Observing the world around us, we see a wonderful hierarchy, from the minerals of inanimate nature to the lower life forms of plants and bacteria, ascending through the animal kingdom, which surely reaches the height of its sophistication and genius in Jack Russell terriers. At the pinnacle of this material creation is man. Combining within his nature the physical and the spiritual, because he is a “rational animal”, man is like the hinge between this visible, tangible universe of matter and the realm of the angels, who are pure spirit. Above this whole created hierarchy we find the Creator Himself, He Who is pure, uncreated and infinite spirit.
Hierarchy is the principle by which God has chosen to order His creation. And so it is only expected that any well-run human society should be organised hierarchically. Our Lord Himself established His Church hierarchically, when He appointed Peter the chief Apostle.
Hierarchy, then, is something good and desirable. The only trouble is that in our fallen human nature we are tempted to jostle for position within this hierarchy. We like to be recognised, we long to be king of the castle and to benefit from the perks that accompany position. In our own blighted nation, governance is brought into disrepute by politicians who preach equality and “reform” while furnishing their wardrobes with freebies from political donors.
In the Gospels we find Original Sin getting the better of the disciples. In the ninth chapter of the Gospel of St Mark, Our Lord confides in His Apostles that He will be betrayed and put to death, and will rise from the dead after three days. Rather than concentrating on this extraordinary revelation which is at the very foundation of His mission to save us, they are distracted by a discussion of who among them will be top dog. Our Lord then gives to them, and to us, a new outlook which, in contrast to our worldly way of thinking, is spiritual and sanctifying: “If anyone would be first, he must be last and servant of all” (Mk 9:35).
Yes, in God's creation there is a very clear hierarchy. But it is a hierarchy in which the great ones serve the little ones. It is a hierarchy in which God Himself, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, humbles Himself in taking on our human flesh, washing the feet of the Apostles and dying the death of a slave for the salvation of sinners.
At this time of year, the Church focuses our attention on the Holy Angels. In the great hierarchy of being, angels are vastly superior to human beings. And yet God has ordained that in the economy of salvation the Angels should minister to us, as messengers, guides and protectors.
The glorious and powerful Holy Archangel St Michael himself listens to our prayers and flies to our assistance whenever we ask him to defend us in battle. Our Holy Guardian Angels, meanwhile, whose feast we celebrate on 2nd October, are so magnificent in their nature that exposure to their aura would blind our mortal eyes, and yet they have been commissioned to accompany us throughout our life on this earth. The Holy Angels delight in serving their Creator, and according to His will, they gladly minister to us. Let us never take this extraordinary blessing for granted.
We should also remember that it was the defiant cry of “non serviam” – “I will not serve” – that brought Lucifer and the angels who joined his rebellion (now demons) crashing down from Heaven. In his pride at his own status as light bearer at the throne of God and in his refusal to serve, Lucifer forfeited his privileged position forever, deprived himself of the glory for which he was created and was consigned to everlasting squalor and misery.
In Heaven there is a hierarchy where there is no jostling for position. The great saints put themselves at the bidding of us sinners, never disdaining our petitions for assistance. And the whole celestial host of angels and saints rejoice in hailing a female human creature as Mother of God and Queen. If we are serious about attaining a place within the heavenly hierarchy, we must look for every opportunity to humble ourselves in this life. Not counterfeit modesty – the sort of ostentatious humility that seeks attention is the very opposite of genuine meekness. Our holy father St Philip taught that we should learn to rejoice in our hearts when others are praised for our achievements, and we can be pleased when we do not receive the recognition that we might believe to be ours. Worldly acclaim counts for nothing in Heaven. Earthly honours end in a heap of ashes. We can either choose the way of service and be like Our Lord, the Holy Angels and the Saints; or we can take ourselves terribly seriously and make ourselves more like Satan.
Father Julian Large