Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

[woowar]

In the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Daily Missal 1962,Baronius Press, 2009, p46), our Lord is described as “Angel of great counsel” (Jesu, magni consilii Angele). Could someone please help me to understand this more fully? Surely it is not suggesting that Jesus is actually an Angel, as later on in the Litany it describes Jesus as being the “joy of Angels” (Jesu, gaudium Angelorum)?

Thank you in anticipation.

Alec

 

[scottywolf777]

Our english word angel is from the Greek word angeloi (sorry no greek keyboard) which means messenger. I think what the person who wrote the litany was trying to say is that Jesus brings us the message of great counsel i.e. the Gospel.

 

[floresco]

The word “angel” comes from the Greek word meaning messenger. The word could mean either a heavenly being or a human messenger. In the Greek version of the Old Testament (called the Septuagint) Isaiah 9:6 prophesies titles of the coming Messiah including words that literally mean “angel (messenger) of great counsel”. St. Jerome in the Vulgate translated this with a word that means simply “counsellor” and so it is translated in the Douay-Rheims.

So when the litany uses this description it seems likely that it is applying an ancient Messianic title to Jesus rather than claiming that He is an angel. It reminds us that Jesus was the Messiah foretold by the prophets.

 

[woowar]

Thank you for your replies.

Although I was aware of the Isaiah 9:6 “Messianic” connection, it still seems very strange to consider Jesus a “messenger” albeit a messenger par excellence. A messenger usually carries a message from someone to someone. In this case, while Jesus brings us the message of the Gospel, he is also the message itself, The Word.

There is an interesting section in the article on angels in the Catholic Encyclopedia which deals with the use of the term “angel” in the Septuagint,

newadvent.org/cathen/01476d.htm

Any further ideas?