Where Angels Tread

“For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways.” Psalms 91: 11

Today is the Feast of the Archangels: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. How often do you think about angels? I think many people think about angels only at certain times of the year (like maybe Christmas). And when we do think about angels, what do we envision them to look like? To be like? Perhaps we think of human-like creatures with wings, or bright white lights, or perhaps even ghost-like spirits. Maybe even a few of you thought of Clarence from “It’s a Wonderful Life” or even Michael Landon from “Highway to Heaven”. But what are angels? And why did God create them?

First of all, angels are NOT humans who have died and gone to heaven. Angels are a different species of beings in creation. Animals are bodies without spirits. Humans are bodies and spirits (souls) and angels are pure spirits with no bodies. God created them separately from humans for specific purposes—all of them related to God and us, believe it or not.

Angels are always around the throne of God constantly worshipping Him and giving Him praise. Angels burn with the light of God’s pure love. Angels are sent to guard us, to protect us, to give us messages, to heal us and to fight the Evil One. There are countless references in Scripture of angels from Genesis all the way to Revelation. They serve God and they serve us. But think about it this way: they LOVE us. They seek to bring us to God in this life and they seek to guide us and bring us to Him in the next life. What a gift!

We might not think about angels much because we can’t see them or hear them. But they are always with us, always speaking to us, always trying to guide and protect and help us to hear God’s voice. I have no doubt that when we get to heaven (through God’s grace), that we will come to know countless stories of how angels impacted our lives in ways we never knew or failed to recognize. On this special feast day, let us be thankful for these magnificent beings who constantly serve God and love us. What comfort we should find in the knowledge of their presence with us.

Dear Jesus, thank You for Your angels that you send to guide us, protect us and speak to us. Through Your grace may we always recognize their presence in our lives and have hearts filled with gratitude to You for their help. Amen.