So many fish stories

There are so many fish stories in the Bible. This morning, I was looking for some details about the fish that figures in the miracles in the book of Tobit. I came across again the wisdom the father Tobit gives to his son Tobias as he sets out for the journey with the angel Raphael (although he doesn't know he's an angel). 

"Revere the Lord all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or to transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing; for those who act in accordance with truth will prosper in all their activities. To all those who practice righteousness give alms from your possessions, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor, and the face of God will not be turned away from you. If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have. So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity. For almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the Darkness. Indeed, almsgiving, for all who practice it, is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High." Tobit 4:5-11 

Because Tobit, who is blind, thinks he is dying (there is a prayer about that), this advice to his son Tobias is followed by instructions on marriage, treatment of others and seeking advice. We readers know that his future daughter-in-law, Sarah, who is depressed and wants to die, is also praying. 

Great story.

St. Turibius, protector of Indians

It's the first day of October and the cover of Magnificat, the monthly magazine I use for morning devotions, shows an angel and a small child. Except it's not like anything I've seen before. So here's the story:

"In 1580, Saint Turibius became Archbishop of Lima (Peru), at that time the largest archdiocese in history, extending from Nicaragua to Tierra del Fuego. First he set out to reform the clergy; then, equipped by the king of Spain, Philip II, with the title and full powers of “Protector of the Indians,” he liberated them from the mercantile trafficking that victimized them, and created for their benefit an effective system of social security. Furthermore he did not hesitate to order that the property of those suspected of having accumulated wealth at their expense be seized and redistributed to the Indians. To console those who had been expropriated by his zeal, he told them: “You will thank me in the next world, because the poor Indians are banks; through their intervention your treasures are now capital invested for you in heaven.”

His great work, however, would be to promote, again for the benefit of the Indians, the establishment of little autonomous Christian republics in which the citizens would be able to live under the direct protection of the royal crown. Governed by democratically elected Indian chiefs and organized by the Franciscans, then also by the Jesuits, these republics—later called Reducciones (“organizations”)—were centered on a group of institutional buildings: a church, a school, a hospital, a residence for the elderly, and several centers for professional and artistic training. [by this point in my reading I'm beginning to think it sounds like, "Northwest Ordinance" which preceded our U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights]. The native Incas showed little aptitude for commerce and industry, but a real genius for arts and crafts, and so priority was given to developing those talents. Hence the founding of admirable schools of art, such as Cusco’s school for painting. Music, dance, and the liturgy flourished, too, giving rise to a festive civilization that expressed its genius and joy of living on every Christian feast day.

The painting that adorns the cover of this issue of Magnificat bears witness to the final lights of this Christian epic in which, in the spirit of Mary’s Magnificat, the humble were blessed to be so. For unfortunately, in the 18th century, in the name of “Enlightenment” philosophy, the “enlightened despots” who were reigning in Spain and Portugal abolished the Reducciones and left their citizens at the mercy of ruthless men who looted and profaned their institutions; then, these were exploited, and irreparable sufferings were inflicted on these native populations of South America."
And there's more at the website: https://us.magnificat.net/magnificat_content/angel-of-god-my-guardian-dear/

That's what I like about Magnificat. Because it's outside my church experience (Anabaptist, UCC which is a merger of many protestant groups, Lutheran), and my public school education. I learn so many things about history, art and philosophy.

Aliens or angels?

I haven't paid a lot of attention, but there's been some buzz on the news lately about space aliens/extraterrestrial beings visiting earth--that the government is investigating? A quick search shows a January release, but I've heard something more recent, or maybe reporters and producers are catching up on the TBR pile now that they don't have Trump to kick around and consume their every thought.

"Based on the CIA’s recent release, on January 14, 2021, of nearly 3,000 pages of documents that detail a wealth of fascinating data about UFO behavior and capabilities , it seems they know a lot and have known a lot about this topic for quite some time. These freshly declassified US government UFO info documents (published in their entirety on The Black Vault ) reveal the truth about harrowing and awe-inspiring encounters between reliable witnesses and “unidentified aerial phenomena” of unknown origin that have been occurring since the 1950s."

The Bible is full of references to beings which God created that are higher, wiser, more intelligent and flexible in appearance than human beings. Depending on the interpretation of certain words, there are at least 7 levels higher than us. And they are not chubby little cuties and we don't become angels when we die, because "they aren't us." Just two mentions, then you can search.

Ps 34:7 "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them." 

Good to know!

Heb. 1:14 "Are not all angels spirits in the divine service sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?"

Based on what's going on in the swamp with the CIA and FBI, and the self appointed, unelected rulers in Big Tech, perhaps we're just having more appearances of angels looking out for us than usual.

CIA Document Dump Reveals 70 Years Of US Government UFO Info | Ancient Origins (ancient-origins.net)

Never a better description of what's on the left.

“Imagine to find yourself again in a wide open field, alone with your Guardian Angel;

to your left you see the devil on a lofty throne, he is surrounded with many devils nearby; and around them you see an immense number of people acknowledging him as their master and lord and they render him homage, who by sinning in one way and who in another. Examine the behavior of the disgraced courtesans of that king of abomination: some are furious because of hatred, envy and rage; others are given to murdering, there is a group worn out with their vain pursuit of riches and fame but finding it hollow. Many are hardly human so sunken are they in fleshly vice, corrupt in the animalistic passions. See how they are all without peace, disordered and without restraint; see how they despise each other as they try to hide behind a hypocritical appearance of love.”

St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622

Guardian angels

Friday morning I was reviewing Bible and extra-biblical writing on guardian angels. We certainly are calling on them today. We know Phil has one –I  remember about 7-8 years ago his car explosion and he had jumped out of the car after someone in a white vehicle pulled up behind him and yelled, “ you're on fire,” then left. Then boom. It went up in flames.

There's a beautiful hymn/poem in the book of Daniel when the three men are being saved from the fire. Unfortunately, that lovely passage is not in the Protestant Bible, so you'll have to look on-line if you don't have a Catholic or Orthodox Bible. See Daniel 3:26-90. At verse 46, "Now the king's men who had thrown them in continued to stoke the furnace with brimstone, pitch, tow, and faggots. The flames rose 49 cubits above the furnace, and spread out, burning the Chaldeans nearby. But the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions, drove the fiery flames out of the furnace, and made the inside of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. The first in no way touched them or caused them pain or harm. Then these three in the furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God: [and the hymn continues]

But I also like my friend Sonja Ness' method. She has named her tumors, "Gertie and the 3 blind mice" and enjoys watching them diminish as they are attacked by chemo (and probably her guardian angel who is guiding her treatment team). So using the angel example in Exodus 23:20-23 I'll name the tentacles of Phil's tumor, "My angel will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites; and I will wipe them out."

Guardian angels aren't just for Hallmark cards. Nor are they cute, sweet and plump with feathery wings. They are strong and powerful like the one who came to Mary (Hail, Mary) to announce the coming of Jesus or the one who greeted the women at the Tomb. They have a long tradition in the church. Saint Basil the Great (d. 378) taught that "each and every member of the faithful has a Guardian angel to protect, guard, and guide them through life." St. Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153) wrote, "these celestial spirits have been placed at our sides to protect us, instruct us, and to guide us." Billy Graham wrote a book about angels and called them God's secret agents. Then there was a 19th century Dutch Calvinist, Abraham Kuyper, who also was a fan of angels (also wrote about demons and miracles) and describes their powers. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/kuyper/greater.x.html

A phrase attributed to St. Augustine, "“We cannot pass our guardian angel's bounds, resigned or sullen, he will hear our sighs.”

Hierarchy of Angels

Love finding a topic I'd never thought of but which is in the Bible.

Angels

I don't know if we each have an individual angel, but there sure are a lot of them--enough to go around. “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7) “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11) “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)

http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Angels/2009/03/Catholics-Protestants-Angels.aspx

http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/must-we-believe-in-angels

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-Angels-God-s-Secret-Agents-by-Billy-1350618.php