The angels are among us! Angels are pure spirits that serve God in heaven. In the Bible, angels are mentioned many times both in the Old Testament and New Testament. In our Catholic faith, we believe God’s holy angels are as active in our world today as they were in the Gospels and throughout the entire Bible. The angels are our guardians in life.
The Catholic Church venerates God’s angels on the Liturgical Calendar.
- September 29 – Feast Day of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels
- October 2 – Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Nine Choirs of Angels in Scripture
- 1st – The Seraphim (Isaiah 6:2)
- 2nd – The Cherubim (Genesis 3:24)
- 3rd – The Thrones (Colossians 1:16)
- 4th – The Dominions (Colossians 1:16)
- 5th – The Virtues (1 Peter 3:22)
- 6th – The Powers (Ephesians 1:21)
- 7th – The Principalities (Ephesians 1:21)
- 8th – The Archangels (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
- 9th – The Angels (Matthew 18:10)
This post has three (3) main parts, you can read by part (links) or all:
PART 1 – Five Categories about Angels
PART 2 – The Angels of the Gospels
PART 3 – Teachings about Angels
Let our glorifying and our confidence be in Him. Let us be subject to His will. Let us consider the whole multitude of His angels, how they stand waiting to minister to His will. – St. Clement
PART 1
Five Categories about Angels
I have compiled some notes from one of Fr. Chad Ripperger’s lectures about angels. Here is Fr. Ripperger’s riveting lecture about our guardian angels.
I compiled my notes from Fr. Ripperger’s lecture into five (5) categories about angels: Characteristics, Communication, Hierarchy, Ministry, and Prayer.
Characteristics of Angels
The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. Luke 2:9
- Angels are spiritual beings.
- Angels have no bodies.
- Each angel has a different essence.
- Each angel is a different species.
- Angels’ personalities are very distinct and more defined than ours.
- Angels are infused with knowledge instantly.
- Every angel is distinctly different from another one.
- Angels’ choices are permanent, and their will is locked in on choice.
- Guardian angels don’t have emotions like we do.
- Angels have a will.
- The will of angels is more intense than ours.
- Guardian angels will not abandon you.
- God allows temptations in your life to increase virtue.
- Angels can incline you to have the right emotions at the right time.
Communication of Angels
The angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. Matthew 28:5
- Angels speak mind to mind with each other like telepathy.
- Angels can communicate to us without our consent, when God allows it.
- Angels can communicate to you with an image.
- God tells angels what they can and cannot communicate and exactly how much.
- Good angels will give us promptings. It is up to us on how we will respond to it.
Hierarchy of Angels
And He said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:51
- Angels are in a hierarchy.
- Some angels are higher than others in the hierarchy.
- Hierarchy has to do with how intelligent they are and their substance.
- The more intelligent the angel, the higher they are in the hierarchy.
- Human beings that are saved in Christ will one day take the place of the fallen angels in the heavenly hierarchy, and the fallen angels are revulsive about it.
- There are nine (9) choirs (ranks) of angels.
- Guardian angels are taken from the lowest rank of angels.
- There are billions of angels.
- There is a different guardian angel for every single person ever conceived.
- Do not name your guardian angel (Adam had name authority over animals. Parents have name authority over their children).
- Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are the only angel names we know in the Bible.
- Angels are also guardians of regions, buildings, nations, churches, dioceses, corporations and institutions, and they are intimately involved with those places.
- Bishops and priests generally get archangels to watch over therm.
- There are billions of angels, and they were all created at once.
- Some angels are assigned to events such as St. Gabriel.
Ministry of Guardian Angels
When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. Luke 16:22a
- Guardian angels are probably more involved in our lives than we know.
- St. Padre Pio used to see his guardian angel.
- Even at age 10, St. Padre Pio could see his guardian angel.
- St. Padre Pio was able to ask his angel where to find someone who was lost.
- You must get your guardian angel more involved in your life.
- It’s really up to you to have your guardian angel more involved.
- Your guardian angel was created specifically for you.
- First choice your guardian angel made was to love you.
- Guardian angels would like to have a more intimate relationship with you.
- Guardian angels knows our DNA and disposition.
- Your guardian angel has to deal with your pride all the time.
- God assigns another guardian angel to a family in a marriage.
- We must make use of our guardian angels to help us.
- We will know our guardian angel’s name when we get to heaven.
Angels and Prayer
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. Luke 1:13
- Pray to your guardian angel to reveal to you your predominant defects.
- Pray to your guardian angel to humiliate you interiorly so you can see your faults.
- Sanctifying perfection is how much humility you have.
- We should have acts of love and devotion to guardian angels.
- We should be thankful for our guardian angels.
- Pray to your guardian angel to protect you while sleeping.
- Pray to your guardian angel to guide you in your dreams.
PART 2
The Angels of the Gospels
His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. Matthew 28:3
Below are verses about God’s angels from each of the four Gospels.
The Gospel of St. Matthew
| # | Gospel | Type | Reference | Verse | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Matthew | Appearance | St. Joseph | Mt. 1:20 | The Birth of Jesus |
| 2 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | St. Joseph | Mt. 1:24 | The Birth of Jesus |
| 3 | St. Matthew | Appearance | St. Joseph | Mt. 2:13 | The Flight to Egypt |
| 4 | St. Matthew | Appearance | St. Joseph | Mt. 2:19 | The Return from Egypt |
| 5 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | Temptation | Mt. 4:6 | The Temptation of Jesus |
| 6 | St. Matthew | Appearance | Angelic Ministry | Mt. 4:11 | The Temptation of Jesus |
| 7 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | Judgment Day | Mt. 13:39 | Parable of the Weeds Explanation |
| 8 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | Judgment Day | Mt. 13:41 | Parable of the Weeds Explanation |
| 9 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | Judgment Day | Mt. 13:49 | More Parables |
| 10 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | Judgment Day | Mt. 16:27 | The Conditions of Discipleship |
| 11 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | Guardian Angels | Mt. 18:10 | The Parable of the Lost Sheep |
| 12 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | Resurrection | Mt. 22:30 | Question about the Resurrection |
| 13 | St. Matthew | Appearance | Judgment Day | Mt. 24:31 | The Coming of the Son of Man |
| 14 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | Judgment Day | Mt. 24:36 | The Unknown Day and Hour |
| 15 | St. Matthew | Both | Judgment Day | Mt. 25:31 | The Judgment of Nations |
| 16 | St. Matthew | Fallen Angels | Judgment Day | Mt. 25:41 | The Judgment of Nations |
| 17 | St. Matthew | Mentioned | Authority of Jesus | Mt. 26:53 | The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus |
| 18 | St. Matthew | Appearance | Jesus’ Resurrection | Mt. 28:2 | The Resurrection of Jesus |
| 19 | St. Matthew | Appearance | Jesus’ Resurrection | Mt. 28:5 | The Resurrection of Jesus |
The Gospel of St. Mark
| # | Gospel | Type | Reference | Verse | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Mark | Appearance | Temptation | Mk 1:13 | The Temptation of Jesus |
| 2 | St. Mark | Both | Judgment Day | Mk 8:38 | The Conditions of Discipleship |
| 3 | St. Mark | Mentioned | Resurrection | Mk 12:25 | The Question about the Resurrection |
| 4 | St. Mark | Both | Judgment Day | Mk 13:27 | The Coming of the Son of Man |
| 5 | St. Mark | Mentioned | Judgment Day | Mk 13:32 | Need for Watchfulness |
The Gospel of St. Luke
| # | Gospel | Type | Reference | Verse | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Luke | Appearance | Zechariah | Lk 1:11 | Announcement of Birth of John |
| 2 | St. Luke | Appearance | Zechariah | Lk 1:13 | Announcement of Birth of John |
| 3 | St. Luke | Appearance | Zechariah | Lk 1:18 | Announcement of Birth of John |
| 4 | St. Luke | Appearance | Annunciation | Lk 1:19 | Announcement of Birth of John |
| 5 | St. Luke | Appearance | Annunciation | Lk 1:26 | Announcement of Birth of Jesus |
| 6 | St. Luke | Appearance | Annunciation | Lk 1:28 | Announcement of Birth of Jesus |
| 7 | St. Luke | Appearance | Annunciation | Lk 1:30 | Announcement of Birth of Jesus |
| 8 | St. Luke | Appearance | Annunciation | Lk 1:34 | Announcement of Birth of Jesus |
| 9 | St. Luke | Appearance | Annunciation | Lk 1:35 | Announcement of Birth of Jesus |
| 10 | St. Luke | Appearance | Annunciation | Lk 1:38 | Announcement of Birth of Jesus |
| 11 | St. Luke | Appearance | Birth of Jesus | Lk 2:9 | The Birth of Jesus |
| 12 | St. Luke | Appearance | Birth of Jesus | Lk 2:10 | The Birth of Jesus |
| 13 | St. Luke | Appearance | Birth of Jesus | Lk 2:13 | The Birth of Jesus |
| 14 | St. Luke | Appearance | Birth of Jesus | Lk 2:15 | The Visit of the Shepherds |
| 15 | St. Luke | Mentioned | God’s Will is Done | Lk 2:21 | The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus |
| 16 | St. Luke | Mentioned | Temptation | Lk 4:10 | The Temptation of Jesus |
| 17 | St. Luke | Mentioned | Judgment Day | Lk 9:26 | The Conditions of Discipleship |
| 18 | St. Luke | Mentioned | God and His Angels | Lk 12:8 | Courage Under Persecution |
| 19 | St. Luke | Mentioned | God and His Angels | Lk 12:9 | Courage Under Persecution |
| 20 | St. Luke | Mentioned | God and His Angels | Lk 15:10 | The Parable of the Lost Coin |
| 21 | St. Luke | Both | Angelic Ministry | Lk 16:22 | The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus |
| 22 | St. Luke | Mentioned | Resurrection | Lk 20:36 | The Question about the Resurrection |
| 23 | St. Luke | Appearance | Angelic Ministry | Lk 22:43 | The Agony in the Garden |
| 24 | St. Luke | Mentioned | Angelic Ministry | Lk 24:23 | The Appearance on the Road to Emmaus |
The Gospel of St. John
| # | Gospel | Type | Reference | Verse | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. John | Both | Jacob’s Ladder | Jn 1:51 | The First Disciples |
| 2 | St. John | Mentioned | God the Father Speaks | Jn 12:29 | The Coming of Jesus’ Hour |
| 3 | St. John | Appearance | Jesus’ Resurrection | Jn 20:12 | The Appearance to Mary of Magdala |
PART 3
Teachings about Angels
Most of the information below I learned from the Baltimore Catechism.
The Angelic Salutation
Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Appearances of Angels
The angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Luke 1:11
Angels appeared to people in both the Old and New Testaments.
- Abraham – Old Testament
- Lot – Old Testament
- Tobias – Old Testament
- The Priest Zechariah – New Testament
- The Blessed Virgin Mary – New Testament
- St. Joseph – New Testament
Ministrty of Archangels
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. Luke 1:26
- St. Michael drove Satan out of heaven.
- St. Gabriel’s Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- St. Raphael guided and protected Tobias on his journey.
Characteristics of Angels
“Let us look carefully at the whole host of the Lord’s angels; they stand ready to serve His will.” – St. Clement I, pope
- Angels were created by God the Creator.
- Angels were created to adore and enjoy God in heaven.
- Angels are good and happy.
- Angels are pure spirits.
- Angels do not have bodies.
- Angels are not created equal in dignity.
- Angels were made by God in nine (9) ranks or choirs.
- Angels are the chief creatures God has made besides man.
- Angels can move rapidly from place to place.
- Angels can take on bodies to appear visible to man temporarily.
Guardian Angels
God appointed guardian Angels to secure for us their help and prayers, and also to show His great love for us in giving us these special servants and faithful friends. Source: Baltimore Catechism of 1891
- Guardian angels pray for us.
- Guardian angels protect us.
- Guardian angels guide us.
- Guardian angels offer our prayers to God.
- Guardian angels offer our good works to God.
- Guardian angels offer our desires to God.
Ministry of Angels
“We must be grateful to angels for the great love with which they obey and come to help us in our great need.” – St. Bernard
- Angels assist before the throne of God in heaven.
- Angels minister unto God in heaven.
- Angels have been sent as messengers from God to man.
- Some angels have been chosen by God to be our guardians.
Ministry of Angels in the Gospels
“Those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels.” – St. Gregory the Great
- An angel announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah.
- An angel announced the birth of Jesus to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- An angel appeared before St. Joseph in a dream and gave him instructions.
- Angels announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds of Bethlehem.
- Angels praised God “Gloria in excelsis” before the shepherds of Bethlehem.
- Angels ministered to Jesus after his spiritual battle with the devil in the desert.
- An angel strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane during His passion.
- Angels appeared at Jesus’ tomb in the Gospels (Mt., Lk., Jn.) on Easter Sunday.
