Who or What are Angels? • Created, spiritual beings • Possess intellect & will • Immortal • Persons, individual & unique • “Angel” = Messenger
Angels & the Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible .
Angels & the Catechism 328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal b ei n gs th a t S a cred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. See: 328 - 336
Angels & the Bible (OT) Genesis 32:22 Exodus 12:23 Genesis 3:24
Angels & the Bible (OT) Isaiah 6:7 Tobit 6:1 2 Kings 6:27
Angels & the Bible (NT) Luke 1:5 Luke 1:26 Luke 2:8
Angels & the Bible (NT) Luke 22:43 MaOhew 28:2 MaOhew 25:31
Angels & the Bible (NT) Acts 5:17 Acts 10:1 Acts 12:1
Angels & the Saints "If you remembered the presence of your angel and the angels of your neighbors, you would avoid many of the foolish things which slip into your conversaPons." - St. Josemaria Escriva
Angels & the Saints "We should show our affecPon for the angels, for one day they will be our coheirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father." - St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Angels & the Saints "Since God oWen sends us his inspiraPons by means of his angels, we ought frequently to offer him our aspiraPons through the same channel. ... Call on them and honor them frequently, and ask their help in all your affairs, temporal as well as spiritual." - St. Francis de Sales
Choirs of Angels Seraphim Is. 6:1-7 Contemplate God’s love Cherubim Ex. 25:18-21 Contemplate God’s wisdom Thrones Ezk. 10:17 Contemplate God’s power Dominions Eph. 1:21 Govern the lower choirs Virtues Eph. 1:21 Govern planets, seasons, nature Powers Eph. 3:10 Conduct spiritual warfare PrincipaliPes Eph. 1:21 Govern naPons, states, regions Archangels 1 Thes. 4:16 Govern human affairs & deliver God’s messages Angels Heb. 13:2 Minister to individual humans, guardian angels
Guardian Angels “See that you do not despise one of these lible ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” Mabhew 18:10
Things We Can Do That Angels Can’t • Offer RedempPve Suffering • Act with Bravery • Exercise PaPent Endurance • Receive the Eucharist
Who or What are Demons? • Fallen angels • IdenPcal to angels except they rebelled against God • Seek the ruin of souls and despise all that is good or holy
Demons & the Catechism 391 “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.” See 391 - 395
Demons & the Bible Genesis 3:24 Lev. 17:7, Deut. 32:15, Psalm 106:37
Demons & the Bible Mabhew 4:1 Mark 5:12
Demons & the Bible RevelaPon 12:1 RevelaPon 12:7
Demons & the Saints “We need to be especially alert to the evil subtlety of Satan. His one desire is to keep people from having a mind and heart disposed to their Lord and God. . .He wants to exPnguish the light of the human heart, and so he moves in by means of worldly busyness and worry.” - St. Francis of Assisi
Demons & the Saints “How unhappy we are, my children, thus to be the sport of demons. They do whatever they please with us; they suggest to us evil speaking, calumny, hatred, vengeance; they even drive us so far as to put our neighbor to death.” - St. Maximilian Kolbe
Demons & the Saints “The evil spirits, because of their pride, anger, and envy, will abempt to turn your gaze away from God through either temptaPons or harassments.” - St. FausPna Kowalska
Spiritual Warfare “But then a hand touched me, raising me to my hands and knees. “Daniel, beloved,” he said to me, “understand the words which I am speaking to you; stand up, for my mission now is to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up trembling. “Do not fear, Daniel,” he conPnued; “from the first day you made up your mind to acquire understanding and humble yourself before God, your prayer was heard. Because of it I started out, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia[e] stood in my way for twenty-one days, unPl finally Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. I leW him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and came to make you understand what shall happen to your people in the last days; for there is yet a vision concerning those days…“Do you know,” he asked, “why I have come to you? Soon I must fight the prince of Persia again. When I leave, the prince of Greece will come; but I shall tell you what is wriben in the book of truth. No one supports me against these except Michael, your prince, and in the first year of Darius the Mede I stood to strengthen him and be his refuge.” Daniel 10:10-14, 20-21
Spiritual Warfare 1) There are angelic powers that rule over naWons 2) God’s angels engage in baOling against demons 3) Resistance from demon delayed answer to pray fro Daniel 4) We are affected by spiritual warfare 5) Spiritual warfare is constantly going on around us 6) Angels can be assisted by our prayers
Spiritual Warfare “Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tacPcs of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principaliWes, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.” - Ephesians 6:10-13
Kingdoms in Conflict • Spiritual bable in the heavens when Lucifer rebelled against God • Through sin, the world was subject to Satan • Jesus came proclaiming, “Repent & believe the Good News! The Kingdom of God has come!” • “Kingdom” = baslileia , the rule of the King
Kingdoms in Conflict • Marks of the Kingdom of God – no pain, no sickness, no death • Jesus healed sick, cast out demons as proof of the Kingdom of God • We pray “Thy kingdom come…on earth as in heaven” • We live in the now & the not yet
Demonic Influence • TemptaWon – abempts to get us to sin • Oppression – persistent external abacks • Obsession – overcome/focused on demonic • Possession – willful surrender to demonic, body is possessed by demon(s) • InfestaWon – affects places or objects
Open Doors to the Demonic • Willful persistence in mortal sin, addicPons • Physical, spiritual, emoPonal abuse • ParPcipaPon in occult or witchcraW • PracPcing divinaPon (astrology, ouija boards, tarot cards, etc.)
Our Spiritual Weapons ‘Spiritual combat’ is another element of life which needs to be taught anew and proposed once more to all ChrisPans today. It is a secret and interior art, an invisible struggle in which (we) engage every day against the temptaPons, the evil suggesPons that the demon tries to plant in (our) hearts. - Pope St. John Paul II (VaPcan Archives: Address of the Holy Father 5/25/02)
Our Spiritual Weapons • Prayer & FasPng • Reading/MeditaPng on Scripture • Frequent recepPon of sacraments • Pursuing personal holiness • Sacramentals (holy water, blessed objects)
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in baOle. Be our protecWon against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.. - Pope Leo XIII, 1886
Exorcism • May only be done by a bishop or priest appointed by a bishop • Individual subjected to series of medical & psychological tests first • Not as flashy as movies, but spiritual manifestaPons do occur
Exorcism • OWen done over a period of Pme in conjuncPon with spiritual direcPon & counseling • “Major” exorcism rite is reserved for possession • “Minor” exorcism prayers are used to break influence over people
What About Ghosts? • Many exorcists believe in ghosts • Disembodied human souls • Most likely souls in Purgatory seeking our prayers • Evil spirits can also “haunt” • Should never communicate with the dead
Guardian Angel Prayer Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom God's love commits me here, Ever this day, be at my side, To light and guard, Rule and guide. Amen.
November Into the Deep
Recommend
More recommend
