Angels

Guariento di Arpo

Looking like clouds.

I was looking at clouds thinking of 40,000 Headmen - I love that song. I look at clouds and like to wonder about angels. Sometimes they look like thousands of cherubs. Although 40,000 Headmen sound like a lot, 40,000 angels would hardly be a large number. Imagine how many angels there are - so many we can't count them. There is a hierarchy of angels - nine choirs - and silly people want to name their angel guardian.

We know relatively nothing about angels - and of course, many people pay no attention to their guardian angel or even know they have one. I know the catechism and theologians tell us what they are - but I'm not talking about studies here.  I want to simply 'wonder' about angels, the angelic life. 

Corrado Giaquinto

Imagine an angel - imagine a cloud. Try to imagine that when you look at clouds on a cloudy day - or when you catch a glimpse of a few wisps of vapor, in an otherwise cloudless sky. There could be 40,000 angels in that little wisp.  "I know just where my feet should go and that's enough for me..."


We don't know what angels are - what are they?  Yes, they are spirits, but what is that?  What do they do?  What did they do before the test?   What is their name - does God know each by name?  Of course he does. Who is God and what is an angel?  What am I? "And soaring high above the clouds I found a golden shrine..."

And soaring high above the clouds ... don't look back.

Like a prayer.