What is Catholic theology on Angels?

[RCIAGraduate]

**Mercy unto you, and peace, and charity be fulfilled. Jude 1:2 **
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

What exactly does the Church state on the angels-and also guardian angels. I know we pray to angels but may someone please elaborate further on? Is this intercession identical to that to the intercession of saints?

Also may someone please post some scriptural verses on angels?

Have a beautiful and wonderful day!

 

[empther]

Catholic Encyclopedia article on Angels:

newadvent.org/cathen/01476d.htm

on Guardian Angels:

newadvent.org/cathen/07049c.htm

on St. Michael the Archangel:

newadvent.org/cathen/10275b.htm

on Gabriel the Archangel:

newadvent.org/cathen/06330a.htm

on Raphael the Archangel

newadvent.org/cathen/12640b.htm

 

[AgainstHeretics]

**Mercy unto you, and peace, and charity be fulfilled. Jude 1:2 **
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

What exactly does the Church state on the angels-and also guardian angels. I know we pray to angels but may someone please elaborate further on? Is this intercession identical to that to the intercession of saints?

Also may someone please post some scriptural verses on angels?

Have a beautiful and wonderful day!

In the beginning God created the angels. These were all given a divine probationary command, as Adam and Eve later would be. One third of them refused and were damned, this faction is lead by Satan. Two thirds of them obeyed, this faction is lead by St. Michael. Each baptized person has a guardian angel, it has been the majority opinion of theologians throughout the Church’s entire history that every person has a guardian angel, however that the unbaptized have guardian angels is not a required belief. Angels, in addition to praying for us as the deceased saints do, also give us direct spiritual help since they are in a sense “God’s army”.

 

[bzkoss236]

Is this intercession identical to that to the intercession of saints?!

Essentially, yes.

 

[Warandpeace]

Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 1 Corinthians 6:3

The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

“You are just in these judgments, O Holy One,
you who are and who were;
for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”
And I heard the altar respond:

“Yes, Lord God Almighty,
true and just are your judgments.”

Revelation 16:4-7

 

[R_C]

Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 AD):

Might I not write you things more full of mystery? But I fear to do so, lest I should inflict injury on you who are but babes (in Christ).

Pardon me in this respect, lest, as not being able to receive their weighty import, ye should be strangled by them.

For even I, though I am bound (for Christ), and am able to understand heavenly things, the angelic orders, and the different sorts of angels and hosts, the distinctions between powers and dominions, and the diversities between the thrones and authorities, the mightiness of Aeons, and the pre-eminence of the Cherubim and Seraphim, the sublimity of the spirit, the Kingdom of the lord, and above all, the incomparable majesty of the Almighty God – though I am acquainted with these things, yet am I not therefore by any means perfect.

Origen (184-254 AD):

But not the high priest [Christ] alone prays for those who pray sincerely, but also the angels

or are we to suppose that it is the result of accident that a particular office is assigned to a particular angel…to one angel the Church of the Ephesians was to be entrusted; to another, that of the Smyrneans; one angel was to be Peter’s, another Paul’s; and so on through every one of the little ones that are in the Church, for such and such angels as even daily behold the face of God must be assigned to each one of them.

t is to be believed that they were conferred by God, the just and impartial Ruler of all things, agreeably to the merits and good qualities and mental vigor of each individual spirit.

Clement of Alexandria (208 AD):

angels, whether seen or not, the divine power bestows good things. Such was the mode adopted in the advent of the Lord. And sometimes also the power “breathes” in men’s thoughts and reasonings, and “puts in” their hearts “strength” and a keener perception, and furnishes “prowess” and “boldness of alacrity”.

these primitive and first created virtues are unchangeable in substance, and along with subordinate angels and archangels whose names they share, effect divine operations. thus Moses names the virtue of the angel Michael, by an angel near to himself and of the lowest grade… Moses heard him and spoke to him face to face. On the other prophets through the agency of angels an impression was made as of beings hearing and seeing.

On this account also they alone heard, and they alone saw…If the voice had been open and common, it would have been heard by all…It was heard by him alone, in whom the impression made by the angels worked.

In this way is he [the true Christian] always pure for prayer. He also prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping; and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him [in prayer]

Athanasius (296-373 AD):

to minister is of things originate as of servants, but to frame and to create is of God alone…as regards ministrations there are, not one only, but man out of their whole number, whomever the Lord will send. For there are many Archangels, many Thrones, and Authorities, and Dominions, thousands of thousands, and myriads of myriads, standing before Him, ministering and ready to be sent.

It is proper then to an Angel to minister at the command of God, and often does he go forth…but these are not his doings, but of God who commanded and sent him.

Basil the Great (330-379 AD):

It appears, indeed, that even before this world an order of things existed of which our mind can form an idea…all the orderly arrangement of pure intelligences who are beyond the reach of our mind and of whom we cannot even discover the names…their substance is, peradventure, an aerial spirit, or an immaterial fire, as it is written, “Who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire;” wherefore they exist in space and become visible, and appear in their proper bodily form to them that are worthy. But their sanctification, being external to their substance, superinduces their perfection through the communion of the Spirit. They keep their rank by their abiding in the good and true, and while they retain their freedom of will, never fall away from their patient attendance on Him who is truly good.

Hilary of Poitiers (365 AD):

To those who wish to stand [in God’s grace], neither the guardianship of saints nor the defenses of angels are wanting

Cyril of Jerusalem (315-386 AD):

Ascend, I say, in imagination even unto the first heaven, and behold there so many countless myriads of Angels. Mount up in thy thoughts, if thou canst, yet higher; consider, I pray thee, the Archangels, consider also the Spirits; consider the Virtues, consider the Principalities, consider the Powers, consider the Thrones, consider the Dominions…

I have ever wondered at the curiosity of the bold men, who by their imagined reverence fall into impiety. For though they know nothing of Thrones, and Dominions, and Principalities, and Powers, the workmanship of Christ, they attempt to scrutinize their Creator Himself. Tell me first, O most daring man, wherein does Throne differ from Dominion, and then scrutinize what pertains to Christ. Tell me what is a Principality, and what a Power, and what a Virtue, and what an Angel: and then search out their Creator, for all things were made by Him.

This is in truth a serious matter, brethren, and you must approach it with good heed. Each one of you is about to be presented to God before tens of thousands of the Angelic Hosts.

 

[R_C]

Ambrose (339-397 AD):

For Christ standeth at the door of thy soul. Hear Him speaking. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man open to Me, I will come in to him, and I will sup with him, and he with Me.” And the Church saith, speaking of Him: “The voice of my brother soundeth at the door.”

He stands, then—but not alone, for before Him go angels, saying: “Lift up the gates, O ye the princes.” What gates? Even those of the which the Psalmist sings in another place also: “Open to me the gates of righteousness.”Open, then, thy gates to Christ, that He may come into thee—open the gates of righteousness, the gates of chastity, the gates of courage and wisdom.

John Chrysostom (347-407 AD):

Let us keep our vigil, beloved; we also have those that are eager for our success, if we will. Near each one of us Angels are sitting.

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” What marvel (saith he) if they minister to the Son, when they minister even to our salvation? See how he lifts up their minds, and shows the great honor which God has for us, since He has assigned to Angels who are above us this ministration on our behalf. As if one should say, for this purpose (saith he) He employs them; 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. And we, though servants are yet Angels’ fellow-servants. Why gaze ye so earnestly on the Angels (saith he)? They are servants of the Son of God, and are sent many ways for our sakes, and minister to our salvation. And so they are partners in service with us.
Consider ye how he ascribes no great difference to the kinds of creatures. And yet the space between angels and men is great; nevertheless he brings them down near to us, all but saying, For us they labor, for our sake they run to and fro: on us, as one might say, they wait. This is their ministry, for our sake to be sent every way.

John Damascene (676-749 AD):

They are mighty and prompt to fulfil the will of the Deity, and their nature is endowed with such celerity that wherever the Divine glance bids them there they are straightway found. They are the guardians of the divisions of the earth: they are set over nations and regions, allotted to them by their Creator: they govern all our affairs and bring us succour. And the reason surely is because they are set over us by the divine will and command and are ever in the vicinity of God.