5 Fascinating things you need to know about archangels

𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥?

Who are they in the first place? How do they affect my life today? Do they still exist?

To help you understand more about these mysterious beings that God created, here are five things you need to know about archangels:

1) Archangels are the second lowest “rank” of angels

Traditionally, angels are divided into what is called “nine choirs.” This hierarchy is based on nine names of ranks of angels that are found in Sacred Scripture.

Saint Gregory the Great listed these “choirs” in a homily:

“𝘞𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘷𝘪𝘻., 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘦𝘴, 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘋𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘮…”

2) Archangels are entrusted with delivering important messages to humans

The lowest ranks of angels are the ones we are most familiar with as they are the ones who communicate or interact with us. St. Michael is believed to be the angel who delivered God’s divine inspiration to St. John in the Book of Revelation and is known as the protector of the Church, guarding her from evil. Saint Michael is most widely known for his role in expelling the rebel angel Lucifer from heaven.

St. Gabriel is first mentioned in the Book of Daniel and helps Daniel in his mission on earth. Later on Gabriel appears to Zachariah and the Blessed Virgin Mary, delivering the greatest message ever, that God meant to Incarnate and set his tent with us.

St. Raphael is mentioned in the Book of Tobit, to heal Tobit and deliver Sarah from a demon. Raphael accomplished both acts, disguised as a human, guiding Tobias along the way and instructing him on what to do.

3) Archangels do not have wings, bodies or swords

Unlike us, angels are pure spirits and do not possess anything material. On occasion they can look like a human, but it is only a façade.

Dr. Peter Kreeft gives an excellent description in his book, Angels and Demons:

“𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 ‘𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘴’ 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 ‘𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘴.’ 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴 ‘𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯.’”

On the other hand, even though they do not have material bodies, they can impact and influence the material world. They are pure spirits (like God) and have such intelligence and mental power that they can move material things or assume the appearance of a body. How exactly that all transpires is a bit of a mystery. Saint Thomas Aquinas goes in more depth in the Summa.

Wings and swords are simply artistic representations of their roles and actions in our world, as messengers and protectors.

4) Archangels can protect us from evil

If Saint Michael and the heavenly host can expel Satan and his minions out of heaven, the archangels can certainly fight against demons tormenting our world and us and protect us from their influence. One of the greatest prayers is the St. Michael prayer, which for many years was routinely said at the closing of Mass:

𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭,

𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦.

𝘉𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭.

𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺,

𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶,

𝘖 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴,

𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥,

𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯,

𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴,

𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥

𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴. 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘯.

5) Archangels still exist today

Thankfully, angels do not depend on our belief of them for their existence. God created their immortal spirits at the beginning of time and they will never cease existing for all eternity.

We may not see them, hear them, or feel their presence, but they are as real as the screen in front of you. Sometimes they let us know they are here, but most of the time they are busy protecting us from harm without us knowing. Just think what would happen if they weren’t here!

Children get it. They understand that angels exist and trust completely that they are present and will pray to them without hesitation. Maybe we need some of that child-like simplicity of heart to renew our belief in these celestial creatures.

“𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺, 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯.”

Source: Fear Not