THE PRECIOUS BLOOD AND THE ANGELS

In his book, “The Precious Blood”, Father Faber presents the story of The Precious Blood as a “Procession”, which shows us the blood of Christ going out from the eternal mind of god, circulating in time and ascending again to heaven after having taken on its way, each one of those creatures of God who owed to it its own beauty and happiness.

“The first visibility of the invisible God” according to Father Faber, was but an instantaneous flash, and there lay outspread the broad world of angels, throbbing with light, and teeming with a numerous and yet colossal life.  The brightness that silvered them was the perfection of infinite beauty.  From it and because of it they came.  Out of it they drew their marvellous diversity of graces.  Their sanctities were but mantles made of its royal texture.  They beautified their natures in its supernatural streams.  It seemed as if here the procession halted for a moment, or perhaps it was only that the sudden flash of light looked like a momentarily halt.  The new creatures of god, the first created minds, the primal offspring of the uncreated mind, were bidden to fall in, and accompany the great procession.  Then, truly there was a halt, as if homage and obedience were refused.  There is a gleam as if of intolerable battle, and a coruscation of archangelic light, and Michael’s war cry echoing the first created cry, among the everlasting mountains.  A third of that creation of purest light, has, it is maintained, refused to adore the incarnate word, and is flung speedily into the dread abyss, and the ranks close in, and the unfailing light beams more resplendently with its thinner array than ever it beamed before the fallen fell, and onward the procession moves.  Yet there was not a single grace in any angel which was not god’s free gift, and which has not also its type and counterpart in The Precious Blood.  The Precious Blood would have redeemed them, had they needed to be redeemed or were allowed to be redeemed.

 

THE NATURE AND FUNCTION OF THE ANGELS

The power and the wisdom of god are not confined to the creation of man and the material world.  Beyond man, millions of creatures exist far more perfect than man, whose perfection varies according to their nearness to the ocean of all perfection.  In this superior world, spirits are radiant as the celestial hierarchies of star; there the angel choirs shine, the splendour of god blazing in their midst.

But what is of paramount importance to us is that the holy angels seek in every possible way to share with us the immense ocean of love and happiness which they themselves enjoy.  Their generosity knows no bounds.  We have only to ask for their assistance and favours.  Speaking of their ministry towards men, the catechism declares: “To angels is committed by the providence of god the office of guarding the human race and protecting men from any serious harm”.