Angels on the Alter during Consecration?

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I heard once, when I was a child, that during the Consecration Angels are there, present on the alter rejoicing. Has anyone else ever heard this? If so where can I find something written about it?
Thanks!
 
The 1st Eucharistic Prayer includes: “Almighty God, we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice to your altar in heaven.”
 
John_Lilburne said:
The 1st Eucharistic Prayer includes: “Almighty God, we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice to your altar in heaven.”
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Thanks, John. I can’t believe it, but I never actually thought about that until just now.
 
Certain saints like St. (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina had visions of angels at the altar, and I firmly believe that they are present, possibly in the thousands, adoring the Eucharist. If only we had the eyes to see them! Get to know your guardian angel, who has been with you since your conception. Give him/her a name (okay, so angels don’t have gender, but it’s helpful for us in relating with them) and talk to him, asking for his prayers. One day, God willing, you’ll see him face to face as he escorts you to the heavenly kingdom.
 
I don’t know about the angels being on the altar, but have you read scott hahn’s book the lambs supper.
After reading that, I have never looked at mass the same again.
 
I am sure from my husbands statements alone, that they are there. However, I said something to a friend in chat and she posted these, thought you might like them…

St. Gregory: “The Heavens open and multitudes of Angels come to assist at the Holy Sacrifice.”

St. Augustine: “The Angels surround and help the priest when he is celebrating Mass.”

St. John Chrysostom: “When Mass is being celebrated, the Sanctuary is filled with countless Angels, who adore the Divine Victim immolated on the altar.”

We read in the revelations of St. Bridget: "One day when I was assisting at the Holy Sacrifice, I saw an immense number of Holy Angels descend and gather around the altar, contemplating the priest.

They sang heavenly canticles that ravished my heart; Heaven itself seemed to be contemplating the great Sacrifice. And yet we poor, blind and miserable creatures assist at the Mass with so little love, relish and respect!

When Blessed Henry Suso, the holy Dominican, was saying Mass, Angels in visible form gathered around the altar, and some came near to him in raptures of love.

Do Catholics ever think of this amazing truth? At Mass they are praying in the midst of thousands of God’s Angels.
 
Do not also forget the Cherubicon of the Liturgy of St.James more popularly translated as the English hymn “Let all mortal flesh keep silence”
Let all mortal flesh be silent, and stand with fear and trembling, and meditate nothing earthly within itself:For the King of kings and Lord of lords, Christ our God, comes forward to be sacrificed, and to be given for food to the faithful; and the bands of angels go before Him with every power and dominion, the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, covering their faces, and crying aloud the hymn, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
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The metrical hymn version:
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
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King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.
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Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
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At His feet the six winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
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In many mystical exposes of the Mass (pre-1969) you will find that the angels always get a prominent mention. Originally, Gabriel, later Michael was the “angel of the sacrifice”, and several commentators mention the angels giving the responses (mentioned also the Catholic Encyclopedia, with regard to no “Amen” appearing at points where it would be expected). One ommentary on the Mass had this to say:
Erklarung des heiligen Messopfers:
It is related in the life of St. Meinrad that eighty years after the death of that pious recluse, at the request of Eberhard, a man of noble lineage, Conrad, Bishop of Constance, came to consecrate the Chapel of St. Meinrad. During the night preceding the day appointed for the ceremony, Conrad, going into the church to pray, heard the voices of the angelic choirs chanting the antiphons and responsories of the ritual for the dedication of churches. On entering the edifice he beheld Christ the Lord in person, clad in sacerdotal vestments, attended by multitudes of saints and angels, performing the ceremony of dedicating the chapel. At this wondrous sight the saintly bishop could hardly believe himself in possession of his senses
… some of the angels and saints acted as acolytes. The blessed Mother of God, in whose honor the altar and the chapel were consecrated, appeared above the altar resplendent with celestial glory, brighter than the sun, more dazzling than the light. The dedication ended, Our Lord Himself offered the holy sacrifice.
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If you look at some sanctuaries built prior to 1968 (and some rehabbed ones- let’s be fair), there are angels depicted in the art.

The two that come immediately to mind are the ones that were in either corner of a northside parish church
stgregory.net/TheChurchBeautiful_tour.cfm#14
stgregory.net/TheChurchBeautiful_tour.cfm#15 (click on the angels’ names), and the ones on EWTN up by the monstrance.

And Scott Hahn’s book, the Lamb’s Supper, really brought me into a study of scripture.
 
Thank you all so much for the responses. I had forgotten about this beautiful belief until a few months ago. I have since told my children this story and they now listen for the bells so they can look to the alter and try to see the angels. Now I have some evidence for relaying this to them.

Thanks again.

Marci
 
marci said:
I heard once, when I was a child, that during the Consecration Angels are there, present on the alter rejoicing. Has anyone else ever heard this? If so where can I find something written about it?
Thanks!
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The Mass, in and of itself, is a celebration of the “Communion of Saints”. So just think that our Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, all the saints and yes, the choir of angels join us in our unbloodied representation/sacrifice of Christ on the altar.
 
Oh, to be allowed just one vision of the multitude of Holy
Angels that are present in Every Catholic Church, not only during Mass, but when the church is silent in the middle of the night, Holy Angels are still there keeping watch with our Lord in the Tabernacle (sp):angel1:
 
love4mary said:
Oh, to be allowed just one vision of the multitude of Holy
Angels that are present in Every Catholic Church, not only during Mass, but when the church is silent in the middle of the night, Holy Angels are still there keeping watch with our Lord in the Tabernacle (sp):angel1:
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Read the Diary of St. Faustina. Alot goes on that we do not see. 🙂
 
I used to think it was kind of silly to serve Mass for just the Priest alone with no congregation, the now infamous and apparently highly discredited private Mass:eek:

Then one morning, I was serving for a very old Priest who was visiting and I in the best tradition of a sreetwise, jaded and highly sophisticated Altar Boy of 11 or so:thumbsup: was how shall I say it, less than completely reverent? Anyway, the Priest did something I had never seen done before or since. He stopped, turned to me and explained that I was being very disrespectful not only to the Lord, but to ALL of the Angels and Saints who had gathered for this Mass and quite possibly had offended the Blessed Mother who was also there… He added that I should be ashamed of myself and ask forgiveness from all of them and that he would give me the opportunity to do so… He the re-started the Mass. As he did, I noticed that he had tears in his eyes and on his cheeks…

From that day on, I never looked at Mass quite the same way again.
 
palmas85 said:
I used to think it was kind of silly to serve Mass for just the Priest alone with no congregation, the now infamous and apparently highly discredited private Mass:eek:

Then one morning, I was serving for a very old Priest who was visiting and I in the best tradition of a sreetwise, jaded and highly sophisticated Altar Boy of 11 or so:thumbsup: was how shall I say it, less than completely reverent? Anyway, the Priest did something I had never seen done before or since. He stopped, turned to me and explained that I was being very disrespectful not only to the Lord, but to ALL of the Angels and Saints who had gathered for this Mass and quite possibly had offended the Blessed Mother who was also there… He added that I should be ashamed of myself and ask forgiveness from all of them and that he would give me the opportunity to do so… He the re-started the Mass. As he did, I noticed that he had tears in his eyes and on his cheeks…

From that day on, I never looked at Mass quite the same way again.
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Palmas—I must say----this brought tears to my own eyes. When we disrespect the Mass—not only do we disrespect the living—but moreso–all heaven–that join us–for this sacred cosmic event.
 
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