Angels

[Ellenita]

Are angels always male? They seem to have male names. Does anyone know of any female angels in the bible? What is the churches teaching about praying to angels, like the prayer to St Michael, the archangel? It seems that it's an issue that is very different to asking a saint to pray [i]for [/i]you!

[IcePrincessKRS]

I think that technically angels are without gender. Obviously its ok to pray to them (as you mentioned the St. Michael prayer, and we can also pray to our guardian angels or the guardian angels of other people for protection and prayer etc.), I ask our guardian angels to watch over and protect us every night.

As for why they would be males in the Bible... I can only hazard a guess. I would think it would be due to the fact that they were often travellers (I don't think women travelled alone like that much...), and also if they were figures of authority it would make more sense (at least to me...) that they would come in the form of men rather than women.

I don't usually think of my guardian angel as a "he"--when I was little I named "her" Dymphna.... I would probably feel bad if one day my angel appeared to me and said "Can't you give me a boys name?"

[Ellenita]

I wondered if it was because they were protectors, as in guardian angels, or ready for battle. I suppose my thinking is that women in those days wouldn't be expected to go into battle, so therefore it might seem logical for them to be given male names.

I feel very uncertain about praying [i]to[/i] them. It's just so not protestant belief, or at least in the protestant churches I used to go to - prayer is directed only [i]to [/i]God.

I wouldn't ever think of naming my guardian angel - it's a lovely vision of him appearing in front of you IcePrincess and demanding you rename him with a boys name.......

[Aloysius]

i think, and correct me if i'm wrong here, that the language used to pray to angels basically asks them directly to do stuff for you because as it is understood theologically God gave angels His Power, since they are messengers/representatives of God we can ask them (well, the un-fallen angels)to do things only God can do because an angel always does something by the power of God. So asking for St. Michaels protection really asks for God's protection but God infused Angels with His power, expecially St. Michael in order to cast satan into hell.

Angels ROCK!

[ironmonk]

David prayed to Angels.

[b]Psalm 103:20 [/b]Bless the LORD, all you angels, mighty in strength and attentive, obedient to every command.
[b]21 [/b]Bless the LORD, all you hosts, ministers who do God's will.

[b]
Angels: [/b]

[b]Angels created by God Nehemiah [/b]9:6; Jn 1:3; Rom 11:36; Col 1:16; 1Cor 8:6
[b]Angels are servants of God[/b] Job 4:18; Ps 103:20
[b]Angels are messengers sent by God [/b]Gen 24:7; Num 20:16; 1Chron 21:15; 2Chron 32:21; Dan 3:28; 6:22; Lk 1:19; 26; Acts 12:11
[b]Called sons of God [/b]Deut 32:8; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Ps 29:1; 82:1; 89:6
[b]Called holy ones of God,[/b] Job 5:1; 15:15; Ps 89:7; Dan 4:13; 8:13
[b]God manifests himself as Angel of the Lord [/b]Gen 16:7; 13; 18:1-33; 21:17-18; 22:11; 31:11-13, Ex 3:2,Judg 2:1; 6:11-24; 13:21-22
[b]Names of three angels [/b]Raphael: Tobit 3:16-17; 5:4; 12:11-15; Gabriel: Dan 8:16; 9:21; Lk 1:19; 26; Michael: Dan 10:13; 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev 12:7
[b]Angels are ministering spirits [/b]Ps 91:11; Dan 7:10; Mt 4:11; Mk 1:13; Lk 22:43; Heb 1:14
[b]Guardian angels [/b]Tobit 12:12; Mt 18:10; Acts 12:11; 15
[b]Angels gather elect at Christ's return [/b]Mt 24:31; Mk 13:27; 1Cor 15:52
[b]Angels will accompany Christ at his parousia[/b] Parousia Mt 16:27; 25:31; Mk 8:38; 1Thess 4:16
[b]Man made a little lower than angels [/b]Gen 1:26; 28; 3:5; Ps 8:5-6; Wis 2:23; Sirach 17:1-14


Read St. Pio. He conversed with his gaurdian angel... also with Jesus and Mary. Even was attacked by satan multiple times.


God Bless,
ironmonk

Edited March 26, 2004 by ironmonk

[Ellenita]

[quote]David prayed to angels.
Psalm 103:20 Bless the Lord, all you angels mighty in strength and attentive, obedient to every command.
21 Bless the Lord, all you hosts, ministers who do God's will.[/quote]

Prayed [i]to[/i], or commanded them? It looks like he was commanding them to bless the Lord - something along the lines Al was suggesting maybe?

Thanks for all the scripture references Ironmonk! Will I find any female angels in them?!

What would you recommend I read by/about St Pio?

Edited March 26, 2004 by Ellenita

[Theoketos]

As Angels do not posses a body they do not posses a gender for sex belongs to the body.

[Brother Adam]

They are obedient to the command of the Lord Ellenita

[Theoketos]

[quote]They are obedient to the command of the Lord Ellenita
[/quote]

Who is Lord Ellenita?

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Ellenita' date='Mar 25 2004, 10:40 PM']
Prayed [i]to[/i], or commanded them? It looks like he was commanding them to bless the Lord - something along the lines Al was suggesting maybe?

Thanks for all the scripture references Ironmonk! Will I find any female angels in them?!

What would you recommend I read by/about St Pio? [/quote]
"Praying to" is "talking to".

Padre Pio. "The Wonder Worker". by Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.

Received IMPRIMATUR: Most Rev. Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap. Bishop of Fall River, Mass. 5/13/1999.

As far as I can tell, all angels were male.

There was not any need for gender in Heaven.

Notice this:

[b]Genesis 2:19[/b]
So the LORD God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
[b]20 [/b]The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; [b][u]but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man[/u][/b].
[b]21 [/b]So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
[b]22 [/b]The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man,
[b]23 [/b] the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."


If there were women angels, why would the wild animals even be mentioned in finding a suitable partner for man? Would God just have created a female if there was such a thing instead of animals?


[b]Genesis 6:1[/b]
When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them,
[b]2 [/b] the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose.
[b]3 [/b] Then the LORD said: "My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years."
[b]4 [/b] [u]At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of heaven had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. [/u]They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.
[b]5 [/b] When the LORD saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil,
[b]6 [/b]he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved.


If there were female angels, why would angels come to have sex with daughters of men?


God Bless,
ironmonk

Edited March 27, 2004 by ironmonk

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Theoketos' date='Mar 27 2004, 03:52 AM'] As Angels do not posses a body they do not posses a gender for sex belongs to the body. [/quote]
Angels [u]can [/u]possess a body. They don't have to have a body, but they [u]can [/u]have bodies.

The above verse I quoted and

[b]Hebrews 13:2[/b]
Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.


God Bless,
ironmonk

[Bruce S]

[quote]20 The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. [/quote]

Wheew. Thank you God!

[Livin_the_MASS]

The Question about the Resurrection

Matthew 22:23-30

[quote]On that day Sadducces approched him, saying that there is no resurrection. They put this question to him, saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up descendents for his brother.' Now there were seven brothers amoung us. The first married and died and, having no descendents, left his wife to his brother. The same happened with the second and the third, through all seven. Finally the women died. Now at the resurrection, of the seven whose wife will she be? For they all had been married to her." Jesus said to them in reply, "You are mislead because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God. [b]At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage [u]but are like the angles in heaven.[/b][/u][/quote]

[quote]"Jesus explains quite unequivocally that the blessed have transcended the natural condition of man and the institution of marriage therefore no longer has any raison d'etre in heaven. The primary aim of marriage---the procreation and education of children---no longer applies because once immortality is reached there is no need for procreation to renew the human race" (cf. St.Thomas Aquinas, Comm. on St Matthew, 22:30). Similary, mutual help---another aim of marriage is no longer necessary, because the blessed enjoy eternal and total happiness by possessing God."[/quote]

Quote Commentary: Navarre Bible

Jesus told the Samaritian Women in John 4: 24

[quote]"God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and Truth."[/quote]

If there is no need of procreation after the resurrection, and He says that we become like the angles than that tells me that angels do not have a gender!

Jesus also says God is Spirit, so are His angles, our soul does not have a gender our earthly bodies do for procreation.

So angels are Spirit, they have a Spiritual body, St. Paul talks about that on his theology of the resurrection!

1 Cor. 15:50-53

[quote]"This I declare, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor corruption inherit the incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all not fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptiblity, and this which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality."[/quote]

So we are changed and we do not need procreation anymore, we become like the angels. Spiritual Bodies

To me this says angels are pure spirit , with a spiritual body, no gender!

God Bless,
Jason

(Bold added by me)

[Theologian in Training]

In The Office of Readings today, Hebrews 1:4-14 is read. When I came across the following line, "But to what angel has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet"? [b]Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?"[/b] I thought of this thread.

CCC 331-336

[quote]I. THE ANGELS

The existence of angels - a truth of faith

328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. the witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.

Who are they?

329 St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'"188 With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word".189

330 As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendour of their glory bears witness.190

Christ "with all his angels"

331 Christ is the centre of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. . "191 They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him."192 They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?"193

332 Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples.194 Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself.195

333 From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God "brings the firstborn into the world, he says: 'Let all God's angels worship him.'"196 Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church's praise: "Glory to God in the highest!"197 They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been.198 Again, it is the angels who "evangelize" by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection.199 They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgement.200

The angels in the life of the Church

334 In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels.201

335 In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the Roman Canon's Supplices te rogamus. . .["Almighty God, we pray that your angel..."]; in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli. . .["May the angels lead you into Paradise. . ."]). Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels).

336 From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.202 "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life."203 Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.[/quote]

Peter Kreeft, author of [i]Angels (and Demons): What Do We Really Know About Them?[/i] answers the question of female angels

[i]Are there female angels[/i]

No, and there are no male angels either. Angels have no bodies, therefore no biological gender.

He states further that, "masculinity and femininity are broader than male and female...So angels coud possibly be masculine and/or feminine, even though they could not possibly be male or female."

[Livin_the_MASS]

[quote]He states further that, "masculinity and femininity are broader than male and female...So angels coud possibly be masculine and/or feminine, even though they could not possibly be male or female."[/quote]

Very interesting point!!!

God Bless You
Jason