The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the
desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him. Mark 1:12–13
What an amazing event we reflect upon today. Jesus, the Son of God,
the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity humbled Himself in two
ways in the passage quoted above.
First, He allowed Himself to endure the temptations of satan.
Second, He permitted His very own creation, the good angels, to
minister to Him in His human form. First of all, recall that satan
is a fallen angel. He was created by God and was created good. But
the Book of Revelation (12:4) indicates that one-third of the
created angels were cast out of Heaven to roam the earth. These
demons act under the direction of the highest fallen angel, satan.
Thus, according to the passage above, it was satan himself who
tempted Jesus in the desert. Additionally, Jesus permitted the good
angels to minister to Him in His human nature. These acts reveal
the perfection of the virtue of humility within the humanity of our
Lord.
According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, angels were created for three
primary reasons. The first is for the purpose of worship. Worship
of God brings about communion with God and enables perfect love to
flow back and forth from God to each angelic being. Second, angels
enact the will of God in all things. This includes the
implementation of the laws of nature and the imparting of the grace
that Christ won on the Cross. Third, God uses angels as messengers.
Scripture records various ways that the angels spoke to the
prophets, to our Blessed Mother, to Saint Joseph and to others.
Saint Thomas Aquinas also believed that each of us is given a
particular guardian angel whose role is not only to protect us but
also to communicate the will of God to us.
As God, Jesus was the Creator of all angelic beings with the Father
and the Holy Spirit. As man, Jesus was the recipient of both the
ministry of the good angels and the attacks of the fallen angels.
By humbly subjecting Himself to the natural powers of these angelic
creatures, Jesus was also teaching us that we must do the
same.
One of the primary natural powers of both the good and bad angels
is the power of influence and suggestive thought. Angelic beings
have the ability to put before your imagination ideas meant to
either influence you for the good (the good angels) or to deceive
you and lead you into sin (the bad angels). These communications
are real, and we should be aware of them. In his book, The
Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius of Loyola devotes much time
and energy to the ministry of angels. He teaches how to distinguish
the lies and deceptions of the fallen angels from the consoling
direction communicated by the good angels. In many ways, our Gospel
passage today, by which Jesus submitted Himself to the temptations
and ministry of the angels, lends much support to the importance of
trying to understand how these angelic creatures influence us. For
more on this, see the book Probing the Depths: Ignatian Lessons
and Meditations Arranged According to the Liturgical
Year.
Reflect, today, upon the amazing truth that both angels and demons
are constantly active in your life, seeking to influence you. As
you ponder their spiritual role in your life, consider the various
ways you can learn more about them. Speak to your guardian angel.
Ask for the intercession of the highest of angels. Try to join them
in their divine worship. Pray for their protection. Ask them to
communicate to you the highest of truths from God. Seek to be
attentive to these holy angels so that as you learn to discern
their voices, you will be ready to follow the direction they give
to you from God.
My Lord and Creator of All, You created the angelic order for
the glorious purpose of love and worship. You also gave them the
mission of enacting Your holy will and communicating to us on
earth. Please help me to be more aware of the deceptions of the
fallen angels and the direction of the good angels. Angels of God,
pray for me, protect me and guide me into God’s perfect will.
Jesus, I trust in You.
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