The Old Testament speaks of Lucifer under the figure of the King of Tyre, and makes known to us something of the first state of the angels. "Thou wast the seal of resemblance, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Thou wast in the pleasures of the paradise of God. . . . Thou wast a cherub stretched out and protecting, and I set thee in the holy mountain of God. Every precious stone was thy covering. . . . Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day of thy creation, until iniquity was found in thee" (Ez. xxviii. 12-15). It may be reasonably presumed that the case of Adam was parallel to that of the angels; and God created him in grace, spoke with him familiarly, and communicated to him both natural and divine knowledge. Hence has arisen the opinion prevalent in the Church and supported by the Fathers, that the angels were not created in an imperfect state, and on a lower level than the one they were destined to occupy; but that they were from the first placed on the supernatural level, clothed with sanctifying grace, and adorned with the infused habits of faith, hope, charity, and the other virtues required of them. How magnificent is the generosity of God to His rational creatures! It is far beyond the lavishness with which, as we know, He endows the material creation. It is beyond all our claims and desires. He so equips us for our career that we cannot fail except by the fault of our own malice.
Continue Reading ☛ Here
Easy Index ☛ Here
The Divine Office ☛ Here
