The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-09-25
Just Among Ourselves

September 20 is the Feast of ST. Michael, Arch
angel. the old name for the Feast is Mchaelmas or
'the Mass OF St. Michael" And October is the
Feast of the Guardian Angels. October "a is the
Feast of St Raphael Archange We are moving into
season of angels festivals 1t is therefore timely
to talk little about these wondrous creatures of
God.
Many scholars agree with st. Thomas Aquinas
that angels must exist to make the works of creation
present regular and rounded manifestation of the
Divine Goodness God made creatures that bod
lily merely and He made man who is compound
OF body and spirit. Reason suggests what Revela-
ton declares, namely that God made creatures that
are purely spiritual. Thus we have the full scale:
bodies; bodyspirit compounds; spirits.
The angels are bodess spirits. Sometimes we
read in Scripture of angels appearing in bodily
form. We not told definitely of the bodily form
assumed by St. Gabriel Archangel when he APP
peared to the Blessed Virgin 10 tell her that she
was TO be the Mother Of God made Man. But that
he appeared" is proof that he assumed bodily
form.
We know that ST. Raphael. Archangel appeared
10 the elder and younger Tobias as young man.
ST. Thomas reminds us that when angel assumes
a human body it does not make that body lis own
TO exercise in il the true functions of bodily
life. No; the angel uses the assumed body as the
instrument of bodily action but the angel does not
make the assumed body live nor make it his own
body.
We read in Scripture of three archanees and
are given their names: Michael Gabriel Raphael.
And also read I, Il to full number of archaneeS
i seven, for Raphael said to Tobias, Il one of
the seven that stand before the throne of God"
There are legendary names for the four other arch
angels and the listed as follows: Michael
IA JpbudInl
There is also pious legend of long standing
that each OF the archanoels has special assignme
as guardian Of of the sacraments. Father Faber
tells uS that Gabriel is assigned TO Baptism Uriei
to Confirmation; Michael 10 the Holy Eucharist:
Jehudiel TO Penance: Raphael TO Extreme Uncton;
Sealtel 10 Holy Order; Barachie 10 Marimony.
The pure spirits of God are called in general
angels. But this is generic, not specific name.
The name man THAT is, human being is specific
name: this means that every being to which the
name properly applies is of the precise
sence and nature. The one definition of man as a
creature composed OF body and soul and made TO Gods
image and likeness defines every actual and possible
human being. All men thus OF the same species.
But each angel is distinct species. They are all Of
the same general class genus of heavenly spirits.
But no angel is completely and exactly the same as
any other angel.
Therefore when say angel in reference TO the
heavenly spirits, do not express the complete
essence of each Of these spirits, whereas when we
say man Gin the meaning of haBaa beiH9l we do ex-
press the complete essence of each human person.
And when we say angel as general name of all the
heavenly spirits we remember that the same name
usually spelled with capital Al is the name of
special class or order choir Of the heavenly
spirits We make distinction between angel and
Angel
For the heavenly spirits or angels arc divided
into hierarchies and each of these hierarchies is
divided into three orders or choirs Thus there
nine orders or choirs Of aneels Tho three hierarch
les NAV he called the Upper Middle, and Lower
Hierarchy
In the Upper or Highest Hierarchy listed in
The descending order of excellence, arc the follow
ing orders or cholrs Sefdph9n Cherttbtm, Thrones.
In the Middle Hierarchy in descending order
DomindionS Virtues .POtcerS In the Lower Hier-
archy in descending order, arc the orders choirs
called: PriacipaIitcs, Archaneels, Angels
An angelic spirit OF any order is said to be pres
ent in place by the fact that ii exercises its
powers In that place An angelic spirit is not
fined or limited by space place body is. Dis
tance can have no hampering effect angelic
action.
Tho name angel means messenger and angels
are SOmcIneS sent 10 men as Spccldl messengers
of God; and each man has of the order of Angels
assigned to him As his special guardian The guard
ian ANGEL is appointed to each man from the moment
he begins to exist Some mistaken teachers in past
time have thouah that only Christians have guard
ian angels, and that these appointed at bap
tism. But epery human being has his guardian angel
appointed from tho first moment of existence.
The angels OF the Highest Hierarchy (Saraphlm
Chcrubin, Thrones) are, il seems, never sent as
messengers to Nor are the Domnations sent
81 Thomas saws that angels sent lin the external
ministry" arc those whose names Indicate some kind
Of administrative or executive function. These are
Prncipalities, Powers, Virtues Arehan2els, Angels.
An angel is "sent" by being present, through
Gods Will either where it was not before by
being present in new way in place where it
was before. And. as We have noticed, angel
is present inasmuch as IL exercises or applies
lis powers in place,
The angels are in themselves more perfect crea-
lures than man. Man made a little less than
the angels although through the Incarnation human
nature has been honored and raised above
the angels Yet each individual man, as bodily
creature subject to sin is almost measuecssly less
than any angel: he rightly invokes the angels IL
aid him in getting safe 10 heaven.