A Larger World
When people find out that I am researching angelology in association with the rite of Anointing of the Sick, it is fairly common for them to ask whether the prayers mention angels. I am usually forced to respond–unfortunately–that the current rite gives angels only a cursory–and even then optional–mention. However, this is really to lose sight of the reality, which is that there are angels everywhere (because they are acting everywhere) whether we acknowledge them or not. Usually, we do not even think about them much less talk with them or pray to them.
It is true that the older Rituale Romanum in the rite of Extreme Unction had important prayers asking for the protection of the good angels. I would argue that their role has not changed although the rite has. Everyone has an angel assigned to him for protection and guidance. Imagine how important that angel’s role is when the person is close to death! Really, the spiritual battle of the angels is so much larger than we can imagine (if we could imagine angels at all). We are caught up in it to some degree, but what if we try thinking of earth in the context of the angelic world rather than trying to fit angels into our world? Creation is much bigger and much more astounding than we can understand.
If angels are in charge of meteors and planets and stars1 not to mention persons, countries, dioceses, etc. what about very small phenomena? What if there were an angel in charge of each electron? After all, if quantum theory is correct, then it seems that electrons can move from one orbit to another instantaneously. This is how angels travel (although they are not “in space” like bodies are). What if what we consider physics (and the laws of physics) is really morality–really the effects of personal creatures moving around matter? Don’t worry, I’m not really going to go so far as to say that God does not give to material things their own principles which guide their movements of necessity, but why not imagine that the occasional meteor (or electron) gets an angelic nudge Deo volente, of course? It does not seem to me to be too much to say, though, that angels are given a certain custody over material things (as a participation or a mediation of God’s Providence). It didn’t seem too much to Aquinas, either, if I recall.
There are more angels than men (probably very many more), maybe we should pay more attention to the majority rather than focusing on ourselves who are really only a small part of Creation? Once we see the larger world, we can recognize even more Christ’s great humility when he was made “lower than the angels” (Hebrews) by taking our human nature. We, now, through God’s graciousness can be in Christ above the angels.
1 Perhaps this is what St. Paul meant when he said that the gentiles “worshiped the creature rather than the creator” in Romans: the gentiles ended up worshiping the angels who were put in charge over the natural elements (not to mention the demons who wanted to be worshiped).