The Angels by Anscar Vonier

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Anscar Vonier 2nd Abbot at Buckfast

     Night Office Readings,

SAINT MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS
Feast.

29 September 2015

Gospel Mass John 1:47-51

Alternative Reading

From The Angels by Anscar Vonier (pages 84-89)

It is evident by all the laws of spiritual life that angelic beings must be, in one way or another, a great element in the consti­tution of man's eternal happiness. The bliss of the elect will be essentially this - to possess all truth, to be in contact with all reality, to see all beauty. To see the angels, to behold them, must of necessity constitute a source of happiness greater than anything which the visible world could afford; in fact, it is the supreme created source of happiness; God himself, clearly seen in the beatific vision, being the uncreated source of happiness. To be with the angels, to see them in their glory, is a most legitimate desire in the heart of man, and the saints of God have often given utterance to such a longing. We must always keep alive within us that essentially Catholic principle· of life, that the possession of the supreme Goodness, God himself, never destroys the appetite for created goodness, but, on the contrary, enhances it; to see God face to face produces in the minds of the elect a new capacity to see him in his creatures, and where is he seen to greater advantage than in the world of angels, which mirrors back, with an almost infinite power of radiation, the glory of the invisible God? Moreover, through the communion of supernatural grace man is allied to the angels by the bond of charity, he is not a foreigner but he is a fellow-citizen. There will be this truest exchange of love between man and the heavenly spirits: man, besides beholding the angels in their glory, will hold intercourse with them as citizens of the same kingdom, as the children of the same Father. This intercourse with the heavenly spirits will be the last thing in created love; greater love than that there could not be except man's communion with God himself.

There is, however, something deeper than this association with the angels in vision and love. It is Catholic tradition that the elect of the human race are destined to take the place of the fallen spirits, to fill up the gap made by the apostasies of the rebellious angels. This tradition profoundly modifies man's relationship to the angels; it puts him on a footing of equality with those mighty beings which is the most astonishing of all spiritual exaltations.

That there will be more than mere association of men and angels in the glory of eternity is clear from our Lord's words in speaking of the elect at the resurrection: Neither can they die anymore: for they are equal to the angels and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. This equality is entirely based on grace. Human nature will always remain what it is, vastly inferior to the angelic nature; but such is the power of grace that the inequality of nature is bridged over, and an elect from the human race may truly become, in all literalness of language, the equal of the highest angel.

Then again there are those human beings who will be absolutely superior by the very laws of their predestination to every angelic order; the blessed Mother of God is certainly one such creature.

The all-pervading principle is this: that grace is greater than nature, greater even than the highest spirit nature, and its scope is vaster than the vastest world.

 Sacred Space102fm: September 29th - Feast of the Archangels .. acredspace102.blogspot.com   

On September 29th we honor the three archangels mentioned by name in Scripture, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Michael is mentioned in Daniel and Revelation ...

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The Angels

by Dom Anscar Vonier. OSB

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Details

First published in 1928, this book will satisfy that multitude of questions you have always had about angels and leave you with a happy closeness to those angelic friends of God and man. Subjects covered: Nature, life, sanctity of angels, guardian angels, evil spirits, and ....

Quick Overview

First published in 1928, this book will satisfy that multitude of questions you have always had about angels and leave you with a happy closeness to those angelic friends of God and man. Subjects covered: Nature, life, sanctity of angels, guardian angels, evil spirits, and more..

Luisa Piccarreta. Volume 6. November 23, 1903 There is no beauty that equals suffering for God alone.

29 September 2015

Book of Heaven, Luisa Piccarreta.
Volume 6.

November 23, 1903  

There is no beauty that equals suffering for God alone. 

I felt impressed in my interior by what I had written above, as if it were not according to the truth; so, as soon as I saw blessed Jesus, 

I said: ‘Lord, what I have written is not right; how can there be all this through mere suffering?’  

And He: “My daughter, do not be surprised.  Indeed, there is no beauty that equals suffering for the love of God alone.  Two arrows come from Me continuously: one from my Heart, which is of love, and wounds all those who are on my lap, that is, those who are in my grace.  This arrow wounds, mortifies, heals, afflicts, attracts, reveals, consoles and continues my Passion and Redemption in those who are on my lap.  The other comes from my throne, and I entrust it to the Angels who, as my ministers, make this arrow flow over any kind of people, chastising them and exciting all to conversion.”  

Now, while He was saying this, He shared His pains with me, telling me: 

“Here in you also, is the continuation of Redemption.”

Br Kentigern Thomas Heenan, 28 September 2015 Patristic Reading of St. Fulgentius

   90th Birthday Wishes to Brother Kentigern   

Sent: Monday, 28 September 2015, 1:20
Subject: Happy 90th Birthday Brother Kentigern

Church Fathers

COMMENT:

Before Mass; the thought of ‘The Holy Sacrifice Mass’ of priests for souls, Redemption.

Mt 7:21. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father in heaven.
Saint Fulgentius reminds us in the words. 
"What can I offer the Lord that is worthy?...
Therefore those who want to offer God a worthy gift should begin by offering themselves". 

Patristic Lectionary.   

COMMENT: Check the Lectionary: 

Sent: Monday 28, September 2015, 

Subject: St Fulgentius echoing Augustine   iPad random after Night Office

And opens the horizons of 'enlargingtheheart' with Sermons of Fulgentius of Ruspe.   

 https://enlargingtheheart.wordpress.com/category/patristic/fulgentius-of-ruspe/   

Second Reading special in Lectionary...
 the variations of the translation, can be moving in prayer....throughout highlighted "children of God".

     MONDAY

First Reading

Micah 6:1-16

Responsorq       Sir 35:1-2; Ps 4:6

To keep the law is worth many offerings; to heed the command­ments is a peace-offering. t To return a kindness is a grain-offering,

to give alms a thank-offering.

V. Make justice your sacrifice and trust in the Lord. To return ...

Second Reading

From a sermon by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe

Let us reflect together upon the passage from Saint Micah which we have listened to together, and as we reflect on it in words, my friends, may we fulfil it in deeds. For we have listened to the words of a holy man, a righteous man, a devout man, a man concerned for his own salvation, a man who knew he had been created by God and considered himself subject to, a man who awaited the divine Judgment in great fear and trembling, knowing that then, before the tribunal of the just Judge, he would have to give an account not only of his words and deeds but even of his thoughts. And so, pondering on the future judgment of God - which each one of us should also fear and whatever we are doing remember with hearts full of dread - pondering on this, that holy and just man asked what he should do, or rather with what gifts he should implore the divine Judge.

But he knew that almighty God, who created the universe, who made everything from nothing, who made nothing be­cause he felt the pinch of poverty but all from a wealth of goodness, asks not only for our gifts but for our deeds. Or rather he knew that the gifts most pleasing to God and acceptable to him were a holy life and good works. So when he asked what gift one should offer God, he said: What can I offer the Lord that is worthy? But what can be worthy to offer God but the most excellent creature he has made? And assuredly, of all the creatures God has made upon earth none better can be found than the one he created in his own image; and that earthly creature is a human being.

  

Therefore those who want to offer God a worthy gift should begin by offering themselves. For since God made us in his own image he is delighted to be offered that image, and commands us to present it to him pure and innocent. Hence our Saviour’s answer to some who were trying to trap him: Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. In other words, just as you give Caesar his image on a coin, so give God his image in yourself. And when you give your Creator his own image it must be righteous, not evil; humble, not proud; not debased by greed, deformed by rapacity, reduced by vicious anger, worn away be earthly affections, soiled by envy, defiled by debauchery; but kept undiminished by prudent care, pure by true faith, and shining by good habits and deeds. The holy prophet tells us how to give God his own image in ourselves when he says: I will show you what is good and what the Lord requires of you. It is to act justly and righteously, to love mercy, and to walk mindfully with your God.   

  

Sent from my iPad..

Second Reading  From a sermon by Fulgentius of Ruspe.   

When our Lord gave the commandment of love for one's enemies, .......

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Fulgentius of Ruspe, Saint (468-533) Fulgentius left the Roman civil service for the monastic life at the age of twenty-one. In 508 he became bishop of Ruspe in North Africa. A faithful disciple of Saint Augustine, he was the best theologian of his time, and possessed a fluent knowledge of

Greek. Many of his writings were directed against the Arians, from whom he suffered constant persecution.

Midweek Blog - Shepherd of Hermas

Church History/ Historical Theology

AUGUST 12, 2015 BY MISTERDAN01 

  https://dansalyers.wordpress.com/2015/08/12/midweek-blog-anger-choking-the-holy-spirit-in-the-shepherd-of-hermas/  

Midweek Blog: Anger Choking the Holy Spirit in the Shepherd of Hermas

anger-inside-out

Well, faithful readers, we have reached the end of our series on the Apostolic Fathers. Today’s installment will be the last before we switch gears. I want to begin a new series on Augustine next week, which I am excited about. Be on the lookout for those blogs in the future. Today’s post returns us to the Shepherd of Hermas, a second-century text which we have looked at previously. I wanted to highlight a small passage on anger from Hermas.

The picture above is of the character “anger” from the recent movie, “Inside Out.” Obviously it’s a bit of a humorous take on a very real and very powerful emotion. The picture of anger in Hermas is unfortunately much darker. The passage we are examining today comes from the “Commandments” section of Hermas, which, as the text relates, were given by the Shepherd to Hermas in order that they might be written down for later generations. The passage is from chapter 33:

“3 But if an angry temper approaches, immediately the holy spirit, which is very sensitive, is distressed because it does not have a clean place, and it seeks to leave the place. For it is choked by the evil spirit and does not have the room to serve the Lord the way it wants to, because it is polluted by the angry temper. For the Lord lives in patience, but the devil lives in an angry temper. 4 So if both spirits live together, it is unfortunate and evil for that person in whom they live.” (Hermas 33.3-4)

I find a few things intriguing about this passage. The first being that the holy spirit is “sensitive.” Now, it’s possible that Hermas is just talking about a “holy spirit” and not the third person of the Trinity. For example, above in verse 2, the text says, “If you are patient, the holy spirit that lives in you will be pure, uncontaminated by some other, evil spirit; living in a spacious room.” Side-stepping a possible question about the Holy Spirit being contaminated, I would argue that since the text is likely from the second century, it is unlikely that the author had a strong Trinitarian understanding of God. Therefore, the big theological question that one might want to ask, can’t be asked of such a text. Suffice it to say, Hermas understood there to be a holy spirit dwelling in believers that was indeed “sensitive” to other, evil spirits.

Additionally, the spirit can be “choked” by the evil spirit which comes from anger. I don’t know if this scares you as much as it does me, but the very idea that 1) our anger arises from an evil spirit and 2) that said evil spirit limits or obstructs a spirit from God shows just how powerful anger is. For those who have been angry before (likely most of you, I think) you know how anger can take over in a flash, compromising our ability to see things clearly and intelligently. That fits in with Hermas’ depiction of anger here.

Another element from the above passage is that the “Lord lives in patience” and the “devil lives in an angry temper.” Again, the attribution of anger to a demonic source is unsettling to say the least. However, it might be equally unnerving to note that in verse 6, Hermas notes that “if an angry temper is mixed with patience, the patience is polluted, and its intercession is no longer useful to God.” If we connect the dots here, it would seem that the author cautions against anger because the the devil can use it to pollute the patience in which the Lord lives (v. 3). Is the devil that powerful? Is anger? What about when Jesus is angry and “cleanses the temple?” Is that the devil’s work? Just some fun questions to leave hanging. (I honestly don’t know what Hermas would say with regard to Jesus using anger in cleansing the temple, but it would be a fun exercise).

To begin to wrap up our discussion today, I wanted to address the conclusions drawn above, namely that anger is the key to the devil unraveling God’s plan within our lives. Now, as with the rest of the Apostolic Fathers, Hermas should not be weighed the same as biblical books, despite the fact that some of the books in the collection were included in early codices, including Hermas). Hermas obviously is cautioning against allowing one’s anger to flourish within his or her own life. The purpose in doing so could be reflective of a culture which generally saw emotional outbursts and other displays of emotion as a weakness, particularly among men. See Peter Brown’s The Body and Society in my “Recommended Books” page.

However, I think the point that Hermas makes regarding anger is appropriate: that it is a dangerous emotion that has side effects which we mostly do not want in our lives. We should take heed that anger, especially going unchecked, can begin to breed other habits or general sourness of disposition. Hermas in the next chapter describes the chain of emotions that are linked to anger: “An angry temper is first of all foolish, fickle, and senseless. Then from foolishness comes bitterness, and from bitterness wrath, and from wrath anger, and from anger vengefulness. Then vengefulness, being composed of all these evil elements, becomes a great and incurable sin.” (Hermas34.4)

To close, I think that many emotions can be linked to anger; certainly bitterness and vengeful thoughts. However, if we make an effort to curtail anger, can we stay on the side of patience, as Hermas would seem to suggest? Also, is anger at situations, people, places, injustices all on equal ground? Can there be good anger? If so what does it look like? These are some grandiose questions which I have considered for many years, particularly the latter two. I think I have come to the conclusion that “good anger” is truly hard to define, but does exist. Helpful right? What do you all think? I’d love to hear from you on this.