Section XV: The Works of Good Angels
SECTION XV: ON THE WORKS OF THE GOOD ANGELS
§ 67. Out of the confirmation in goodness of some angels and the obstinacy in evil of others arise the opposing works of the good and evil angels. The good ones praise and glorify God, carry out God’s orders, serve people, make fortification around those who fear the Lord, protect little children, guard adults in their ways (that is, in their vocation8), keep watch, attend the dying, and take up the zealous care and guardianship not only of individual believers but also of all the estates that God has ordained: ecclesiastical, civil, and domestic. Bernard (Sermon 10 on Psalm 91): “The angels are present, and they are present for you. Not only are they with you, they are also for you. They are near to protect you; they are near to take care of you.” The works of the evil angels are contrary to these.
Why God uses the ministry of good angels.
§ 68. Biel (Sent. 2, dist. 10, q. 1, art. 4) aimed to explain why, though He is omnipresent, God employs the service of angels among those who will be saved. He writes: “Some cooperation of our free will is required, according to which we may cooperate with God. Because our free will is lazy and fickle, it needs much help to stir it up, strengthen it,” etc. But regarding this hypothesis about the powers of free will cooperating with God, we shall see how well it holds up in its own commonplace [cf. On Free Choice (Commonplace XIV), §§ 50–101]. On this point it is better to acknowledge and proclaim the great love that God has for mankind: that He sends these heavenly spirits to minister to us, though we are but worms creeping on the ground. Bernard (Sermon 12 on the words of Psalm 91, “He will give His angels charge over you” [v. 11], etc.): “Oh, the great love that is charity—who has commanded this? To whom? Over whom? What was commanded? For if God has given this command, then He has given it to His angels. If He has commanded this concerning you, O man, then He commanded them to guard you in all your ways. ‘O Lord, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?’ [Ps. 8:4]. You send Your only-begotten Son to him, You send Your Holy Spirit into him, and, lest anything in heaven be lacking from this work of concern, for our sake You also send those blessed spirits to minister to us.” The Father sends the Son to redeem, the Holy Spirit to comfort, and the angels to protect.
To whom the angels are given as guardians.
§ 69. Now, if we wish to enjoy the protective ministry of the angels, we must live in true repentance, because “there is joy in heaven before the angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7, 10). We must beware of offenses, we must live in the fear of God, and by ardent prayer we must implore the protection of the angels with all earnestness. The angels rejoice to serve those who will one day be their companions in eternal life. Heb. 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are heirs of blessedness?” Where there is no grace of God, there is no presence of the angels; but we have said more on this subject elsewhere. Basil (on Psalm 33, vol. 1, p. 258): “Just as smoke drives away bees and foul odors drive off doves, so also tearful, foul-smelling sin removes the angel who guards our life.”
§ 70. The sending of the angels to serve people (says Bonaventure) is in harmony with, first: the love of God, which is revealed in this, that for our welfare He sends these noble spirits who are joined to Him with an intimate love. Second, it is in harmony with the love of the angels in that, when they see that we need their help against the onslaughts of the devil, they offer themselves to God for our service. Third, it is in harmony with human love, which needs to be fostered, nourished, and awakened because it is weak. Additionally, such angelic protection invites us to thank God and eagerly to show our neighbor love and humility, since we see them, powerful spirits though they are, serving us who are so much inferior to them. Bernard (on Psalm 91, sermon 12): “In every place, in every corner, show reverence to your angel. Do not do in his presence what would embarrass you in my presence.”
The effects of the angels’ protection.
§ 71. The Scholastics list these as the results of the angels’ protection: (1) rebuking of sins (Judg. 2[:1–3]); (2) loosing from the bonds of sins (Acts 12[:5–10]); (3) the removal of things that keep us from good (Exod. 12[:29–32]); (4) warding off demons (Tobit 12[:3, 14]); (5) instruction and internal illumination (Dan. 9[:20–27]); (6) revelation of mysteries (Gen. 18[:10]); (7) comfort for the afflicted (Tobit 5[:26–28]); (8) strengthening in the way of the Lord (1 Kings 19[:5–7]); (9) guidance upon departure and return (Tobit 5[:27]); (10) casting down enemies (Isa. 37[:36]); (11) lessening of temptations (Genesis 32); (12) carrying of prayers (Tobit 12[:12]). Hence Gerson writes (on the Magnificat, treatise 8): “The angel stands near, shines, knocks, cries out to arise. He releases, guides, and leaves free.”
It is better and more complete to say that the angels serve God and men. They serve God by praising Him (Isa. 6[:1–4]; Luke 2[:13–14]) and by ministering to Him (Ps. 103[:20–21]; Dan. 7[:10]). They serve men: (1) by battling Satan (Dan. 12[:1]; Tobit 8[:3]; Rev. 12[:7–9]); (2) by declaring God’s will to them (Dan. 9[:20–22]; Matt. 1[:19–21]; Luke 1[:11–20]); (3) by keeping them from the evils of fault (Gen. 16[:7–12]; 19[:1–22]; Num. 22[:22–35]); (4) by protecting them from the evils of punishment (Ps. 34[:7]; 91[:11–12]); (5) by avenging sins (Gen. 3[:24]; 2 Sam. 24[:15–17]; Isa. 37[:36]); (6) by carrying the souls of the devout into the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16[:22]).
Whether everyone has a certain angel at his side.
§ 72. The fathers ask whether each person has been given a certain angel for protection. Clement (Strom., bk. 6, p. 321): “Guardianships of angels have been distributed throughout nations and cities. Some of these perhaps have been assigned to individuals.”
The rest assert this with greater boldness. Jerome (on Matthew 18) and Basil (Contra Eunom., bk. 3, vol. 1, p. 139): “Each soul has an angel assigned to protect it.” They try to prove this from the fact that Christ names the angels of children [cf. Matt. 18:10]. Theodoret (Orat. 11, p. 715): “Just as one angel has been assigned to each of us, so there is an archangel assigned to each province.” Thomas ([ST,] part 1, p. 113, art. 2): “Individual angels are assigned to individual people.” In fact, many even assert that an evil angel is present with every person for trial [exercitium]. (See Origen, on Luke, homily 35; Gregory of Nyssa, De vita perf., p. 500; Cassian, Collat. 13, ch. 12; Lombard, Sent., bk. 2, dist. 11, para. 1.) However, because “angels” (in the plural) are said to have carried off Lazarus’s soul “to Abraham’s side” (Luke 16[:22]); because “before the angels” (in the plural) there is said to be joy over the repentance of one sinner (Luke 15[:10]); because the Mahanaim [“Two Camps”] appeared to Jacob (Gen. 32[:1–2]), therefore we should not assign the guardianship of one person to one angel in such a way as to exclude the assistance of the rest. Conversely, because a legion of wicked angels was in one man (Mark 5[:13]), because when the devil was once cast out he took on seven more wicked spirits (Luke 11[:24–26]), thus it seems that not just one devil lies in wait for each person, but several. The ministries of the good angels are united for good, but the ministries of the wicked, for evil.
§ 73. The Scholastics ask: Did Christ have a guardian angel during the days of His flesh? Here they answer that Christ had ministering rather than guardian angels. Matt. 4:11: “Angels came and were ministering to Him.” Guardianship [custodia] indicates [being] “in charge over” [praesidentia] and the forbidding of harm by the one who guards and a lack in the person guarded. (See Thomas, [ST,] part 1, q. 113, art. 4; Alexander of Hales and Biel, Sent. 2, dist. 11.) Meanwhile, we duly marvel at and proclaim the great emptying of the Son of God, that He who is the strength of angels and the support of all created things was Himself strengthened by an angel (Luke 22:43).