twenty‐eighth Day.
During this month we have thought of the nature of the angels, and their work for human kind; now let us reflect on what we ought to do in return for these attentions. Ought we let them pass, accept them as a matter of course, and pay no attention to them? Many do this. Yet we owe them something—how much, is left almost to our own generosity. We certainly owe them friendship; they are our friends, and are solicitous for our welfare. If I have a friend that does a great deal for me, supplies my wants, and satisfies every wish of mine, I am certainly proud of his friendship, and I will seek every opportunity to be in his company. So should we treat our truest friends—our guardian angels. We should also reverence the angels, because they are greater beings than we are; they are the favorites and friends of God. Then we must have a devotion to them. This devotion we are endeavoring to practice during the month of October.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Twenty‐ninth Day.
What goodness does not God evince in giving us angels to watch over us! The princes of earth choose the most learned to train the heirs to the crown; and God gives us guides full of wisdom, science, and purity. He has deputed the princes of His court to watch over us. What high ideas we should conceive of our dignity, then, and how we should realize that we are called to great sanctity! Even a mother’s love cannot equal the angels’, and when we go to heaven we will be astonished on reviewing their services. St. Bernard exclaims, “O excess of goodness and love! O admirable condescension! He has given His angels charge over us.” The great God of heaven and earth has sent those elevated dignitaries of His heavenly court to watch over us, poor miserable sinners. Why does He do this? What can be His object in so caring for us? It is to His goodness alone we owe all. Let us prove ourselves grateful, then, to Him and to His holy angels, and may we one day join them in their songs of praise and gladness!
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Thirtieth Day.
St. Bernard teaches that we ought to honor and respect our angels on account of their excellence; to love them for their care of us, and to have recourse to them in all our necessities. However weak or miserable we may be, or however terrible the dangers that surround us, we should not fear under the protection of such guardians. There is no better way of securing the protection of the angels than by avoiding all sin, but particularly mortal sin; for when we are at enmity with God they are ready to exterminate us at His command. But they will ever prove faithful friends to the servants of God. How can the angels help loving and aiding those whom they know are dear to God? Our guardian angels often ward off accidents that would cut us off unprepared; after interceding for us to prevent God from calling us out of life, they try to make us bring forth worthy fruits of penance. O holy angels, I entreat you to extend your special care to me during the rest of my life, that I may live in God’s friendship and die in His love.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Thirty‐first Day.
When the figure of this world shall have passed away, the angels will come and call us to judgment; every human being will then rise again, and hasten to the valley of Jehosaphat. The good will go to the right side, the wicked to the left, the separation made by the angels. Then will the Lord appear in the glory of heaven, surrounded by His angels, and the judgment will take place. Happy shall we be if we are judged to be as pure as the angels, and will ascend with them to paradise, ever to be associated with them. Then will come our exceeding great reward; we shall see God face to face for all eternity. We shall form choirs for the praise of the Almighty, alternating with the angels. We shall know God, love Him, rejoice in Him, and praise Him. Then, for the first time, we shall love God above all things, our joy shall be without measure because we shall have a particular joy for everything that is in God. We will praise God with all our heart, with all our strength, with all our power, with all our faculties. “Happy are they that live in Thy house, O Lord, for they will praise Thee forever and ever.” Here youth never grows old; here there is life that knows no end, beauty that never fades, love that never cools, joy that never ceases. Let us then, while on earth, lead the life of angels, be as pure as they, as obedient to God’s will as they, and pray to them daily that they help us to this much‐desired perfection.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Litany of the Holy Guardian Angel.
(_For Private Devotion Only._)
Lord, have mercy on us. _Lord, have mercy on us._ Christ, have mercy on us. _Christ, have mercy on us._ Christ, hear us. _Christ, graciously hear us._ God the Father of heaven, _Have mercy on us_. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, _Have mercy on us_. God the Holy Ghost, _Have mercy on us_. Holy Trinity, one God, _Have mercy on us_. Holy Mary, Queen of angels, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my guardian, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my prince, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my monitor, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my counsellor, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my defender, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my steward, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my friend, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my negotiator, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my intercessor, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my patron, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my director, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my ruler, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my protector, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my comforter, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my teacher, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my shepherd, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my witness, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my helper, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my watcher, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my conductor, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my preserver, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my instructor, _Pray for us._ Holy Angel, my enlightener, _Pray for us._ Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Spare us, O Lord!_ Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Graciously hear us, O Lord!_ Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Have mercy on us, O Lord!_ Christ, hear us. _Christ, graciously hear us._
_V._ Pray for us, O holy guardian angel,
_R._ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
_Let Us Pray._
Almighty, everlasting God, Who in the counsel of Thy ineffable goodness hast appointed to all the faithful from their mother’s womb, a special guardian angel of their body and soul; grant that I may love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Thy grace, and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic host, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Special Prayers.
Prayer To The Guardian Angel.
Angel of God, who art my guardian, enlighten, guard, direct, and govern me, who have been committed to thee by the supernal clemency. Amen.
Prayers To St. Michael, St. Gabriel, And St. Raphael.
Glorious St. Michael! prince of the heavenly host, protector of the universal Church, defend us against all our enemies, visible and invisible. Do not permit that we should ever fall under their tyranny.
St. Gabriel! thou who art justly called the strength of God, since thou hast been chosen to announce to many the mystery of the incarnation, in which the Almighty has displayed the power of His arms, make us know the treasure contained in the person of the Son of God, and be our protector with His august Mother.
St. Raphael! charitable guide of travellers, thou who, by divine virtue, dost effect miraculous cures, deign to guide us in the pilgrimage of this life, and heal the maladies of our souls and bodies. All ye orders of blessed spirits, be our defenders and protectors during our life and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Act Of Consecration To Our Guardian Angel.
Angel of God! prince of heaven, watchful guardian, faithful guide, charitable pastor, I rejoice that God has created thee with so many perfections; that He has sanctified thee by His grace, and crowned thee with glory, after having persevered in His service. May God be praised forever for all He has done for thee! Be thou blessed for all the good thou hast procured me and my companions. I abandon to thee my body, soul, memory, understanding, will, inclination, and senses. Govern all, dispose of all, purify, enlighten, perfect all. Beg Our Lord to shed upon me and my companions His abundant benedictions; that, persevering until death in His grace, we may deserve to possess Him eternally with thee in glory. Amen.
Prayer To The Holy Angels During The Month Of October.