December 19 - The Holy Angels
The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed. I did not ask where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. But he said to me, ‘You will be with child and will bear a son… The boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb.’” - Judges 13:6-7 Sacred Scripture and Christian tradition provide us with an understanding of angels that far surpasses our culture's caricature of these divine beings. First, the angels stand before God, giving God honor by virtue of their very existence (cf. Matthew 18:10). Second, angels are messengers, bringing the needs of humanity to God, watching over us: “The Angels speak to man of what constitutes his true being, of what in his life is so often concealed and buried. They bring him back to himself, touching him on God’s behalf.” [1] The account of the birth of Samson (Judges 13:2-7), the angel’s visit to the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25), and Mar...