The angels serve for their own benefit, Angels: Day 019

The angels serve for their own benefit

St. Irenaeus indulges in some  speculation  about  the nature of  Heaven, and probably most theologians today would dismiss his ideas as metaphorical at best.  But there’s an important theological truth in this passage. The  angels serve God, not because God needs help, but because it’s good for them to serve.

This world is surrounded by seven heavens, in which live angels and arch- angels serving God, the Almighty, Maker of all things—not because he needs help, but so that they may not be idle, useless, and unproductive.

For the same reason the Spirit of God also dwells in us in many ways. Isaiah counts him as resting on the Son of God (that is, the Word), when he comes as a man in seven forms of service: “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowl- edge and godliness. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2-3).

These are the heavens, in order from above, so that the first encompasses the rest:

• Wisdom
• Understanding
• Counsel
• Might
• Knowledge
• Godliness
• Fear of the Lord

The seventh is this firmament of ours, which is full of the fear of that Spirit which gives light to the heavens. As a pattern of this, Moses was given that seven- branched candlestick that glowed continually in the holy place; for, according to what the Word spoke to him, he received that service as a pattern of the heavens: “And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain” (Ex. 25:40). –St. Irenaeus, Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, 9-10

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

How does it change my idea of my “duties” to know that even the angels serve, not because God needs help, but because they need to serve?

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, teach me to serve you, as your holy angels serve you, in everything I do.

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