Leave it to the Byzantines

Word Incarnate expresses this truth about angels so that I'm seeing it in a whole new light:

"Of course, there are many angels who do not have any direct relation to us and our needs. The highest choirs of them live only and eternally to worship God, surrounding his throne with unceasing cries of “Holy, holy, holy!” The angels that are sent to help us, however, have a mission to make sure we end up in the place where we too can surround the throne of God with hymns of adoration and thanksgiving."

Remarkable, to think that some of the angels are not focused on us at all. It's humbling and rightly so. But more than that, it teaches me more about God. My nose has wrinkled in the past when theologians speak of the 'Condescension' of Christ. Jesus elevated Man in the Incarnation, and I have felt that elevation. But I've not reflected deeply on the obverse. God humbled himself...it makes the Gift seem so much more precious. He has included us in His plans.

Our world makes it so easy to lose hold of this truth. The post goes on to remind us that there are the fallen angels whose sole preoccupation is pulling us from God. We matter to them insofar as they can spite God by keeping us from adoring Him full-time. They hate that God receives such adoration. But their focus is still very much on God the whole time.

Amazing. My fifth-grade teacher would have called this an 'Ah-ha' moment and given me a lightbulb award. I really liked Ms. Thornbury. She was the greatest teacher. Really.

Never stop learning about your faith, folks. You might die thinking you matriculated.