Angels hear our prayers; Angels: Day 217

Angels hear our prayers; Angels: Day 217 February 25, 2017

angels_augustine_1Why  do we pray when God already knows what we need? Perhaps, says St. Augustine, we pray so that the angels can receive their instructions about us.

When the Apostle says, “let your requests be made known to God” (Phil.4:6), we should not think this means that, when we do so, they become known to God. He certainly knew them before we spoke them. But we should understand it in this sense: that our requests are to be made known to ourselves in the presence of God by patient waiting on him, not in the presence of other people by preten- tious worship.

Or perhaps so that they might also be made known to the angels that are in the presence of God, so that these beings may in some way present them to God, and consult him about them, and either openly or secretly bring us what they have learned is his will by listening to his commandment—for they must fulfill his will according to what they have learned there is their duty. For the angel said to Tobias, “And so, when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One” (Tob. 12:12). –St. Augustine, Letter 130, 9

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

How much of my prayer is pretentious worship, and how much is really patient waiting on God? Do I pray to be heard by angels, or to be heard by other people?

CLOSING PRAYER

Faithful spirits who always adore the divinity, teach me to love, so that one day I may join you in Heaven for all eternity.

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