Angels, Demons, and Us

ONE

We have reflected on the Archangels and the Guardian angels - Today – the 9 Choirs of Angels and how to avoid the ruin of Lucifer.

There are three “hierarchies” of Angels with three “choirs” within each hierarchy.

1.  The Seraphim, the Cherubim, and the Thrones.

2.  The dominions, Virtues, and Powers.

3.  The Principalities, the Archangels, and the Angels.

a.  Which makes for nine groups of angels

An angelic hierarchy is a sacred order of Angels who share in the knowledge and activity of God. They in turn, guide and convey knowledge to those Angels below them, who in their turn convey knowledge and guide us – as in the case of our Guardian Angels.

The purpose of the first and highest hierarchy of angels, the Seraphim, the Cherubim, and the Thrones is to  

·       contemplate God in his infinite goodness,

·       and to contemplate the proper end or goal of all things of God and his creation.

The purpose of second hierarchy of Angels, the Dominions, Virtues, and Powers is to

·       receive illumination, that is, divine truth, knowledge and wisdom, from the first hierarchy,

·       and to govern the material world based on that knowledge.

The third or lowest hierarchy of Angels, the Principalities, Archangels, and the Angels have the function of

·       Receiving illumination from the second hierarchy on what is to be done and to carry it out, particularly as it affects us the realm of humans.

St Faustyna writes: (630) Then I saw one of the seven spirits near me, radiant as at other times, under a form of light.  I constantly saw him beside me when I was riding on the train.  I saw an angel standing on every church we passed, but surrounded by a light which was paler than that of the spirit who was accompanying me on the journey, and each of these spirits who were guarding the churches bowed his head to the spirit who was near me.

When I entered the convent gate at Warsaw, the spirit disappeared.  I thanked God for His goodness, that He gives us angels for companions.  Oh, how little people reflect on the fact that they always have beside them such a guest, and at the same time a witness to everything!  Remember, sinners, that you likewise have a witness to all your deeds.

TWO

The Angels closest to God are the Seraphim, whose name means “the burning ones” or “the Angels of Fire” because God is a consuming fire of love. The Seraphim are set on fire by the love of God, and these Angels excel in their awe-inspiring love of God.

Isaiah Chapter 6 describes the Seraphim:

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

We literally join the Seraphim in their hymn of praise in each Mass right before the consecration of the Eucharist because we are entering the presence of Almighty God. These highest of all Angels can also have the task of participating in the purification of humanity. This is seen in Isaiah 6 when one Seraph purged the lips of the prophet Isaiah with burning coal:

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.”

The Seraphim have a role in our purification and that of the whole world. We should pray to the Seraphim so that we will cooperate better in our own purification so that we can have a greater happiness through union with God.

From what would the Seraphim suggest you need to be purified?

THREE

The Cherubim

As the Seraphim excel in the love of God, The Cherubim excel in their knowledge and truth of God.

St. Thomas Aquinas speculated that Lucifer was probably a Cherub rather than a Seraph, since the burning love of Seraphim is opposite to pride, whereas great knowledge of truth, which the Cherubim possess, can more easily lead to pride.

Yes, knowledge without love and obedience can be a very dangerous thing because we fail to grasp our Limitations…

This brings up an important question? Why do you think Lucifer, one of the highest angels, who excelled in the knowledge of God, fell from grace forever?

FOUR

St Teresa of Avila provides an important insight as to why Lucifer, Satan fell. She writes: “I believe His Majesty desires to bring us along this way (the way of suffering, trials, crosses and difficulties) for our own good so that we may understand well what little we amount to. The favors that come afterward are of such great worth that He desires first that before He gives them to us we see by experience our own limitations so he thought he was without limits.

Teresa explains that God allows suffering, trials, and crosses in our life to make us aware of and accept our limitations.  

Because Lucifer has no physical body, he did not experience his limitations through suffering, and he fell into the trap of thinking he was without limits. The devil didn’t suffer, so he thought he was without limits.

Thinking he was without limit, Lucifer thought

·       he did not need God,

·       so he did not want God

·       and made no space in his life for God.

o   That is why he is in hell.

§  He made no space for God in his life.

§  Do we make adequate space in our life for God?

§  What prevents you from giving God more?

§  Think of these 7 words: Man has time for what he loves!

FIVE

If we had no limitations, then we would be so full of ourselves there would be no space for God to fill us with His divine life.

Our limitations are our greatest asset!  

Because our limitations make us recognize we need God.

When we need God, then we desire God. That desire creates a space for God to fill us.

Our Limitations create a space for us to be filled by God and divinized – that is – made like God. And when we become God-like we surpass our limitations infinitely! That is what Lucifer missed.

Our limitations are unique.

·       It may be physical, psychological,

·       it may be that your kids are growing up and leaving you

·       it may be the death of a spouse,

·       old age and infirmity;

·       it may be that you are a gifted professional and you’ve taken on too much and that weight crushing you;

·       or you may just find that you face circumstances you cannot change.

o   These are our limitations.

They are a gift. Why?

Because you can’t overcome them by your power alone. You can’t do it.

Oh you can make it worse, that’s for sure, by forcing your will or your way, but you can’t remove your limitations by your will power.

This is a great blessing and the devil missed it completely.

See, you CAN have your limitations obliterated by Surrendering them to God

A.  If we would learn to accept our limitations with Patience and trust

B.  That would create a space that God could fill

C. So he could heal, elevate, perfect and divinize you – obliterating all of our limitations.

The devil wants us to focus on your limitations,

·       Become angry frustrated, live in fear and despair about your limitations.  

·       Then the devil wants us to hate God for our limitations

Focus instead on

·       God filling your limitations, the space He is carving out, with Himself. What limitation do you refuse to accept?