Caput 27. Quanta Deus praestet homini per Angelos custodes. Unde Dei cum homine deliciae.
Angels Appointed to Guard Us
The soul marvels that God makes His angels spirits and commands them to guard us in all our ways, watching over His Jerusalem and shielding us from the roaring devil.
Moreover, for my sake you make your angels spirits, whom you commanded to guard me in all my ways, so that I will not strike my foot against a stone (Ps. 90:11-12). These are the watchmen on the walls of your new Jerusalem (Isa. 62:6), and mountains around her, keeping watch and standing the night watches over your flock (Luke1 2:8), so that our ancient adversary may never snatch our souls like a lion when no one is there to redeem them—he who, like a roaring lion, is always circling, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet.2 5:8).
Heavenly Citizens Who Minister
The angels are citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem sent to minister to the heirs of salvation, accompanying us through life, helping us in every trial, and loving only what God loves.
These are citizens of the blessed city of the heavenly Jerusalem, which is above—our mother (Gal. 4:26), sent into ministry for those who inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14); so that they may free them from their enemies and guard them in all their ways; that they may also strengthen and admonish them, and offer the prayers of your children in the sight of the glory of your majesty. For they love their fellow citizens, through whom they look for the breaches of their own ruin to be repaired; and so with great care and watchful zeal they stay with us at every hour and in every place, coming to our aid and providing for our needs, and anxiously going back and forth between us and you, Lord, carrying our groans and sighs to you, so that they may obtain for us the ready favor of your kindness, and bring back to us the longed-for blessing of your grace.3 They walk with us in all our ways, they go in and out with us, carefully considering how devoutly and how honorably we live in the midst of a crooked generation, and with how much zeal and desire we seek your kingdom and its righteousness, and with how much fear and trembling we serve you and rejoice before you with the joy of our heart. They help those who labor, protect those who rest, urge on those who fight, and crown those who conquer; they rejoice with those who rejoice—those who rejoice in you, I mean; they suffer with those who suffer—those who suffer for you, I mean. Great is their care for us, and great is the affection of their love toward us; and all of this is for the honor of your immeasurable love, with which you have loved us. For they love those you love; they guard those you guard; and they abandon those you abandon. Nor do they love those who work iniquity, because you too hate all who work iniquity, and you will destroy all who speak a lie (Ps. 5:7).
Joy Over the Repentant
The angels rejoice over a returning sinner, while the devil rejoices over a soul that turns away from repentance.
Whenever we do what is good, the angels rejoice and the demons grieve; but whenever we turn aside from the good, we make the devil glad and rob the angels of their joy, for there is joy among them over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7), but for the devil over one just person who abandons repentance.4
Into the Angels' Joy and Praise
From the petition that angels may always rejoice over us and bring us into the one fold, the soul confesses God's gift of angelic ministry, calls all creation to praise Him, and marvels at His exaltation of man.
So give, Father — give them always to rejoice over us, so that you too may always be praised through them in us, and so that we may be brought with them into your one fold; so that together we may confess your holy name, Creator of human beings and of angels.✦ As I recall these things before you, I confess and praise you, because these gifts of yours are great—the gifts by which you have honored us, giving us your angels as spirits for our service.✦ For you had already given everything that the circuit of heaven contains; and these things under heaven would have seemed almost small, unless you had also added what is above the heavens. Let all your angels praise you for this; let all your works confess you for this; and let your own saints bless you. O our honor—you who have honored us beyond measure, enriching us and adorning us with many gifts!5 How wonderful your name is, Lord, in all the earth (Psalm 8:2).✦ For what is man, that you exalt him and honor him and set your heart toward him (Job 7:17)?✦
Read the original Latin
Insuper facis Angelos tuos spiritus propter me, quibus mandasti ut custodiant me in omnibus viis meis, ne forte offendam ad lapidem pedem meum (Psal. XC, 11, 12). Hi sunt custodes super muros tuos novae Jerusalem (Isai. LXII, 6), et montes in circuitu ejus vigilantes et custodientes vigilias noctis super gregem tuum (Luc. II, 8), ne quando rapiat ut leo animas nostras, dum non est qui redimat, ille antiquus adversarius noster, qui quasi leo rugiens semper circuit quaerens quem devoret (I Petr. V, 8). Hi sunt cives beatae civitatis supernae Jerusalem, quae sursum est mater nostra (Galat. IV, 26), in ministerium missi propter eos qui haereditatem capiunt salutis (Hebr.
I, 14); ut eos liberent ab inimicis suis, et custodiant in omnibus viis suis; confortent quoque et moneant, et orationes filiorum tuorum offerant in conspectu gloriae majestatis tuae. Diligunt nempe concives suos, per quos suae ruinae scissuras instaurari exspectant; ideoque magna cura et vigilanti studio adsunt nobis omnibus horis et locis, succurrentes et providentes necessitatibus nostris, et solliciti discurrentes inter nos et te, Domine, gemitus nostros atque suspiria referentes ad te, ut impetrent nobis facilem tuae benignitatis propitiationem, et referant ad nos desideratam tuae gratiae benedictionem. Ambulant nobiscum in omnibus viis nostris, intrant et exeunt nobiscum, attente considerantes quam pie, quamque honeste in medio pravae nationis conversemur, quantoque studio et desiderio quaeramus regnum tuum et justitiam ejus, quantoque timore et tremore serviamus et exsultemus tibi, laetitia cordis nostri. Adjuvant laborantes, protegunt quiescentes, hortantur pugnantes, coronant vincentes; congaudent gaudentibus, de te, inquam, gaudentibus; compatiuntur patientibus, pro te, inquam, patientibus. Grandis est eis cura de nobis, magnus affectus dilectionis eorum erga nos; et hoc totum propter honorem tuae inaestimabilis charitatis, qua dilexisti nos. Diligunt enim quos tu diligis; custodiunt quos tu custodis; et deserunt quos tu deseris. Nec diligunt operantes iniquitatem, quoniam et tu odisti omnes qui operantur iniquitatem, et perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium (Psal. V, 7).
Quoties bene agimus, gaudent Angeli, et tristantur daemones; quoties vero a bono deviamus, diabolum laetificamus, et Angelos suo gaudio defraudamus: gaudium est enim eis super uno peccatore poenitentiam agente (Luc. XV, 7), sed diabolo super uno justo poenitentiam deserente. Da igitur, da, pater, eis semper gaudere de nobis, ut et tu per eos semper lauderis in nobis, et nos cum eis in unum ovile tuum adducamur; ut confiteamur simul nomini sancto tuo, creator hominum et Angelorum. Haec ipse commemorans coram te, confiteor laudans te, quoniam beneficia tua magna sunt haec, quibus nos honorificasti, dans nobis angelos tuos spiritus in ministerium nostrum. Dederas enim quidquid coeli ambitu continetur; et quasi parva haec quae sub coelo sunt, nisi adderes et ea quae sunt super coelos. Laudent te de hoc omnes Angeli tui, confiteantur tibi de hoc omnia opera tua, et ipsi sancti tui benedicant tibi. O honorificentia nostra, quos nimis honorificans et ditans multis muneribus decorasti! Admirabile est nomen tuum, Domine, in universa terra (Psal.
VIII, 2). Quid est enim homo, quia magnificas eum, et honorificas eum, et apponis erga eum cor tuum (Job VII, 17)?
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.10.16 — And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice, so there will be one flock, one shepherd.
- ↩Heb.1.14 — Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve for the sake of those who are about to inherit salvation?
- ↩Ps.8.2 — O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
- ↩Job.7.17 — What is a mortal, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart upon him?" "Mortal" better carries אֱנוֹשׁ and connects with the chapter’s deathward movement.
Notes
- 1 ↩montes in circuitu ejus echoes Ps 124:2 (Vulg.), while vigilantes et custodientes vigilias noctis super gregem tuum closely tracks Luke 2:8; the sentence fuses both images for angelic guardianship.
- 2 ↩ut in ut leo is comparative ('like a lion'), not purpose; purpose force is carried by ne quando.
- 3 ↩suae ruinae scissuras instaurari: classical medieval sense that the elect of humankind are to fill the places left vacant by the fall of the rebel angels; rendered as 'breaches of their own ruin' to keep that image without over-explaining.
- 4 ↩Ellipsis after sed: gaudium est is carried from the previous clause and applied to the devil's contrasting joy.
- 5 ↩honorificentia rendered as 'honor' (our glory/distinction before God), not as a mere ceremonial compliment.
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