Divine Worship: the Angels, Isaiah and Us

[ Read time: 9 minutes ]

In highlighting the passages below, attention is drawn to the relationships between beings of a higher and lower order. In the Mass, if we are humble and call upon God's enabling grace, and if God so wills it, we are drawn into a sublime encounter with the Lord, illuminated to attend to God with the knowledge granted us. In the Mass, "the angels influence people to enter more profoundly into prayer."

Excerpt from The Celestial Hierarchy by Dionysius the Areopagite | msu.edu

3. The theologians therefore clearly show that the lower ranks of the Celestial Beings receive the understanding of the divine works from those above them in a fitting manner, and that the highest are correspondingly enlightened in the Divine Mysteries by the Most High God Himself. For some of them are shown to us as enlightened in holy matters by those above them, and we learn that He who in human form ascended to heaven is Lord of the Celestial Powers and King of Glory. And Angels are represented as questioning Him and desiring knowledge of His divine redemptive work for us, and Jesus Himself is depicted as teaching them and revealing directly to them His great goodness towards mankind. 'For I, He says, 'speak righteousness and the judgment of salvation.'

Moreover, I am astonished that even the first rank of Celestial Beings, so far surpassing all the others, should reverently desire to receive the divine enlightenment in an intermediate manner. For they do not ask directly, 'Wherefore are Thy garments red?' but first eagerly question one another, showing that they seek and long for the knowledge of His divine words, without expectation of the enlightenment divinely granted them.

The first Hierarchy of the Celestial Intelligences, therefore, is purified and enlightened; being ordained by that First Perfecting Cause, uplifted directly to Himself, and filled, analogously, with the most holy purification of the boundless Light of the Supreme Perfection, untouched by any inferiority, full of Primal Light, and perfected by its union with the first-given Understanding and Knowledge.

But to sum up, I may say, not unreasonably, that the participation in Divine Knowledge is a purification, an illumination and a perfection. For it purifies from ignorance by the knowledge of the perfect Mysteries granted in due measure; it illuminates through the Divine Knowledge Itself by which it purifies the mind which formerly did not behold that which is now shown to it by the higher illumination; and it perfects by the self-same light through the abiding knowledge of the most luminous initiations.

This, so far as I know, is the first Order of Celestial Beings which are established about God, immediately encircling Him: and in perpetual purity they encompass His eternal Knowledge in that most high and eternal angelic dance, rapt in the bliss of manifold blessed contemplations, and irradiated with pure and primal splendours.

Video: Angels and Demons (Aquinas 101) - Fr. James Brent, O.P.

Video (11:24)

4:58 - Do the angels still continue to exercise influence today?

5:37 - The angels influence people to enter more profoundly into prayer.

5:56 - The Angels "speak" to one another.

6:51 - Angelic hierarchies.

7:28 - In this (celestial) kind of hierarchy, the higher is at the service of the lower.

8:12 - The hierarchy of the Church operates on the same principles as the angelic hierarchy.

Another Translation

Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works, ed. John Farina, trans. Colm Luibheid and Paul Rorem, The Classics of Western Spirituality (New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1987), 143–191.

3. The theologians have clearly shown that the lower ranks of heavenly beings have harmoniously received from their superiors whatever understanding they have of the operations of God, whereas the higher ranks have been enlightened in initiations, so far as permitted, by the very Godhead. For they tell us that some of them are sacredly initiated by those of higher rank. Some learn that the “King of Glory,” the one raised up into the heavens in a human form, is the “Lord of the heavenly powers.” Others, as they puzzle over the nature of Jesus, acquire an understanding of his divine work on our behalf and it is Jesus himself who is their instructor, teaching them directly about the kindly work he has undertaken out of love for man. “I speak of righteousness and of saving judgment.”

Still, there is something here which I find surprising. The very first of the heavenly beings, those who are so very superior to the others, are nevertheless quite like those of more intermediate status when it comes to desiring enlightenment concerning the Godhead. They do not first ask, “Why are your garments red?” They begin by exchanging queries among themselves, thus showing their eagerness to learn and their desire to know how God operates. They do not simply go leaping beyond that outflow of enlightenment provided by God.

So, then, the first hierarchy of the heavenly minds is hierarchically directed by the source of all perfection, because of its own capacity to be raised up directly to this source. It is filled with its due measure of utter purification, of infinite light, of complete perfection. It becomes purified, illuminated and perfected in that it is unmixed with any weakness, filled with the first of all light, and achieves perfection as a partaker of primary knowledge and understanding.

In summary, we can reasonably say that purification, illumination, and perfection are all three the reception of an understanding of the Godhead, namely, being completely purified of ignorance by the proportionately granted knowledge of the more perfect initiations, being illuminated by this same divine knowledge (through which it also purifies whatever was not previously beheld but is now revealed through the more lofty enlightenment), and being also perfected by this light in the understanding of the most lustrous initiations.

This, so far as I know, is the first rank of heavenly beings. It circles in immediate proximity to God. Simply and ceaselessly it dances around an eternal knowledge of him. It is forever and totally thus, as befits angels. In a pure vision it can not only look upon a host of blessed contemplations but it can also be enlightened in simple and direct beams. It is filled with divine nourishment which is abundant, because it comes from the initial stream, and nevertheless single, because the nourishing gifts of God bring oneness in a unity without diversity.

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Reception of Holy Communion on the Tongue

The burning coal from the altar of God placed upon the lips of the prophet Isaiah reminds one of the purification (from venial sins) offered by God when we receive the Precious Body and the Precious Blood. 

CCC1394 As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins.

We do not grasp at nor mishandle the Sacred Host. Neither does the prophet rip the burning coal from the hands of the angel. We receive the Blessed Sacrament, the very Presence of Jesus, True God and True Man, meeking kneeling upon our knees.

Isaiah 6:1-6

In the year that King Uzzi′ah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said (cf video Angels and Demons: 5:56):

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” (CCC1394. As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins. By giving himself to us Christ revives our love and enables us to break our disordered attachments to creatures and root ourselves in him.) And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

In Divine Worship, the Mass, is seen the heavenly liturgy descend to earth. The earthly liturgy mirrors the heavenly liturgy. The dignity of the earthly liturgy should reach toward the majesty of the heavenly. 

The Sanctus of the Mass - Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts - joins our voices to the chorus of the mighty seraphim. The voices of the angels find and fill the voices of God's children gathered in praise of the living God, the thrice holy God. Let bells ring forth, and the thurible swing so that the house - the sanctuary of the Lord - may be filled with smoke, the cloud of holiness into which we are called to enter, wherein the Lord God dwells and we encounter His Presence.

The first Order of Celestial Beings which are established about God, immediately encircling Him: and in perpetual purity they encompass His eternal Knowledge in that most high and eternal angelic dance, rapt in the bliss of manifold blessed contemplations, and irradiated with pure and primal splendours.

Like Isaiah, we are sent forth. We are formed Eucharistically. We are then sent to live Eucharistically, to draw others to Christ, to mediate Jesus' Presence to others for the salvation of souls.

Then the Deacon, or the Priest, with hands joined and facing the People, sings or says:  Go forth in peace. People: Thanks be to God.