Almighty God loved His angels, and made them His friends and favorites. The Blessed Virgin is placed above them all, as the Church on the day of her assumption proclaims: “She is exalted above the choirs of angels in the heavenly kingdom.” Here we have to adore the liberality of almighty God, and the mysterious and adorable way in which He distributes His gifts. He fashions the angels in a natural order, and endows them with greater natural perfections than others. Next He raises them in the first instant of creation to the supernatural order by the gift of sanctifying grace. Then comes the time of probation, and He confirms the good forever in glory, bestows on them the beatific vision, happiness, enlightenment, and splendor according to their acts, but still more in proportion to the natural powers, dignity, and excellence of His own divine hand. Here indeed is the potter and the potter's clay spoken of by St. Paul. To man God acts differently: “But the foolish things of the world [pg 415] hath God chosen that He may confound the wise: and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that He may confound the strong ... that no flesh should glory in His sight.”—2 Cor. i. 27-29.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.
Thirteenth Day.
Oh, what a glory, what a happiness and consolation, were granted to the angels when they had done the will of God! God received His faithful followers with goodness and love, and introduced them into His place of glory, and there He manifested Himself to them and will do so for all eternity. And so the beautiful life of the angels in heaven may furnish us with ample materials for meditation. Our Lord calls our attention to them when He bids us pray that we may do His will on earth, as do the angels in heaven. Faber says, “Grace is a better portion than nature for loving God; by grace God can communicate Himself to us supernaturally, by it He gets more love from us, and makes us more able to love Him. O that we had the hearts to know the meaning of this! Surely His love of us should be our measure of love for Him. Well might St. Francis run about the woods crying out, ‘Oh, God is not known! God is not loved!’ ” The angels will ever remain in heaven, loving and honoring God, in supreme happiness, in the infinite light of God Himself. Let us also, as some saints have done, offer to God the love of the first choir of seraphim in reparation for all the outrages going on in the world.
Prayer.
O angel of God, etc., etc.