Monday, December 7, 2009

#2 A Christmas Angel!


A Christmas Angel!




This Angel sits on top of my tree.




A Christmas Angel



Guardian Angel

My Shop 

See more angels in my shop under Christmas Category
 

Angels in Greek mean 'Messengers'.

In the Bible, heavenly angels are mentioned as messengers of God. Christmas angels are perhaps the most popular form of angels that are used in our celebrations.


Angels are believed to be immortal, are believed to live in Heaven, and are believed to act as intermediaries between God and Humankind.


Traditionally, pictures and poems on
about angels portray them having human bodies with wings sprouting from their backs. 'Wings' are said to symbolize Innocence, Virtue, Purity, Peace and Love, which place them above Humans though they are still under God.


It was the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of Christianity, which first mentions that angels had a human body and angel wings and could fly.

According to the New Testament, when people are sorry for their sins, angels rejoice.


In the Bible, nine ranks of angels are mentioned with Seraphim and Cherubim angels on top. Angels are headed by a chief angel known as an Archangel whose name is Saint Michael.


We all have our guardian angels or angel guardians who protect us, look after us and comfort us in times of distress. It was in 1100 to 1200 AD when Christian doctrine about angels evolved rapidly, as in the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Saint Thomas believed that angels fill the gap between God and mankind; they are countless and immortal. According to Saint Thomas, angels have perfect knowledge except things that can depend on human choice and things that only God knows.

They were quite instrumental in birth of Jesus Christ and hence, play an important role in Christmas celebration and festivities. Angels were the ones that brought us the news of the birth of the Christ child. Gabriel, the heavenly Christmas angel brought the divine news to Mary and revealed that she was chosen to bear God's son. Another angel informed Joseph that he should marry Mary and look after the Christ. According to a legend, God appointed a small group of tiny angels, who were just learning their angel ways, to watch over Joseph and Mary on their journey to Bethlehem. Tiny angels did all they could and tried to do their best but could not help the couple to find shelter in the inn in the over-crowded town. Finally, they had to make do with the inn's stable.

They were so excited that they were to witness the birth of God's Only Son that flew closer to earth and sang sweetly. The fastest among them caught sight of the newborn child from stable's roof and instantly understood their mission was to herald the birth. They were so filled with joy and mirth that they burst into a glorious thanksgiving song that reached the heavens and was so melodious that it could be heard all over the Earth. A Christmas angel appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem about the Christ Child's birth too. We still see Christmas angels singing and playing music in Nativity scenes who look so cute and benevolent that they catch young one's attention and fascination instantly.



Proceed to my next section: #3 A Christmas Star


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10 comments:

  1. My grandma has an angel on top of her tree that looks a lot like your angel. Brings back memories of Christmas at her house.

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  2. Yes, I know what you mean. This one is very traditional and old-fashioned, but something about it really appealed to me.:)

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  3. I used to collect angels. I do have a few, but not a large collection. One of my aunts had many and arranged them on the mantel over her fireplace every Christmas. I helped her one year.
    I love angels and make angel earrings that I sell in one of my etsy shops. Thanks for all the information you have posted here!

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  4. i appreciate the biblical description of angels! when i think of them it's overwhelmingly a feeling of love from God! am i safe to say "merry christmas"?

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  5. Great memories, Splendid. :) THanks for posting.

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  6. such lovely angels!...i love the cute first one!

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  7. Beautiful angels, and thanks for all the info on them!

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