How many angels are there? We do not know exactly. Saint Thomas recalled the words of the prophet Daniel – thousands of thousands served God, and tens of thousands assisted him.
Newsdesk (October 2, 2020, Gaudium Press) — After celebrating St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael on September 29, today the Church commemorates all the angels of God. This tribute to those beings of light is, above all, beneficial to us.
How many angels are there?
How many angels are there? We do not know exactly. Saint Thomas recalled the words of the prophet Daniel – thousands of thousands served God, and tens of thousands assisted him. Although these merely allegorical numbers, they illustrate that there is a vast number of angels.
Angels, as immaterial beings, form an immense multitude superior to the multitude of material beings, as St Dionysius says: Many are the blessed armies of heavenly minds, to the extent that they exceed the poor and meager amount our material estimates. That is because – as God mainly intends the perfection of the universe when he creates, the more perfect things are, the more God will prodigally create them – says the Angelic Doctor. (S Th 1 q.50 a.3)
Read also: Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael, princes in the wonderful angelic world
So, this thought about the enormous number of angels should help us compose a real vision of the universe. We should always know that there is not only what we see, but also those very numerous beings that we do not see. And these beings that fill such a prominent place in Creation should have a decisive influence on our life, for many demons attempt to have it.
Characteristics of the Angels
An angel is a bodiless spiritual being, present where he operates or wants to operate. We also know that sometimes God allows them to assume bodies; that they have power over matter; that they are very different from each other, and each one is of a different kind from the other. Besides, we know that their intelligence is quick, that they immediately understand the essence of things. Angels have a pure, strong free will. That is, they can choose between one thing and another, but in good angels, their free will always lead them to the good. God did not create them before the material world, but simultaneously, and at present, they live in a state of grace and glory.
We also know that the angels that persevered, namely those who Satan´s lies did not drag, are more numerous than those who sinned. We also understand that they do not know the secrets of the hearts of men, nor do they inherently know the divine mysteries. They are conscious of them or can be aware of them in God, in the incarnate Word, and perhaps even by the teaching of the Church.
And the most beneficial information for us: some of those many angels are destined to help us reach eternal life.
It is clear that the devil seeks to distance us from the wisdom of the angels in every possible way. He knows from his own experience that if the Angels become our allies, we can also defeat him.
That is one more reason to ask Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, to give us the grace of an ever-increasing devotion to them and to form in us the habit of invoking them at every moment.
We must keep in mind that we are surrounded by angels so that by invoking them, they become more present in our lives. A master of spiritual life said: demons are intruders, good angels are not. They only act if we invoke them.
Therefore, we should love them and invoke them.
