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February 2000/1

THE ANGELS AND THE LITURGY

"In the sight of the angels I will sing praise to Thee, O Lord!" (Ps 137:1)

INTRODUCTION

The holy angels truly exist. Yet they are not some numinous, abstract answer whereby man should blindly console himself before a legion of challenging questions and trials which daily come over him to try his faith. They are our God-given companions, who, though given as a mystery of our faith and transcending our natural powers of explanation, should, nonetheless, touch our lives daily. How many of us in our childhood took this truth of our faith in like maternal milk when we recited that 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 to guard,
to rule and to guide."

This simple, yet efficacious prayer is indeed important: it instills in a child a living faith in the presence and protection of his guardian angel as well as makes him aware of the presence and action of the holy angels to protect and to assist all mankind. How many stories have we heard of people being aided by the angels as the fruit of this child-like prayer? Nevertheless, our faith in the guardian angel and all the angelic hosts must continue to develop. When growing up, how many people’s faith in the angels suffers from a stunted growth. If we have been brought up on the "milk" of this childlike faith, our adult life demands "substantial bread" for the vicissitudes of this "valley of tears" (Cf. 1 Cor 3:2).

The guardian angel and the angels as a whole are a sign of God's love towards mankind, who places them always at our sides with a very broad task, not only protecting us ("guardian" angel), but also enlightening, admonishing and directing us to our final goal, God, who himself will be our eternal beatitude amidst the infinite multitude of angels and saints. In brief, the angels’ presence should touch each and every facet of man’s life: "From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession" (CCC 336; Mt 18:10; Lk 16:22; Ps 34:7; 91:10-13; Job 33:23-24; Zech 1:12; Tob 12:12). We need only think of the lives of St. Frances of Rome, St. Gemma Galgani and, more recently, Blessed Padre Pio to get an idea of to what degree the holy angels will impregnate our lives.

Yet, as Christians, we have in the first and foremost place Christ as our model and example. The Catechism is very clear about how the angels were present in the Life of Christ:

From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the word Incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God "brings the firstborn into the world, he says: Let all God's angels worship him. Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church’s praise: "Glory to God in the highest!" They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been. Again, it is the angels who "evangelize" by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection. They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment (CCC 333).

The same catechism is equally clear about the holy angels ole in the life of the Church and each of her members: "In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels" (CCC 334). This proves true, thanks to the grace of Baptism.

Baptism has as its two principal effects the "purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit" (CCC 1262). Although "by Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin", such that "nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God" (CCC 1263), greater still is the fact that it "makes the neophyte ‘a new creature’, an adopted son of God, who has become a ‘partaker of the divine nature’, member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit" (CCC 1265). This wonderful, transforming process which "brings about death to sin and entry into the life of the Most Holy Trinity through configuration to the Paschal mystery of Christ" (CCC 1239) carries a number of effects with it, here just to mention a few principal ones:

In confirming that Baptism configures us to Christ, makes "Christians–other Christ's" out of us, we can see how and why the life of Christ becomes a model for the Christian life. As the angels accompanied Christ throughout his earthly life, so too they accompany those who have resolved to take up their Cross and follow him. This is especially true of the guardian angel who stands beside each believer as protector and shepherd (Cf. CCC 336). The angels will always remind us of the presence of Christ's image impressed upon our souls.

Like leaven, Baptism should affect the entire life of the baptized and call them to sanctify the whole of their lives. Let us consider how the angels accompany us in our liturgical life, that is how the angels are present and await our collaboration in the liturgy. When we speak of the liturgy, we mean not only the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but also the other sacramental celebrations (Baptism, Confirmation, Confession, Holy Orders, etc.). Divine Office and, to a certain extent sacramentals, insofar as they derive their efficacy and are ordered to the liturgy.

As each individual constitutes a unique calling before God, this conference wants to present a general sketch of how members of the Work of the Holy Angels can discover how the holy angels can help them grow in their spiritual growth with the Liturgy.

I. THE LITURGY

The liturgy is so important for our Christian life. The Second Vatican Council wanted to give new meaning to the liturgy for Christ’s faithful. She wanted to make them conscious of the riches which belongs to the Church and to each and every one of her faithful. To that purpose she needed to define what the liturgy is. In her pastoral constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Church defined the liturgy as "an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. It involves the presentation of man’s sanctification under the guise of signs perceptible by the senses and its accomplishment in ways appropriate to each of these signs. In it full public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and his members" (n. 7). Scholars and theologians had been struggling for a long time to give a satisfactory definition of that reality which influences so deeply the life of the faithful.

However, even if a definition is so very important, it does propose certain difficulties. What we understand by liturgy is so rich and to consider "in the air" (abstractly) can often be misleading. It is difficult to place into a fixed form and often tempts one to think, "now I have the mystery in my hands". If it is true that the liturgy is the "exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ" and "full public worship" of Christ’s Mystical Body, it still is much more than just the exact fulfillment of a conglomeration of ritual laws. It is equally the proclamation and celebration of the mystery of Christ (cf. CCC 1068). The Council clarifies this and tells us to what purpose she celebrates this mystery:

For it is the liturgy through which, especially in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, "the work of our redemption is accomplished", and it is through the liturgy, especially, that the faithful are enabled to express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church The liturgy daily builds up those who are in the Church, making of them a holy temple of the Lord, a dwelling-place for God in the Spirit, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ… (SC 2).

The "work of redemption" referred to is an integral part of the economy of salvation which is revealed to us in the mystery of Christ. "He accomplished this work principally by the Paschal mystery of his blessed Passion, Resurrection from the dead, and glorious Ascension, whereby ‘dying he destroyed our death, rising he restored our life’…" (CCC 1067).

In all this, we should not forget that ritual is not just a sacred action but rather an interaction between persons, namely between the Godhead (better yet the three Persons of the Holy Trinity) and his creatures. When we worship, it involves persons. Further, we should not think that the liturgical celebration is simply a comemoration of some past event. It is rather the actualization of the Paschal mystery, making it uniquely present before the faithful.

Although "the sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church" (SC 9), it does have a singular importance, since it is the "’dispensation of the mystery’–the age of the Church, during which Christ manifests, makes present, and communicates his work of salvation through the liturgy of His Church, ‘until He comes’" (CCC 1076). For that reason, "the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed;it is also the fount from which all her powers flow. For the goal of apostolic endeavor is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his Church, to take part in the Sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s Supper" (SC 10). Therefore it constitutes a reality which should often, even daily, nourish the spiritual life of Christ’s faithful.

Summing up, we can say that liturgy is indeed worship (as understood by our definition) involving laws and regulations. These are at the service of the central mystery of Christ which is to be transmitted from age to age by the living Church .

II. THE ANGELS

Man’s life is related to Christ, already in his creation but more so still in his redemption (remember how the indelible mark of Baptism attests his belonging to Christ). The angels, too, "spiritual, non-corporeal beings" who are "servants and messengers of God" (Cf. CCC 328-329), belong to Christ, not only because they were created through and for him, but also and especially because "he has made them messengers of his saving plan: Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?" (CCC 331). When the angels have become such a "hot item" in the modern world, let us remember this essential point: the angels are of Christ.

The angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation; further they have always given assistance to the Church throughout her long history (cf. CCC 332-334), but the more we approach the final consummation, the more relevant the mission of the angels become. Now the enemy is quite aware that the time is near when he will be definitively thrust down (Cf. Rev 12:12), and for this reason he seeks numerous ways to deviate men from God's plans. That God sends his angels before his final coming is no secret: "…in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars of heaven will be falling, and the powers that are in heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming upon clouds with great power and majesty. And then he will send forth his angels,… (Mk 13:24-25; Cf. Mt 24:29-31; 13, 39; CCC 333). When we consider the book of the Apocalypse and the thought of St. John we see that this event is not one single event but an "unfolding" revelation until its final consummation. The enemy, instead of denying that this time be the time of the angels, only craftily attempts to corrupt true devotion to the angels. In doing this, he tries to move the lampstand from its true place and lead man into error (Cf. Rev 2:5).

The devil’s strategy has, unfortunately, enjoyed much success. The types of diversion are manifold: from a distorted emotional conception of the angels as little cherubim in the form of babies with wings, etc. to deliberate invocation of spirits as mediators of knowledge and power. Many recognize the angels as superior beings inhabiting the invisible world. They see in them a source of knowledge of things beyond and future events.

Despite all these perversions of a true understanding of the angels and their role among us, God's plan remains intact and we would be wise in holding to it. At this point we can clearly see that the angels are always at the service of Christ and the fulfillment of God the Father’s plan of Redemption in him. It also shows us the link between the angels and the liturgy, namely the Mystery of Christ, which forms its nucleus.

III. THE ANGELS, THE LITURGY AND US

The Apocalypse gives us an excellent example of the celestial liturgy and its concentration on the Mystery of Redemption. It also gives us a perspective of how we should understand and celebrate our liturgy as an imitation and in union with the angels. Further, it also helps us obtain a proper view of their angel’s mission among men.

At the beginning of chapter 4, St. John hears a voice which tells him "Come up hither, and I will show thee the things that must come to pass hereafter". Nevertheless, after inviting him to behold upcoming events, the author is taken up in spirit where he beholds a celestial court, where One is seated upon a throne and surrounded by twenty-four elders upon thrones and a numerous multitude, as well as four living creatures who praise him continually: "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is coming" (v. 8). What we have is the testimony of St. John who contemplates the heavenly liturgy, and which continues to develop throughout the rest of chapters 4 and 5. Thus, the apostle is allowed to take part in that heavenly liturgy.

What we see is that the angel accompanying St. John is in no hurry to press on. Only after a considerable "digression" does he get back to the point of showing him those things which must come to pass before the final consummation. This stalling process is not accidental. Rather, it is a conscious cut by the author. With this deliberate action he wants to show that, if those future events are of considerable importance, they still play a secondary role to those things which already are. (Cf. Erik Peterson, The Angels and the Liturgy, pp. 1ff.) It is only as fruit of the things which are, that the things which are to come to be can be accomplished. This example gives us a precise understanding of how liturgy is to be understood: an "anticipation of that which is to come" and, at the same time, that which already is.

St. John has written about the things that he had seen, the things that are and the things that are to come hereafter (Cf. Rev 1:19) as a consolation for those who were suffering tribulation. He was not alone, St. Paul also offers a source of consolation for the faithful, directing them and us too towards the Father of all consolation who consoles us in a twofold fashion, namely: in Christ, the "consolation of Israel" and by the Holy Spirit, the "Consoler". Only in realizing what this consolation is, that one truly understands the role of consolations in the spiritual life. The consolation given us by the Father is none other the consolation of Redemption, given in Christ and transmitted to us by the Holy Spirit in the Liturgy.

In Christ we have the work of Redemption which he offered us during his earthly life: "The Paschal mystery of Christ's cross and Resurrection stands at the center of the Good News that the apostles, and the Church following them, are to proclaim to the world. God's saving plan was accomplished ‘once for all’ by the redemptive death of his Son Jesus Christ" (CCC 571).

Although Christ, performing his sacrificial act of Redemption once for all on the cross, this work continues on by means of the Holy Spirit where the fruits are then applied to the individual faithful in time. "In this sacramental dispensation of Christ's mystery the Holy Spirit acts in the same way as at other times in the economy of salvation: he prepares the Church to encounter her Lord; he recalls and makes Christ manifest to the faith of the assembly. By his transforming power, he makes the mystery of Christ present here and now. Finally the Spirit of communion unites the Church to the life and mission of Christ" (CCC 1092). The angels, as special messengers of the Holy Spirit who are sent as ministering spirits to serve those who are to obtain salvation (Cf. Heb 1:14), show a similar action toward mankind for they too "prepare" man to encounter the Lord and recalling and making manifest mystery of Christ to him. In this way, we see how the holy angels console us too. As the Angel consoled our Lord in his mortal agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, so too do the holy angels console us along our way of the cross leading us to the source of our joy though we still have much to suffer.

All this should be a lesson to us. All of us experience the trials of this "valley of tears"; all of us have some concern about "tomorrow", but the holy angels want to show us that our true hope lies "hidden with Christ in God" (Col 3:3). They want to show us where our treasure lies and therefore where our heart should be as well (Cf. Lk 12:34). This treasure, which no moss can corrupt and no thief steal, is ours at every liturgical act. It makes us truly rich. When St. Peter offered the blind man not gold, but cure (salvation) in the Name of Jesus (Cf. Acts 3:6), the holy angels show us the riches which are communicated to us each time that we "do this in memory of" Jesus.

All of us have trials and rightly so, but we must not forget that they are only transitory. The angels show us that consolation which God offers us in Christ through the Holy Spirit and which leads us to our "eternal consolation" in eternity.

We have already seen that the Son of Man "will send forth his angels, and will gather his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost parts of the earth to the uttermost parts of heaven" (Mk 13:27). This is no insignificant act, nor is it one which is without meaning already. This process of gathering by the holy angels and in the name of Christ is expressed by the word "synagein". It is etimologically linked with another very rich term "synaxis", which is very commonly used in the Greek liturgies and means our "assembly" or "congregation" which is present for the liturgy. This helps us to see how the liturgy–week in, week out–is always a type of "ingathering" by the angels and an image of the final, definitive "ingathering" at the end of time. The angels are sent out in mission in the name of Christ and as messengers of the Holy Spirit, calling the faithful to participate in the Mystery of Christ's Redemption. Those who hear this calling and obey it are invited to the banquet of the Lamb, whereas those who do not hear the voice of the holy angels are dispersed and cast out into the outer darkness.

As we have seen, God sends out his angels to call men to a full participation in the Mystery of Christ. The Church, too, has always considered the liturgy as of primary and central importance in the spiritual life of her children. She renewed this consciousness at the Council and had it as guideline for her reforms. Now all of us have experienced the abuses and misunderstandings that have taken place as a result of the liturgical reform. We have suffered under its devastating effects. In the name of reform, many feel that anything which is not immediately perceptible by the faithful must be eliminated (Cf. SC 21). As a result, one often feels "bound to the earth" and looses the sense of the supernatural in their services. Let us not forget that the Council gave us the heavenly hosts as our example and invites us to join in and participate in their hymn of praise:

In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, Minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle. With all the warriors of the heavenly army we sing a hymn of glory to the Lord;… (SC 8).

Sacrosanctum Concilium is clear: as a foretaste of the heavenly liturgy, the earthly liturgy is its image. Our liturgy has "its roots" in heaven and, therefore, comes from above. Naturally it must be accessible to man, but without sacrificing the transcendent aspect. Let us now take a look at how the holy angels can help us in the liturgy and how we may unite ourselves to the heavenly praise of our great God.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us some concrete examples of how the holy angels are present and interceding for us in the liturgy:

In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance in the Roman Canon’s Supplices te rogamus…("Almighty God, we pray that your angel…"; in the funeral liturgy’s In Paradisum deducant te angeli ("May the angels lead you into Paradise…". Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels). (CCC 336).

These are but just a very few classical examples of how the liturgy openly attests angelic help within the liturgy. There are many more examples that could be here evoked

IV. THE LITURGY AND THE WORK OF THE HOLY ANGELS

Yet it is not this that we want to present here, but rather a type of scheme in the light of the spirituality of the Work of the Holy Angels. It will offer each a holy environment wherein you can develop your personal, individual vocation as a member of the Work of the Holy Angels.

For this reason, we will divide our meditation into four parts according to the four bearings of our spirituality: adoration, contemplation, expiation and mission.

Adoration

The first point we want to consider is from the bearing of adoration.

In the Prophecy of Isaiah, the prophet "sees the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated: and his train filled the temple. Upon it stood the seraphim: the one had six wings, and the other had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And they cried one to another, and said: Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of his glory". We have another example, already cited above, from the 4th chapter of the Apocalypse with the four living creatures in the name of the whole heavenly court singing the "Holy, Holy, Holy" and in the 5th chapter of the same book all the heavenly court crying out as of one voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing" (v. 12). All of the heavenly spirits adore first and foremost God. They are eminently adorers. Even the angels of the little ones continually behold the face of God (Cf. Mt 18:10).

When we pass through Scripture we find numerous examples of angelic intervention, but no one doubts that the angels are primarily oriented towards God. To adore him is priority number one. Yet at the same time it is from this adoration that they be those "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word" (CCC 329, citing St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 103:1,15). Adoration is, as it were, the source of their service.

Man, on the contrary, now experiences great difficulty in "hanging on the face of God". Although man has been called to look up to God in Heaven and "seek the things that are above" (Co,mmmm l 3:1), he too often allows his eyes to be cast down to the base things of earth by sinning. This also has a consequence in his service before God. He must learn from the example of the angels and follow their impulses to seek the face of God.

The spirit of adoration also has it place in the liturgy: "But in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds be attuned to their voices, and that they cooperate with heavenly grace lest they receive it in vain" (SC 11). This disposition is necessary before any activity upon which we might endeavor. However, it is most important before any liturgical act.

The liturgy as an act of cult belongs to the virtue of religion, which, in turn, belongs to the virtue of justice and entails an act of adoration. This act of adoration is not exactly like that adoration which we offer our Lord when we go to Eucharistic adoration. This is so because with a liturgical celebration adoration is not a finality in itself, but rather it creates in us a disposition for properly participating in the liturgy. In this way, we see that the liturgy must be carried by such a spirit of adoration. Before any service before God, we must place ourselves at the feet of his divine majesty. Like Moses, we must remove the sandals from our feet and hide our faces before God's greatness (Cf. Ex 3:5-6). Where this spirit is lacking, we find an "earth-bound" liturgy.

A spirit of adoration creates then a sense of awe. It is a spirit which is open for a transcendental encounter with the Creator and Redeemer of mankind. Those who properly dispose themselves by a true spirit of adoration and consequently open themselves up for the fruits of the Mystery of Redemption come out changed, transformed. Like Moses once comes down from Mount Sinai with radiant face, terrible to behold (Ex 34:29-30).

The holy angels call us to unite ourselves to them and unite our voices to theirs. They wish to lead us into the presence of the thrice-holy God. For this reason we pray with the holy angels the Sanctus as an "introduction" before any liturgical act. We seal that same act with a Sanctus as well. We also know that during the liturgy they constantly distance any distractions which might prove a hindrance for a proper disposition. How important it is to consciously collaborate with them.

As we recall, Christ’s work of Redemption is renewed and transmitted by the liturgical act. It is Jesus Christ alone who is the primary subject of liturgical act. Nevertheless, he joins the Church to this supreme exercise of his holy priesthood. She is thus able to participate in the Son's own prayer which he addresses to the Father in the Holy Spirit (Cf. CCC 1073).

The liturgy is the continuation of Christ's salvific work throughout the continuum of history. Nevertheless the plan of Redemption completed in our Lord and Savior and continued in the liturgy are not his alone, for it is common to all three of the Divine Persons (Cf. CCC, Article 1: The Liturgy-Work of the Holy Trinity: nn. 1077-1109). The Triune God is at the center of the heavenly liturgy (CCC 1137). Therefore, the angels lead us to adore the Triune God. Each of the three Divine persons has a different role in the economy of salvation, but all three are equally adored. The Father is present within the liturgy as the source and goal of all liturgy; the Son acts as the principal subject who "performs" the liturgy and is Head of the Mystical Body who is celebrating; and the Holy Spirit whereby all liturgy is performed.

"In the Church’s liturgy the divine blessing is fully revealed and communicated. The Father is acknowledged and adored as the source and the end of all the blessings of creation and salvation. In his word who became incarnate, died, and rose for us, he fills us with his blessings. Through his Word, he pours into our hearts the Gift that contains all gifts, the Holy Spirit" (CCC 1082). The holy angels, who always behold the face of God, help us remain in his presence. In the liturgy, they place us as children before the loving Father and awaken in us a filial awe for his greatness and his love, "Who so loved the world that he sent not his only begotten Son as a propitiation for our sins" (Cf. 1 Jn 4:9-10). A filial gaze upon his fatherly majesty helps us recognize him as the origin of all the good works of Christ.

Although Christ is the Head of the Church and principal subject of the liturgy ("liturgist" in the most genuine sense of the word) he is also the immolated Lamb who is celebrated and whose Paschal mystery is commemorated. As we hear in the Apocalypse, using the words of the heavenly hosts: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing" (5:12). The holy angels lead us to adore with them in every liturgical celebration that Son who renounced the fruition of his heavenly glory in order to humble himself and save us his brethren.

The holy angels also help us adore the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, who "with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified". For it is he as artisan of God's masterpieces who prepares, recalls and leads us to participation in the Mystery of Christ within the liturgy.

Contemplation

If the spirit of adoration disposes, it is the word and the perceptible signs linked with it which inform those who take part in Christian cult. After being properly disposed for the liturgy, we should attempt to best participate in the liturgy. "Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy,…" (SC 14). To this end the holy angels are trustworthy helpers.

But how will the angels lead us to the participation desired? Now the angels as true servants of God necessarily respect that creation which was entrusted to their care by the Creator. That means they will not do anything contrary to the divine will, but they will use all the legitimate means to attain that end. Man has been entrusted to their care and they consequently respect man’s nature. Although we can see how often men do not respect God's will, wishing to propagate their own ideologies, plans or influence at all cost, the angels do respect it and undauntingly.

In order to lead man to that full, conscious and active participation in the liturgy, they do so in conformity with his nature. This is a task which he fulfills principally by illumining him. Yet, "as a being at once body and spirit, man expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols" (CCC 1146). The liturgy employs signs and symbols (Cf. CCC 1145) which signify the salvation wrought by Christ and accomplish it in a way that is appropriate to each of these signs. Now the signs which are used within the liturgy also instruct (Cf. SC 59). The holy angels try always to awaken us from our lethargy, that we consider, meditate, and contemplate that which we celebrate by word and by actions. Nevertheless with the multiplication of words or images we should never distance ourselves from the central truth: at the center of the liturgy is a person, "the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son from the Father…who suffered and died for us and who now, after rising, is living with us forever" (Catechesi tradendae, 5; cited in CCC 426).

When we speak of signs and symbols, we can enumerate the following as principal examples: the words and actions, singing and music and holy images. We can also consider the liturgical year (periods of time) as a type of symbol as well.

The word is most important for man, for it is co-natural to him. Man thinks and then expresses his thoughts by means of words. Actions are also intimately linked up with man for he also expresses himself them. We see then their importance for the liturgy.

A sacramental celebration is a meeting of God's children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words. Admittedly, the symbolic actions are already a language, but the Word of God and the response of faith have to accompany and give life to them, so that the seed of the Kingdom can bear its fruit in good soil. The liturgical actions signify what the Word of God expresses: both his free initiative and his people’s response of faith (CCC 1153).

Now the angels do not think as men do. They know by intuition. Within an instant the truth is open before their minds eye. It is hard for us to express this process and how they illumine us. We say that the angels enlighten us or "give" us an idea. This is a type of intuition which we must then transform into words to express. Often times it suffices some word or action within the liturgical celebration for us to perceive some spiritual reality or truth of our faith. How is it that at times a word from the Gospel or Reading strikes us profoundly as, for instance, when we hear the narration of the Passion on Palm Sunday or Good Friday? How is it that some action within the liturgy touches us profoundly as, for example, when the celebrant imitates the Washing of Feet on Maundy Thursday? The angels can use these occasions to enlighten our spirit, so that we be enkindled with love for God's love and give a more adequate response.

Similar to this is the use of singing and music. Similar to the word, singing is something which is a dynamic expression of the word. How is it that the same words take on a different character putting it to notes: the Gloria recited is somehow different from the Gloria sung. When Saint Augustine says, "He who sings prays twice", he really does touch on a profound truth. Consider still the words of St. Augustine: "How I wept, deeply moved by your hymns, songs, and the voices that echoed through your Church! What emotions I experienced in them! Those sounds flowed into my ears, distilling the truth in my heart. A feeling of devotion surged within me, and tears streamed down my face–tears that did me good" (Confessions 9, 6, 14; cited in CCC 1157). Like this is the playing of musical instruments. They both lift up our spirits and help us to give response to God's appeal. When considering how the heavenly host sing their hymns of praise to God, we can see how they can also inspire us to cultivate liturgical song and music, not only by consciously uniting our voices to theirs when we sing, but also when in creating new hymns, songs or music impregnated with a spirit of adoration and wisdom.

Holy images also form an integral part of our liturgy. In the face of their absence in many parish churches we can understand how their presence can help us to better participate within the liturgy. As St. John Damascene says, "the beauty of the images moves me to contemplation, as a meadow delights the eyes and subtly infuses the soul with the glory of God" (De imaginis, 1, 27; cited in CCC 1162). Not only do holy images confirm the truth that the word truly took on flesh, but also of the importance of their role before human nature, which understands divine realities by their means. How often have the angels used holy images to touch their protégés as, for example, beholding a cross or some other holy image? Do not the images of angels in adoration upon our altars express the truth of God's most holy presence and lead us on to adore him, too?

We can thus sum up the examples just given: "The contemplation of sacred icons, united with meditation on the Word of God and the singing of liturgical hymns, enters into the harmony of the signs of celebration so that the mystery celebrated is imprinted in the heart’s memory and is then expressed in the new life of the faithful" (CCC 1162).

Since the economy of salvation is at work within the framework of time, it is clear that the holy angels can also use the liturgical year as a means of transmitting the truth about God's works. How often is it that some liturgical season–expression of some particular mystery of the Mystery of Christ–touches someone. How many people are touched by the Christmas or Easter season? The more we live the character of those seasons, the more we can open ourselves up for the influence of our heavenly companions.

Expiation

We now proceed to the third bearing: expiation. In chapter 5 of the Apocalypse appears the immolated Lamb, who is crucified yet risen at the same time and who receives this hymn of praise: "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us for God with thy blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them for our God a kingdom and priests, and they shall reign over the earth" (vv. 9-10). The Paschal Mystery is commemorated in the heavenly courts and also constitutes the nucleus of worship in the earthly liturgy.

The holy angels will always strengthen us in this regard. When St. John speaks about the discernment of spirits he mentions the following: "every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is of God. And every spirit that severs Jesus, is not of God, but is of Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he is coming, and now is already in the world" (1 Jn 4:2-3). Although this passage refers directly to the Mystery of the Incarnation, we can also apply it to the Mystery of Redemption. For now the angels confess not only his Coming but also and above all else his Paschal Mystery. When Christ descends upon our altars as the immolated Lamb, the angels drive this truth home in the Liturgy.

[Christ], our Lord and God, was once and for all to offer himself to God the Father by his death on the altar of the cross, to accomplish there an everlasting redemption. But because his priesthood was not to end with his death, at the Last Supper ‘on the night when he was betrayed’, he wanted to leave to his beloved spouse the Church a visible sacrifice (as the nature of man demands) by which the bloody sacrifice which he was to accomplish once for all on the cross would be re-presented, its memory perpetuated until the end of the world, and its salutary power be applied to the forgiveness of the sins we daily commit (DS 1740, cited by CCC 1366).

As the Council of Trent points out, Christ priesthood was not to come to an end but to continue, for his priesthood is an everlasting priesthood, but one which he also allows his Spouse, the Church to share in, which also means each and every one of her members because of the indelible mark of Baptism. "The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. The faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ's mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are ‘consecrated to be… a holy priesthood’" (CCC 1546). This does not confound in any way with the ministerial priesthood.

We know that Jesus came to offer himself in Sacrifice once for all times (Cf. Heb 10, 11ff.), as a unique and sole offering of expiation for the remission of sins. During his earthly life, Jesus took upon himself all the suffering of mankind. In assuming his human nature he became like unto man in all things except sin (Cf. Heb 4:15). This he did in order to expiate mankind’s sin and, at the same time, offer an example for us all.

The liturgy, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, offers us an opportunity to unite our sacrifice to the Sacrifice of Christ. Thus St. Paul, "I exhort you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living, holy, pleasing to God–your spiritual service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed in the newness of your mind, that you may discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom 12:1-2). Being inspired by the generosity of Christ, we too should be generous in the giving of ourselves.

The angels will also show us how great a grace it is to be able to suffer with Christ, desiring to have a fellowship in his sufferings that we can share in the glory of his Resurrection (Cf. Phil 3:7-14) and fill up what is lacking of the sufferings of the Mystical Body of Christ (Cf. Col 1:24). For experiencing our weakness is the opportunity for sharing in the strength of Christ, for he himself told St. Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for strength is made perfect in weakness" (Cf. 2 Cor 12:7-10). For just as Christ's body was the instrument of our Salvation (Cf. SC 5), the sanctification and expiation of our human nature will be a share in the work of our salvation and the salvation of souls.

Mission

Now we pass on to the fourth bearing: mission.

Each time we "do this in memory of me" (of Jesus), we renew the work of Redemption. At the same time, it is here that the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ and makes us into living members of the Church (Cf. SC 2). In considering what was mentioned above, namely that each time we take part in the "synaxis" (assembly), giving response to the angels’ call for us to participate in the Mystery of Salvation and to carry this mystery out into our lives, we come to realize that it is precisely this what the holy angels want. Just as the apostles, after having experienced the Paschal Mystery, were sent into all the world as living works and testimonies of God's mercy, so too we are sent into the world to announce God's wonders in our midst and to be a sign of his love. The holy angels are given us as helpers in this task.

At Baptism we become holy and are configured to Christ. This holiness is seen in the lit candle that is given as a sign of Christ's presence in the soul which makes the soul pleasing to God the Father. The "new life" poured into the soul must be protected and strengthened. The image of Christ impressed upon the soul must be formed. In our daily lives we try to transform the vicissitudes into founts of grace and sanctify ourselves by them, in order that the face of Christ shine forth in us. This constitutes a struggle for us and always weighs upon us, but the Father places the angels at our sides to help us. They inspire us to present ourselves before the Lord with all that we are and all that we have and help us to carry God's grace in our hearts which we receive at every liturgical celebration. Just as Mary became the Mother of the Savior by obeying God's word which came to her by way of the Angel St. Gabriel, so too we will become true sons and daughters of God by listening and obeying the word of the angel, be it in the liturgy, be it elsewhere. We are called like Mary, not only once, but every day. This is a dynamic process.

The angels make us also aware that the liturgy is also a weapon. As we know in this case, the best defense is a good offense; and the more we sanctify ourselves and "get into" the liturgy, the greater our protection against the onslaughts of the enemy. Well aware of this fact, the devil and his henchmen try to weaken and even destroy it. In a time where liturgical turmoil is so great, we see how rampant infernal infiltration has advanced. Through a distorted, "watered-down" liturgy, he tries to cut off grace from cold hearts.

The more the enemy instigates people to liturgical abuses or self-dispensation from the liturgy, the holy angels lead us on to properly celebrate and to embellish it more. Since our spiritual life depends upon it we must dedicate ourselves to it.

The holy angels who so often prepare the way before us (Cf. Ex 23:20; Tob) will help us to prepare ourselves for the liturgy or even prepare for the liturgy. This is done in the first place by making sure that all the necessary things are present and in their proper place. The prayers and readings should be prepared, not only by passing through them or reading them aloud but also by meditating them. Immediate preparation is one thing, but we should not forget remote preparation. How one presents the readings also plays an influence. The preparation of hymns, songs and choral should also be properly done.

All that are to take part in the liturgy should know what they are to do and also what they are not to do. They should know their role and rubrics within the liturgical celebration. Each should participate in the way which pertains to them, be it the priest, be it the deacon, be it a server, be it a lector, be it the faithful in their pew (Cf. SC 28-29). This creates order within the liturgy. Just as the heavenly choirs are hierarchically structured, there is a "hierarchical" structure within the liturgy. This produces a wonderful harmony which will raise the hearts of men and give God his due praise and glory.

What must be avoided where possible is improvisation. Of course, at times certain situations of improvisation are inevitable, but when one has been formed by a true spirit of the liturgy, the holy angels will certainly help us to encounter solutions which will duly give praise to God and contribute to the moral and spiritual edification of the faithful.

Prayerful preparation before a liturgical event is also evident. Since the liturgy is not just the fulfillment of some action, but rather the accomplishment of the Work of Salvation by Christ the Head and the Church with all its members, it is indeed necessary a time of prayer and recollection that one may "enter into" the mystery celebrated. We should ask the holy angels to illumine us and make us aware of that which we will celebrate. They will dispose us for the coming of the Holy Spirit who make of us a holy temple of the Lord, a dwelling-place for God in the Spirit and bring us to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ (Cf. SC 2). The Holy Spirit will prepare us for our mission in the Church and in the world and will place the holy angels at our side to protect and accompany us.

We should then unite our voices to the holy angels as we enter into the liturgical celebration, since they will help us to adore and praise God to the best of our capabilities and create in us proper dispositions. We should enter into any liturgical celebration with a spirit of gratitude that God allows us to enter into communion with the heavenly court and ennoble our hymn of praise. Likewise we should ask them to compensate for any failings on our part.

After any liturgical function, we should also spend some time in thanksgiving. That God should allow us to participate in such a wonderful event! We would do well to also ask the holy angels to help conserve and increase the grace received within the liturgy. Although the spiritual life does not consist only of participation in the liturgy, it does inspire itself from it and tends towards it. In this vein the holy angels also manifest to us the importance of sacramentals which are sacred signs that dispose us to receive the chief effect of the sacraments (Cf. CCC 1667) and prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it (Cf. CCC 1670).

Popular devotions can also act as an extension of the liturgical life of the Church. For this reason, "provided they conform to the laws and norms of the Church, are to be highly recommended, especially where they are ordered by the Apostolic See" (SC 13). Since they are in some way derived from the liturgy and lead people to it, the holy angels also use them as a means to capture their protégés for Christ.

In collaborating with the holy angels, we better fulfill our mission in the Church and in the world and, at the same time, we help the angels to fulfill their mission here on earth whereby they are called to minister unto us who are to obtain salvation (Cf. Heb 1:14). This collaboration will have the effect of creating a spiritual bond between fellow servants who seek the glory of their only Lord and God. Not only this, it will also increase our joy each time that we are able to praise God together at any liturgical service: "I rejoiced when I heard them say, ‘We will go up to the house of the Lord’…" (Ps 121:1).

"Lift up your heads and rejoice"!

All of us are aware of the frightening event which will shake the world towards the end of time before the final consummation (Cf. Mt 24; Mk 13; Lk 21): "Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the ‘mystery of iniquity’ in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh" (CCC 675). In the midst of these tragedies is the tragedy of liturgical turmoil which worries us so much, since it is a sign of internal disunity and frailty.

Nevertheless, God sends his angels out to prepare us for Christ's second and final coming. This mission of the holy angels is one of consolation, of a consolation in the midst of great tribulation. The consolation that they offer is no other than "Adore God"! which they invite us to do with them (Cf. Rev 22:9).

Considered in the light of the liturgy, which we have here treated, we see that they will help us to rediscover the riches which God has given us in the Church’s liturgy.

These treasures have been given us as an oil for our lamps that we be watchful like the prudent virgins (Cf. Mt 25:1-13), that we be attentive when the Lord comes and at whatever hour he comes. This is indeed a mission for us to fulfill. A mission which implies our sanctification in daily life. Day in and day out we should present our lives as an spiritual offering to Christ that he unite his immolation to ours that it be a pleasing sacrifice of expiation to God the Father. With the help of the holy angels we should daily contemplate God's everlasting wisdom which he reveals to us in the overflowing treasure of the liturgy, both past and present. This will in turn awaken in us a deep spirit of wonder and awe; it will create in us a spirit of adoration which we should unite to that of the angels.

Let us then forever sing praises to God in the sight of the angels. Let us say with them:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth,
pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis!
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini,
Hosanna in excelsis!

Fr. Samuel Winkler, ORC

 

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