Second Sunday of Advent: Angels serve by preparing, comforting and revealing

Angels play a key role in the story of the Bible. In the Scriptures from beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation, there are more than three hundred direct references to angels and many of them take place in the Christmas story. The Christmas story is filled with angels, thousands of them.  Gabriel appears to a man named Zachariah. Gabriel tells Zachariah that he and his wife Elizabeth, who had wanted desperately to have children, would give birth to a son. They were to name him John and would prepare the way for the Messiah. Gabriel appears to Mary, to tell her about the birth of Jesus, and seek her cooperation. After that he appears to Joseph and finally to the shepherds at Bethlehem: Luke 2.9-10 

Angel Basics

• Angels are created beings like human beings, but they’re not human beings.

• Angels are not people, but they are persons.

• They are also spirits, pure spirits, which means they don’t have bodies.

• What in the world do angels do? They serve God. The greatest serve the least. The hierarchy of heaven is all based on service and service is at the heart of everything that angels are and do.

• Some angels refused to serve. They are called demons.

What is the difference between an angel and a demon, a saint and a sinner? Who they serve.
 
How do angels serve?

Angels Comfort: Comfort and hope are gifts of God and angels serve God by distributing these gifts, comforting us and giving us hope.  The prophet Isaiah wrote: 

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem…and proclaim to her that her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand of the Lord double of all her sins.” Is. 40:1-4
 
Angels comforted the prophet Elijah when he was depressed and discouraged. Angels comforted Daniel when he was frightened and alone. Angels comforted Jesus after his temptation in the desert, when he was alone and vulnerable. Angels gave instructions to the leaders of the early Church in the confusing time following the Resurrection

Angels prepare: Angels move the obstacles in life that keep us from following God’s will for our lives. Angels serve God by helping us to prepare the way for God to work. Angels went ahead of Moses and angels lead Joshua and the Israelites into the Promised Land. Isaiah said in his prophecy,

“ A voice cries out in the desert: prepare the way of the Lord. Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a broad valley.” Is. 40:5.
 
John the Baptist in the gospel today fulfilled that prophecy when he prepared the way for Jesus by calling the people of Israel to repentance. Angels help us to move and can move obstacles that are in the way of our moving where God wants us to go.

Angels reveal the Glory of God: Angels serve God by revealing the glory of God. Angels reveal the glory of God to the shepherds at Christmas and Easter. Angels will reveal the glory of God at the end of time 
God reveals his glory and angels and saints are part of the delivery system for doing that. Darkness and doubt and weakness and pain, and so much else in our world are no part of his plan, and his glory is the antidote to all of this dysfunction. Which is exactly what we celebrate at Christmas: the dawn of his glory and grace breaking into our world.

What does this all have to do with me?  
If you grew up Catholic you’ve probably heard about Guardian Angels. It is an idea based on words of Christ himself. That every individual soul has a guardian angel is a great way of approaching angels and a great way of understanding your inherent dignity before God. Jesus taught,

“ See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10

You can talk to your angel, you can ask your angel to help you in your prayer, especially if you struggle with prayer, you can ask your angel to help you in anything and everything.
 
You can also act like an angel:

• Serve by Preparing the Way: Angels prepare the way for God to work and do great work and you can do that too.

  • Consider coming to our Parish Penance Service on Monday, December 11 at 5:30 pm. There will be lots of confessors from other parishes there to hear confessions.

  • At my small group, a parishioner told a story about a man who was his guardian angel during the American retreat from the Chosin Reservoir. George was wounded, as were so many others, but this man helped, guided him and saved his life. He was a flesh and blood human being, but George thought that he acted like his guardian angel.

• Serve by Comforting: Angels comfort and you can comfort and support.

  • Especially think of those who are lonely and alone, and most of all, those who are mourning, those who have lost a loved one and are facing a first, or another holiday, with an empty place at the table. This Advent and Christmas season be present to them. Bring them to the Church.

  • Another parishioner, Christina, shared a story from her teen years. A school friend had committed suicide and she felt so terrible that she couldn’t go to the funeral. Sometime later, she went to the cemetery and broke down next to the grave of her dead friend. A man, a stranger, came to her and comforted her in her grief. It helped her tremendously. Angels share our sorrow.

• Serve by revealing God’s glory: Angels reveal God’s grace and glory.

  • They bring light into the darkness of our world. You can do that too by living and sharing your faith in a happy and joyous way this Christmas Season.

  • Another woman, Anne, shared in our group about a time when she had not attended church for a long-time. She had met a couple at a neighborhood party and was very impressed by their Catholic faith. She didn’t see them again for a long-time. One day, she was struggling with what she should do about her faith. Should she return to the faith of her childhood?  Her doorbell rang and her neighbor was there, out of the blue, with a book that lead her back to the Church.

Angels are all around us. We can do the work of angels. Perhaps more than any other night of the year, people approach Christmas Eve looking for something. Ultimately they’re looking for God, for the comfort and hope that God can give, the way forward he can provide, the light he is in our world. And by serving you can help make that happen.