Not hurting anyone but himself: Angels, Day 104

The devil, says St. Augustine, did no damage to God in his fall, but only to himself. God knew beforehand what would happen, and how to bring good out of it.

So why shouldn’t God make human beings, although he knew before- hand that we would sin, when he might crown us if we stood, and set us right if we fell, and help us if we rose, being always and everywhere glorious in goodness, righteousness, and mercy? Above all, why shouldn’t he do so, since he also knew beforehand that from our mortal race would spring saints—people who would not seek their own glory, but give glory to their Creator, and who, gaining deliver- ance from every corruption by worshiping him, would be counted worthy to live forever, and to live in bliss with the holy angels?

He gave us free will, so that we might worship God not out of slavish neces- sity, but with candid desire. He also gave free will to the angels. Thus the angel who, along with the other spirits who were his followers, abandoned the obedience of God in his pride to become the devil, did not do any damage to God, but only to himself. God knows what to do about souls that leave him, and how to use their righteous misery to furnish the lower sections of his creatures with appropriate and befitting laws of his wonderful dispensation.

Thus the devil did not harm God in any way, either by falling himself or in seducing humanity to death. Nor did the man in any way hurt the truth, power, or blessedness of his Maker, when, after his partner had been seduced by the devil, of his own deliberate choice he consented with her to do what God had forbidden. –St. Augustine, On the Catechizing of the Uninstructed, 18

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Do I worship God out of candid desire? Do I will to serve God as the heavenly angels do?

CLOSING PRAYER
Lord, I desire to offer you much more than I have to give; make up my lack with your grace, and let me serve you forever with your holy angels in Heaven.

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