Today, as we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us also reflect on the majesty and mystery of the seraphim, those mighty angels who surround the throne of God in heaven. In the book of Isaiah, we are given a glimpse into the heavenly realm, where seraphim cry out "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 6:3). Their cries echo through eternity, a chorus of praise and adoration that fills the heavens.
But what is remarkable about this passage is that it is not just the seraphim who are praising God, but also Isaiah himself. When he sees the glory of God, he is struck with awareness of his own sinfulness and cries out, "Woe is me! For I am lost, because I am a man of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). And yet, it is precisely in his awareness of his own sin that he is cleansed by a burning coal taken from the altar (Isaiah 6:6-7). This image speaks to us of the transformative power of confession and repentance.
As we look to Mary, the Mother of God, we see a model of humility and obedience. Like Isaiah, she was chosen by God for a great task, yet she remained humble and aware of her own limitations. She was willing to say "yes" to God's plan, even when it seemed impossible. And it is precisely through her obedience that she became the instrument by which God brought salvation to humanity.
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus instructs his disciples not to be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul (Matthew 10:28). Instead, they should fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. This teaching speaks to us of the importance of living a life of courage and faithfulness in the face of adversity and remembering the vast world which exists beyond the here and now and which will ultimately be experienced for an entire eternity, and not just temporarily for a set period of time. Hence our Lord, in his mercy, has given us many aids to get safely to the beatific vision, if we cooperate with his goodness. A primary aid he gives us, are the angels he has appointed to be our “guardians”, and whose first act of obedience to God out of love for him, was an enormous manifestation of love for us, in consenting to be our guardians.
The Church has long recognized the role of angels in our spiritual lives. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, angels are created beings that exist solely for the service of God and humanity. They are messengers, protectors, and guides who serve as intermediaries between heaven and earth. God had created myriads of angels before creating the visible realities, far outnumbering the number of human beings, and all of them individually allocated to one of nine choirs, or levels of angelic existence. The seraphim, in particular, which are known to be the highest ranked of all the angels, are associated with purifying and cleansing fire. This is reflected in their role in Isaiah's vision, where they touch his lips with a burning coal to cleanse him from his sin. Now, an angel is such a magnificent creation of God, beyond our comprehension, that suffice it to say, each individual angel is an entirely different species from the other. Not so with us humans. We are billions of individuals, yet we are one species: human. When we say “angel” we are not referring to species, but rather to their office as messengers and special servants of God. Yet, each individual angel, is so radically and extraordinarily different from every other angel, that they are a species unto themselves. How can this be, one may ask? Well, how can billions of us all have a different fingerprint? I have a unique fingerprint unlike anyone else on the face of this planet, so should I be amazed, that every angel is so radically different from their peers that they are a species unto themselves? This of course, only magnifies the grandeur of God’s omnipotence, omniscience and omnibenevolence. Again, so many things beyond our comprehension in the here and now.
Another question may arise, out of our love for the angels, whether existing solely for the service of God and humanity leaves room for joy in their lives? According to Thomas Aquinas, angels do experience joy, but not in the same way that humans do which is often tied to bodily sensations and emotions. Instead, angelic joy is a purely intellectual and spiritual experience, arising from the angels' understanding and appreciation of God's truth and goodness. In his Summa Theologica, Aquinas discusses the nature of angelic beatitude, or happiness, and argues that angels do experience joy as part of their essential nature.
In particular, Aquinas suggests that angels, as intellectual substances and rational beings whose sole purposes are in knowing, serving and loving God, experience three types of joy:
Intellectual joy: This type of joy arises from the angels' understanding of God's truth and beauty. It is a direct consequence of their intellectual contemplation of God.
Essential joy: This type of joy is inherent to the angels' nature and is an essential part of their being. It is the foundation of their happiness and is what makes them happy simply by virtue of being what they are.
Voluntary joy: This type of joy arises from the angels' free will choice to love and delight in God and everything he has created which is good. Hence their greatest delight and happiness, which stems from their contemplation of God, is in the greatest of all his masterpieces: our Heavenly Mother. They love her joyfully as their queen, and know how special she is to the heart of the Creator.
As we remember Mary on this Saturday, therefore, let us ask for her intercession and guidance. May we emulate her humility and obedience to God's will. May we also seek the protection and guidance of the seraphim and all angels who serve as messengers of God's love. May our lives be filled with courage and faithfulness in the face of adversity, just as Mary herself was filled with courage and faith in her response to God's call.
As we pray today, let us also pray for an increase in our devotion to Mary and an awareness of her role in our spiritual lives. May she guide us on our journey towards heaven, just as she guided her Son on his journey throughout his human development, which would ultimately help him to withstand the excruciating pains of Calvary, so as to victoriously fulfill the plan of his Father, and be glorified with him forever in Heaven as he was before assuming a human nature. Our dearest Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to her eternal merit, had such a huge role in that, and we thank her for it, love her for it, in a way which compensates for those who do not yet understand what exactly the “great things God has done” for her entail, and demean her to their eternal shame. May the Lord have mercy when she is not loved as she should be, and when we commit sins of disobedience, impurity, idolatry and blasphemy, and all kinds of dishonesty that cause her tears and sorrow. In the end, her Immaculate Heart will triumph, and it is a joy today to know, that we have an opportunity to be a part of that triumph if we but remain humble and stay close to her.
Dearest Guardian angels, have mercy on us, continue to be patient with us, and protect us always from the snares of the devil. We thank you all for your love and care for us which we too often take for granted. Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Queen of Angels, have mercy on us, and pray for us your children who have recourse to thee. Amen.
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