ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS

ANGELS

The word derives from the Latin
meaning 'messenger.'
Angels appear throughout the Old and New Testaments as special beings intermediate between God
and humanity:
"Thou hast made him (man) a little
less than the angels."
Ps. VIII, 6

There are numerous Bible passages in which it is implied that each soul has its own Guardian Angel.
As Jesus himself says,
"See that you despise not one of these
little ones, for I say to you that their
angels in Heaven always look upon
the face of my Father who is in Heaven."

St. Jerome's commentary on this
passage was that
"The dignity of each soul is so great
that each has a Guardian Angel
from its birth."

The Bible represents the angels not only as our guardians but also as actually interceding for us. Of Raphael, for example,
it is written that he
"offered this prayer [of Tobias]
to the Lord."
Tob. xvix, 12

St. Ambrose later wrote that
"we should pray to the angels who are given to us as guardians."

Angels were very early depicted in Christian art. The earliest representation that has survived is
n a 2nd century fresco of the Annunciation in the cemetery
of St. Priscilla in Rome.

Angel of Joy

Coptic angels

Birthday Angel

Angel Shalom