Better angels: glimpsing our angelic companions

An angel is a mighty concentrated personality,
Who stands in the presence of God
Ready to do His will swiftly.

—Louis Évely (1910–1985)

Angels at the G

On a Friday night in May this year, 88,000 people flocked to the MCG for the AFL match between Collingwood and Carlton. The Peter Mac Cup is the league’s longest running charity match, raising much-needed funds for cancer research. Just before the opening bounce, with floodlights dimmed, the stadium was lit up with the flickering lights of thousands of mobile phones. Robbie Williams’ song ‘Angels’ played over the loud speakers as the crowd sang along, joyfully belting out the line ‘I’m loving angels instead.’

It was a moving experience, a public show of solidarity with cancer sufferers and a tribute to the medical teams who support them. Played in that context, the song brought to mind those who act as ‘angels’ for others, especially the sick and dying. It’s no coincidence that when we speak of those who give great care and protection, we sometimes refer to them as angels.

An angel in Fitzroy

At a recent teachers’ workshop in Fitzroy run by the Missionary Sisters of Charity, a presenter told the story of how the sisters made an offer on a house in Gore Street, hoping to use the house to expand their work with the homeless, refugees and victims of domestic violence. When their negotiations stalled—the price was beyond them—Mother Teresa’s sisters simply paused the process and continued to pray. They were keen to do God’s will, but it was not happening swiftly.

Sometime later, a young man of nondescript features arrived at their doorstep and talked for a while. He carried a slightly greasy paper bag, which he left with them. The sisters thought it might contain a hamburger and placed it on a bench in the kitchen.

Later that evening, they discovered the bag contained $10,000 in cash. The amount sealed the deal for the purchase of the house next door. One of the sisters wondered if that young person might have been an angel.

The angel in your life

At the recent funeral for my cousin Bill, family eulogies paid tribute to his many wonderful qualities. Bill was a loving husband, father and grandfather who also played prominent roles in his parish and other Church ventures, especially the Young Christian Workers. Well known for the just and caring assistance he offered through his legal firm, Bill was also known for his steadfast and lifelong devotion to his guardian angel. The family recalled that Bill would tell—or rather catechise—all and sundry about the presence of their guardian angels.

On reflection, I can see that Bill’s devotion to angels helped form the conscience of others. By continually reminding us of the presence of a mighty guardian, he encouraged us to consider the silent words of our angelic companions in both our important and our smaller deliberations.

Angels in the Bible

Respected Orthodox theologian Sergius Bulgakov (1871–1944), in his book Jacob’s Ladder,* offers a clear scriptural basis for the Christian belief in guardian angels. Somewhat surprisingly, he begins with the first line of the Bible: ‘In the beginning God created heaven and earth’ (Genesis 1:1).

This opening verse, repeated in our Creed, proclaims that God ‘created heaven and earth’ in one action. Bulgakov writes that heaven was not created separately and independently from the earth, but together with it, so that they are one indivisible whole. The world, therefore, doesn’t exist without angels, nor do angels exist without the world. Both heaven (an angelic world of bodiless spirits) and earth are what Bulgakov calls the prime and universal substance of our world.

Angels, standing in the presence of God, carry out God’s commands in the lives of human beings. Bulgakov expands our understanding of their role, explaining that they are the guardians not only of individual people but of whole nations, kingdoms, separate churches and, generally speaking, the human race (p. 23).

In fact, he says, everything in the world is preserved by angels, and everything has its angel. Nothing in the world, except sin, remains foreign to the world of angels, and nothing in the world is accomplished without the participation of angels.

As a further scriptural foundation for angels, he cites the words of Jesus: ‘Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven’ (Matthew 18:10).

With these words, Bulgakov writes, the Lord makes it clear that not one of these least ones is deprived of their own guardian angel.

A season of angels

In the Church’s veneration of God, and in our liturgy, there are constant reminders of our communion with the angels.

For instance, angels figure prominently in several Catholic feasts at this time of the year. The awe-inspiring archangels Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael have their feasts on 29 September. In the liturgy of that day, we praise the Father for their marvellous ministry, asking that they may watch over us and that we might draw new strength from their protection.

Adding another dimension to God’s angelic care for us is the memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, celebrated on 2 October. Once again, the prayers of that day celebrate the dignity and splendour of angels and ask for their protection.

And the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on 7 October. If we are attentive as we pray the decades of the Rosary, we’ll notice that Jesus received angelic assistance at several key moments in his life: the annunciation, the agony in the garden, and the resurrection and ascension announcements.

Our angels

Pope Benedict XVI writes that we are called to contribute a ‘new element to the great Cosmic Harmony’ and to ‘revive human activity with supernatural breath’, but how are we to respond to this calling? Could each of us embrace this task with the assistance of our guardian angel?

Seen in this light, the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels raises for us some simple but challenging questions: How might we weave into our spiritual lives a greater consciousness of angels who ‘stand in the presence of God’, swiftly doing his will? How comfortable are we speaking with our family and others about our guardian angels? And when we pay attention, are we able to hear God’s word at a football stadium, or see it in a brown paper bag?