Angels want us to be immortal and happy; Angels: Day 149

The angels want us to be as happy as they are, says St. Augustine. That’s  why they refuse to let us worship them, but direct all our worship to God, the source of their own happiness.

The angels look on us miserable mortals compassionately and tenderly, and wish us to become immortal and happy—these blessed and immortal spirits, who inhabit celestial dwellings, and rejoice in the communications of their Cre- ator’s fullness, firm in his eternity, assured in his truth, holy by his grace. So it is very right that they do not desire us to sacrifice to themselves. For they know that they themselves are, along with us, his sacrifice.

For we and they together are the one city of God, to which it is said in the psalm, “Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God” (Ps. 87:3)—the human part visiting here below, the angelic helping us from above. And it was from that heavenly city, in which God’s will is the intelligible and unchangeable law—from that heavenly council-chamber (for they sit in counsel watching us)—that this Holy Scripture came down to us by the ministry of angels, in which it is written, “Whoever sacrifices to any god, save to the Lord only, shall be utterly destroyed” (Ex. 22:20).

This Scripture, this law, these precepts, have been confirmed by such mira- cles, that it is clear enough to whom these immortal and blessed spirits, who desire us to be like themselves, wish us to sacrifice. –St. Augustine, City of God, 10.7

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

The angels put all their effort into directing our praises toward God. Do I do the same for other people, or am I happy to absorb a good bit of the praise for myself ?

CLOSING PRAYER

Holy Guardian Angel, you love us with an unwavering love. Teach me to look upon others with the same constancy in charity.

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