Heavenly Patrons

Holy Angels church is adorned with icons of several of the angels in honor of our patrons, the holy angels.  Outdoor shrines include images of the holy angels as well.

In the icons of archangels, the wings symbolize the bodiless beings’ absence of earthly attraction and freedom of movement. As servants of God, they are clothed in an adorned tunic called a chiton.  This is similar to the sticharion worn by men in holy orders.  As having a role in the stewardship of creation, the chiton is adorned with a tippet or long broad band of cloth which derives from the ceremonial dress of Byzantine Royalty.  As formal attire, a himation (i.e. a cloak) is worn over the chiton.  The staff held in the right hand is a sign of sovereignty and the rectitude with which archangels bring all to completion. The fillet worn on the head with bands passing behind the ears and the globe with the Greek monogram of Christ both signify the angels being guided towards what God commands.

The Nature of Angels

The fact that there are other reasoning beings besides us and more elevated than we is testified to by the most ancient and general beliefs of humanity.  The entire Bible, from the first book to the last, presents us with the reality of angels as living, acting beings who serve God and aid people.

The patriarchs were made worthy of visitations by Angels.  Abraham once hosted two such divine messengers and the Son of God who appeared with them in the form of an angel (Genesis 18:1-2).  An angel restrained the hand of Abraham when he would have sacrificed his son Isaac (Genesis 22:11).  An angel accompanied the children of Israel in the wilderness and led them to the promised land (Exodus 23:20).

At the burial of Moses, as suggested in the Universal Letter of the Holy Apostle Jude (verse 9), the holy archangel Michael, who was sent to bury Moses, was challenged by the devil’s interest in Moses’ body.  In the beginning, after the creation of the bodiless beings, the “lightning fall” of Satan from heaven is attributed to Saint Michael.

Under the guidance of these heavenly messengers, Gideon and the other judges of Israel carried out the commands of God (Judges 6:12-18).  The holy prophet Daniel was protected from the jaws of lions by an angel who appeared in the midst of the lion pit (Daniel 3:25).  Tobiah, the son of Tobit, was accompanied on his journey to Media by the holy archangel Raphael.

The holy archangel Gabriel informed the prophet Simeon of the approaching appearance of the Savior in the world and the same angel appeared to the high priest Zachary in the temple to inform him of the birth of his son to be named John.  Saint Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to the Virgin Mary to announce to her that she would be the Mother of God the Word (Luke 1:26-27).

On the Origin and Order of Angels

The Lord, Himself, gives us some understanding about holy angels.  He tells us of the love which causes the angels to rejoice over our salvation and to watch over us on all our paths (Matthew 18:10; Luke 15:10).

God’s love caused Him to give existence to reasoning beings, capable of knowing and loving Him, and participating in his blessedness.  The first creation of this love was the bodiless, immaterial spirits who served Him and fellowshipped with Him.

The holy angels, those faithful to God, were strengthened with divine grace and became completely blessed.  They are reflections of glory and the radiance of the Holy of Holies encompasses them.  Delighting in the ecstasy of the contemplation of eternal beauty, they are possessed of immeasurable love and drink freely from the wellspring of blessedness.  They are above all human limitations, limited only by the fact that they are created beings and servants.
The host of heavenly angels is beyond number.  Despite their huge number, a perfect and harmonious order exists among the blessed heavenly powers.  This order is the very beauty of perfection, wisdom, truth, and love.  Traditionally, the bodiless beings are established into nine orders:  Angels, Archangels, Powers, Dominions, Principalities, Virtues, Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim.  These beings are subject to one another in perfect love and humility.