Both in the Old and New Testaments, “angels” are described as God’s “messengers” on a mission in the world.
They are messengers sent from God to bring Good News to mankind. Their mission is always linked to the history of salvation of mankind. It was the angel Gabriel who announced to Mary the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26). It was the angels of Bethlehem who were the first to announce the birth of the Savior (Luke 2:9). It was the angel (or angels) at the tomb of Christ who was the first to announce his resurrection (Luke 24:1-8). There is no coincidence in the fact that the word: evangelize has angel in the middle of it.
At other times, angels are described as sent by God to help evangelizers to carry out their mission.
This is evident in the Acts of the Apostles on a number of occasions. For example, when the apostles were arrested and thrown into prison, an angel came in the night, opened the prison doors and brought them out and said to them: “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life” (Acts 5:20). Rather than leaving them in prison, the angel assisted the apostles so that they could fulfill their role of evangelizers. Further, when the Ethiopian eunuch was ready to receive the Gospel, an angel brought the deacon Philip to instruct him and baptize him (Acts 8). Similarly, when it was time to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, the angel arranged the meeting between St. Peter and the centurion Cornelius (Acts 10). Over and over again the angels were assisting in the missionary work of the apostles.
Satan (who was an angel too) has his own angels (2 Corinthians 12:7) and can mask themselves as angels of light.
Angels will appear at the Parousia, the day of Jesus’ coming in glory. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: “When the Son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him” (Mt 25:31). They belong to him because they were created through him and for him: “for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominations or principalities or authorities, all things were created through him and for him” (Col 1:16). They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?” (Heb 1:14) (Catechism of the Catholic Church 331) |
