Huh? In Jesus, Nathanael has a vision of angels? How do the angels represent the deep desire of our God to communicate with us ever more intimately? Fr Chris, in your experience or opinion, do angels exist?
The comments I am going to make is a personal one. Although angels have not appeared tangibly to me, events in my life suggest that they do exist. Some years back our friends and my family was driving in N.Z. sightseeing and we experienced a tyre puncture, miles from nowhere with no satellite connection, so the mobile was useless. Lo and behold, along came a young couple who "happened" to be taking an evening stroll in this deserted stretch of road. The young man knew how to fix tyres and we said a prayer of thanks to our guardian angel whom God sent them to our aid. In another episode, once when I was in H.K., I stood very close to a tram line oblivious of an oncoming tram. Someone pulled me back just in the nick of time from the brink of death, otherwise I'll not be around to share this tale. Angels appear unaware and they are very much a part of my life. It is up to one to believe or ascribe it to chance or fate. I choose to believe in the former.
Thanks, Anon 2. This sure reminds me of a favorite TV series, "Touched by an Angel". :-)
I remember running in the dark in a school many years ago, that is, until I hear a voice in my head, "Slow down. You can't see well in the dark." So I obeyed. Upon slowing down, my eyes focused better, and I saw a huge ditch right before me - just one more step and I would have landed right inside!
Anyway, I suppose Fr Chris wants us to find God in everything? So, "angels" in real people around us would those who somehow help us feel better about ourselves, love God more, become better people, etc.
There are quite a few, I guess. I first got interested in Christianity because I saw the joy and peace in the eyes of my classmates who are believers. Then there were two very patient priests who answered so many questions of mine over three years of catechism - there must have been thousands!
Even then, I had one strange question remaining which I had not told anyone yet: "How can I, a Chinese, worship a Caucasian God?"
God must have sent two angels: One to set the venue of the Rite of Election in the Church of St Joseph in Bukit Timah, and another to tell me to "come and see" anyway even though I refused to sign on the book after three years. I went, I saw and I was totally floored by the Chinese architecture, Chinese furniture, Chinese paintings, Chinese words, etc in the church. It was then that I realized that God is not limited by our man-made boundaries.
Huh? In Jesus, Nathanael has a vision of angels? How do the angels represent the deep desire of our God to communicate with us ever more intimately? Fr Chris, in your experience or opinion, do angels exist?
ReplyDeleteThis must be one of the most cheem posts. :-p
The comments I am going to make is a personal one. Although angels have not appeared tangibly to me, events in my life suggest that they do exist.
ReplyDeleteSome years back our friends and my family was driving in N.Z. sightseeing and we experienced a tyre puncture, miles from nowhere with no satellite connection, so the mobile was useless.
Lo and behold, along came a young couple who "happened" to be taking an evening stroll in this deserted stretch of road. The young man knew how to fix tyres and we said a prayer of thanks to our guardian angel whom God sent them to our aid.
In another episode, once when I was in H.K., I stood very close to a tram line oblivious of an oncoming tram. Someone pulled me back just in the nick of time from the brink of death, otherwise I'll not be around to share this tale.
Angels appear unaware and they are very much a part of my life. It is up to one to believe or ascribe it to chance or fate. I choose to believe in the former.
Thanks, Anon 2. This sure reminds me of a favorite TV series, "Touched by an Angel". :-)
ReplyDeleteI remember running in the dark in a school many years ago, that is, until I hear a voice in my head, "Slow down. You can't see well in the dark." So I obeyed. Upon slowing down, my eyes focused better, and I saw a huge ditch right before me - just one more step and I would have landed right inside!
Anyway, I suppose Fr Chris wants us to find God in everything? So, "angels" in real people around us would those who somehow help us feel better about ourselves, love God more, become better people, etc.
There are quite a few, I guess. I first got interested in Christianity because I saw the joy and peace in the eyes of my classmates who are believers. Then there were two very patient priests who answered so many questions of mine over three years of catechism - there must have been thousands!
Even then, I had one strange question remaining which I had not told anyone yet: "How can I, a Chinese, worship a Caucasian God?"
God must have sent two angels: One to set the venue of the Rite of Election in the Church of St Joseph in Bukit Timah, and another to tell me to "come and see" anyway even though I refused to sign on the book after three years. I went, I saw and I was totally floored by the Chinese architecture, Chinese furniture, Chinese paintings, Chinese words, etc in the church. It was then that I realized that God is not limited by our man-made boundaries.
LOL! The three seals are so cute! Are they Michael, Gabriel & Raphael?
ReplyDelete