Thursday, January 12, 2017

Angels



I was standing in the harsh Texan T shirt winter of a Walmart car park and looked up at the sun. It glowed with incandescent light through the high clouds, like an angel on its flight path down to the rigs and shopping carts parked right there on the asphalt. 

What are angels? The Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, teaches us that they're purely spiritual, intellectual beings and therefore incorporeal, necessitated by the "perfection of the universe" and the nature of divine creation.


A Typical Angel

Angels, we learn, are without form and matter and exist fully actualized, beings of almost pure act. They are, however, inferior to God because they are contingent upon Him. Good stuff and you can read all about it here. But maybe this is all a bit highbrow, form and matter, species and genus, essence and existence and all of that. Let's bring the definition down to earth by reflecting on what angels aren't. 

Here's a helpful infographic:




These aren't angels, at least they're not the good kind. Don't ask for their help.

Vicious rumors that top Democrat Party operatives practice ritual magic and commune with demons are entirely with foundation.

Moral of the story? If you're going to get into it with angels, choose the right sort.

God bless,

LSP









9 comments:

Jules said...

I'm an angel. Bear that in mind.

LL said...

The Angels are also a baseball team that plays near to where I live. Los Angeles is the "city of angels" by definition, but I don't know how many can abide the place. I know that I can't.

The Book of Revelations (of St. John) Chapter 14

6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.


You have to keep your flock on the straight-and-narrow, LSP.

LSP said...

LL, I see a bright future for you as Vicar General. That's coterminous with RHSM, obviously.

LSP said...

Yes, Juliette. I will not forget.

LL said...

I could be a great pulpit pounder! Clearly the skills that advanced me to the awesome rank of RHSM would serve me well as Vicar General.

GruntOfMonteCristo said...

The veil is thin, right? Must be so if you're seeing angels. Frankly, I think you're all angels. Keep up the good work!

Mattexian said...

I'm going with what the Gregg Allman Band said. https://youtu.be/NWNKHi2joJE

LSP said...

Thanks, Grunt!

LSP said...

Mattexian there's a genius in that link.