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"CUPID" ANGELS You are bidding for Five (5) Made from Lucid (Zinc Free) 7/8 inch Tall x 1/2" wide INSURANCE is OPTIONAL but I do HIGHLY RECOMMEND It ($1.70). I CANNOT be RESPONSIBLE for items once I have mailed them with the USPS (United States Post Office). I CANNOT REIMBURSE OR REPLACE ITEMS THAT ARE UNINSURED - NO EXCEPTIONS! The Angelic Orders This purchase does not count toward Combine Shipping. Since the fourth century Christians have attempted to construct lists of all the spiritual beings mentioned in the Bible. A list of nine ranks of angels was eventually collected from the various books of the Bible. We noted earlier that the Old Testament gives names to three groups of angelic beings: Cherubim, Seraphim and Angels. In the New Testament, the other six groups are given to us by St. Paul who names: Thrones, Dominations, Principalities, Virtues, Powers and Archangels. These various spiritual beings are directed towards one single end, an ultimate good, namely God, who created each angel to contribute to the perfection of the whole of which it is a part. By their degree of knowledge, their love of God, and their type of service, the angels are categorized according to nine different ranks. The Celestial Hierarchy 500 AD was the first to explain how the nine ranks of angels transmit God’s love and truth to human persons. This model has withstood the test of time largely because it offers a harmonious synthesis based on the Biblical descriptions of the angelic world. His model operates on the principle that in the world of spirits as well as in the world of bodies, God acts through a series of intermediaries. Therefore, the love and knowledge of God descend gradually from God to human beings through a graduated series of beings, the nine ranks of angels. Thus, by means of this community of spiritual beings, God communicates his love, knowledge, and concern for all his creation. This multitude of angelic beings renders the universe ordered and intelligible. The nine ranks of angels are organized into three ranks of three, in an order that can be understood in terms of proximity to or remoteness from God. The first rank of angelic beings consists of the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. This rank is immediately before God, contemplating the essence of God, God as he is in himself. The Seraphim, whose name means “fire-makers†or “carriers of warmth,†possess the most perfect knowledge of God and therefore they are aflame with love of God. The Cherubim, whose name means “fullness of knowledge†or “outflowing of wisdom,†contemplate God’s goodness and providence. The Thrones contemplate God’s divine judgments. Those who are redeemed by Christ and are granted the beatific vision of God will be privy to a higher degree of participation in the life of God than these ranks of angels. The second rank of angelic beings consists of the Dominations, Virtues and Powers. This second rank of angels is responsible for the universal order of creation; it does not know God in himself, but his effects, the reasons for things, or what we would call the laws of nature. The Dominations, whose name signifies authority, direct and command the activities of the Virtues. The Virtues in turn are responsible for the operation of celestial bodies such as planets and stars. The Powers work to prevent evil influences from infiltrating and disrupting the good order of divine Providence. The final rank consists of the Principalities, Archangels and Angels. This rank orchestrates human affairs. The Principalities are concerned with the common good and general welfare of kingdoms, nations, and cities. The Archangels are charged with protecting an individual or a multitude of individuals or with delivering solemn messages from God to man, such as when the Archangel Gabriel greeted the Blessed Virgin Mary with the news of the Incarnation. Finally, we arrive at the Angels, otherwise known as Guardian Angels, whose task it is to protect individuals and to deliver messages of lesser import. Of all the spiritual beings discussed, Guardian Angels are most proximate to us. That Guardian Angels exist is a conviction that the Church, the Bible, and the saints all confirm. The Church authorizes a feast in their honor on the Roman calendar. Two Biblical texts point to their existence: “See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way†(Ex 23:20-23); and Jesus’ words, “I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven†(Mt 18:11).Numerous saints have also been convinced of their existence. In particular, St. Bernard of Clairvaux tells us: And so the angels are here; they are at your side; they are with you, present on your behalf. They are here to protect you and to serve you. But even if it is God who has given them this charge, we must nonetheless be grateful to them for the great love with which they obey and come to help us in our great need.3 It is important to bear in mind that Guardian Angels are able to direct us to our own particular ends (salvation) and to our shared ultimate end (communion with the triune God) only because they are engaged in accomplishing God’s will and divine Providence. The Guardian Angels glorify God by freely guiding human beings back to their Creator. Without these angels we lose an effective and significant source of direction back to God. Taken From: Veritas, All about Angels.11-08-1999
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