Panis Angelicus
Gospel Reflection for February 9, 2025 - Luke 5:1-11
And it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth,
And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship.
Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net.
And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke.
And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking.
Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.
And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him. (Luke 5:1-11 DRA)
One of the traditions of the Church, which is most commonly rejected by secular culture, ridiculed as an “old-fashioned superstition” and “pre-scientific mythology,” or else distorted into a neo-pagan New Age appropriation, is the existence of angels. Unfortunately, those Catholics who claim to follow the “correction” of Tradition by the spirit of Vatican II also tend to share this anti-supernatural mentality, adhering to the progressivism of the Enlightenment which sees the so-called “Middle Ages” as the worst period in history, one ruled by superstition, fanatical violence and theocratic tyranny over the ignorant, unwashed masses. We have tried to erase as many vestiges of the Age of Faith, as it should be called, from our liturgy, theology and devotion, and to forget the expressions of popular piety that were dear to them and to many pre-Vatican II Catholics.
Nevertheless, as the readings today prove, angels are quite real; their activity is central to salvation history, even in ways we might not realize. For example, how many know that the presence of God in the burning bush was through an angel, according to St. Stephen? (Acts 7:35) Or that angels are those who enlightened men with knowledge in ancient times and delivered revelation to the prophets and sacred writers of Scripture, according to St. Thomas Aquinas? As the experience of exorcists testifies, angels are all around us – indeed, there are many more angels (and demons) than there are humans who have ever lived – fighting to protect us from demonic influence and strengthen us by their intercessory prayer to respond fruitfully to God’s grace. For someone like J.R.R. Tolkien, whose Catholic faith was distinctly pre-modern, the idea of angels like the Valar and Maiar of his mythology being actively involved in God’s government of the world and in the lives of men wasn’t far-fetched: it simply visualized what he and most Catholics of his time envisioned in their daily lives.
But, we might ask, why is this reading from Isaias, and the similarly angelic Psalm, included in the readings for this Sunday? What connection do they have to the apostolic evangelization mission given by Christ to His disciples in the Gospel? Again, for Catholics today the link might be missed, but it is of paramount importance for us, both in our own spiritual lives and in our participation in the New Evangelization to return the world to Christ: all of reality is liturgical. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is our earthly participation in the liturgy of Heaven, as the Apocalypse of St. John narrates and as Isaias witnessed in his vision. Likewise, when constructing the tabernacle, Moses didn’t model it on pagan shrines or construct it according to Hebrew “tastes” – no, He obeyed God’s command: “Look and make it according to the pattern, that was shewn thee in the mount.” (Ex 25:40)
These patterns of heavenly things were the blueprint for the liturgy of the Temple, which was itself only a shadow of the true liturgy inaugurated by Christ, when, as our Epistles in previous weeks showed, at His Ascension He entered the heavenly sanctuary as our High Priest and offered His sacrifice on the Cross to the Father for the amendment of our sins and our reclamation from Satan. Now, by His commission, the successors of the apostles, the bishops and their priests, allow us to share in this great liturgy through the material sacraments of the Church, most of all in the Mass, where we offer up Christ with them to the Father for our sanctification. While the sacrifices of the Temple were “a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things”, (Heb 10:1) now through the Church “[w]e have an altar” (Heb 13:10) where the Body of Christ is given in image, sacramentally and efficaciously representing the mysterious reality of the heavenly liturgy.
This vision of Isaias, then, shows us what is the most powerful tool for evangelization we possess: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If offered not only validly and licitly but fittingly, with the utmost beauty and reverence, and authentically, in organic continuity with Tradition rather than popular fads or the pet theories of “experts,” the liturgical tradition of the Church has the intrinsic ability to draw all men to Christ. This is the reason for one of the traditional names of the Holy Eucharist: panis angelicus, the Bread of Angels. Throughout history, the saints have seen the placing of the hot ember from the heavenly altar on the tongue of Isaias by the angel as a sign of the reception of the Eucharist on the tongue, whether in the Latin or Byzantine form. Similarly, the traditional liturgies of the Church use incense, like the angels in Heaven: “And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God.” (Rev 8:3) And, like the priests in the Temple and Our Lord at the Last Supper, traditional Catholic liturgies face together toward God, who for us will return from the East (ad orientem) in the Second Coming.
Sadly, many modern Catholics hate their own liturgical tradition, rejecting it in favor of worldly substitutes invented by committees during the general society-wide revolutions of the 1960s. But this “anti-liturgical heresy,” as Dom Prosper Guéranger called it, is not Catholic, nor will it inspire the world to cast off the ease and glamour of Satan in preference for the glorious suffering of Christ. If we truly want to be fishers of men, as Christ commanded, we should allow ourselves to be caught in the net of our own Tradition, not seeking to avoid it for the smooth waters of worldliness. And if we do so, we can know that the angels will be with us, lifting up our offerings to the Father, delivering Him the sweet aroma of our prayers and fighting against our demonic tempters by our side day and night, looking forward to the day when we can join them in the eternal beatitude of Heaven.
(Cover image source: GoodSalt.com)
I’d be careful to generalize the average Catholic in the pew.
Many of the Catholics that I encounter on a day to day basis do have a supernatural faith, what they lack is perhaps a better Catechesis on the subject. May they have a more ‘New Age’ view on it? Perhaps. Though I would say if they don’t dismiss it outright, proper instruction can be enlightening.
“Sadly, many modern Catholics hate their own liturgical tradition, rejecting it in favor of worldly substitutes invented by committees during the general society-wide revolutions of the 1960s.”
I think it’s also strong to say “many” or “hate” here. There might be a sizable number, I’d suggest it to be aging & in the minority. The Vatican II council documents are still arguably orthodox & furthermore they had overwhelming support from the bishops & were formerly promulgated by the Pope.
Do Catholics “hate” their liturgical tradition? I’d say, since we’re talking about the Bread of Angels, Catholic know what they’ve been fed; there’s no hate from the weekly mass attendee that I witness at the mass most Catholics attend every Sunday.
Kaleb, thank you. Your reflections are like attending Sunday school once again, Always learning "new" information; or being reminded of old, perhaps forgotten wisdom.