Morning Knowledge, Evening Knowledge, and Angelic Thought

[Shin]

'Human intellectual knowledge is developed step by step; man advances from what he knows to what, at the start, is unknown. The process of human learning is exampled in the manner in which we prove a theorem in geometry. This way of thinking things out, step by step, is called discursive thinking or reasoning. Now, if, in the light of some master truth, we could see all that is implied in our thoughts, we should not need to work out knowledge by discursive thought. We should not, for example, need to work out the theorem in geometry, for we should instantly take in the whole demonstration and understand it thoroughly without effort.

An angel actually has this type of knowledge. An angel does not require discursive thinking. In whatever area of its natural knowledge the angelic intellect is employed, it sees the whole picture; it beholds the thing thought about together with its implications and consequences, and therefore has no need to move from point to point to round out knowledge.'

'Inasmuch as angels know creatures in the Word of God, the beatific vision, they have what St. Augustine calls "morning knowledge." And inasmuch as they know creatures in the creatures' own being and nature, they have "evening knowledge."

It seems that St. Augustine makes a real distinction between morning and evening knowledge in the angels, for he says (Gen. ad lit. IV 24): "There is very great difference between knowing a thing as it is in the Word of God and as it is in its own nature."'

'One angel can enlighten another, the superior angel manifesting truths which it grasps perfectly to inferior angels whose grasp is less perfect. It agrees with the nature of intellectual creatures to move or effect others of their kind in this fashion of one teaching and others being taught.'

'The higher an angel is, the more it participates the divine goodness; consequently, the more it tends to impart its gifts to lesser angels. The superior angel tends to give all that it knows to inferior angels, but these cannot perfectly receive all that is given. Hence the superior angels remain superior even though they impart all their knowledge. Somewhat similarly, the human teacher who does all he can to impart his own complete knowledge to his young pupils, remains superior in knowledge even after he has taught the lesson; for the pupils take in by a lesser capacity than that of the giver.'

'Angels manifest knowledge to one another, and to this extent they "speak" to one another. But the speech of angels is not a matter of sounds or of uttered words. The speech of angels is a direct communication of knowledge from spirit to spirit.

An inferior angel can speak to a superior angel, even though, as we have seen, it cannot enlighten the superior angel; a candle cannot enlighten the sun, but it can burn visibly in the sunlight. An angel speaks by directing its thought in such ways that it is made known to another angel, superior or inferior. Such directing is done according to the free will of the angel speaking.'

'Since angels are superior to man, they can enlighten man. They can strengthen the understanding of human beings and make men aware, in some sensible manner, of the truths to be imparted. Thus angels can act upon the human intellect.'

Extracts from the Summa of St. Thomas Aquinas

[martin]

Shin this is a direct answer (as if from the angels themslves) to something I've been musing over for some weeks now, which is, Do the angels enlighten our intelects as to certain truths?
I'm forever trying to make sense and trying to connect one truth with another amid the confussion in the Church today. I pray to the nine choirs of blessed angels every day to help me in my poor grasp of truth and lack of understanding and I feel sure they are helping me in this. Sometimes the blndfold suddenly lifts on somrthing I could never have worked out by the use of my own fallen intelect.

This quote has given me great encouragement and consolation. I will keep praying to the holy angels.
Thank you Shin.

O Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day,
be at my side
to light and guard,
to rule and guide.
 

[Shin]

Thanks be to God, and to Therese and the angels.

The devotion to the nine choirs of angels is great!

O Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day,
be at my side
to light and guard,
to rule and guide.

 

Amen.

May the Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels, be remembered all the more greatly throughout the earth and in the hearts of men, and Our Lord all the more greatly glorified, through the gifts they give us.

[Shin]

I can't help keep wondering what it's like to suddenly know everything about something at once. 

[martin]

Haha... That seems to be where our human limitations in this become so apparent. 

St paul gives us something worth looking forward to though.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians  13:12

[Patricia]

What is the devotion to the 9 choirs of angels?

[Shin]

I have a book about the nine choirs of angels, well more than one actually, and they talk about the differences between the angelic choirs and offer prayers and devotions related to them.

There's a splendid novena I should take down. 

But I mainly focus on the Chaplet of St. Michael.