What angels do, Angels: Day 022

What angels do

St. John of Damascus admits that there are many things we can’t know about angels. But Scripture and reason tell us quite a bit. Angels are beings above us, but they are not naturally perfect. Only God is perfect. The good angels can no longer be moved to evil—but  that is by God’s grace, not by their own nature.

Angels are powerful, and quick to do God’s will. Their nature is so speedy that, as soon as the divine glance orders them to go somewhere, immediately they are there. They are the guardians of the divisions of the earth: they are placed over countries and areas that the Creator assigns to them. They govern all our af- fairs and bring us aid. And certainly the reason is that they are placed over us by God’s will and command, and they are always near him.

It is hard for them to be moved to evil. But they are not naturally immovable. They are completely immovable now, but that is because of God’s grace and their nearness to the Only Good, not because of their nature.

They see God as far as they are able to see him, and that is their food.

Because they are bodiless, they are above us, and they are free of all bodily passion. But they are not passionless, since only God is passionless.

They take different forms as God, their Master, commands them, and thus reveal themselves to human beings and unveil the divine mysteries to them.

They live in Heaven, and their one duty is to sing God’s praise and to carry out his will. –St. John of Damascus, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 2.3

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

Angels’ only duties, says St. John of Damascus, are to praise God and do his will. How would my life be different if I took those as my marching orders as well?

CLOSING PRAYER

Holy angels, who are carried through the universe faster than light in your zeal for the will of God, keep his will present to my soul, and give me your aid in my own efforts.

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