The angels are not all equal in dignity, but are divided into nine classes, or choirs, according to their rank or office, and, as theologians tell us, arranged from the lowest to the highest and named as follows; angels, archangels, virtues, powers, principalities, dominations, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim.  Archangels are higher than angels and are so called because sent to do the most important works.  It was the Archangel Michael who drove Lucifer from Heaven and the Archangel Gabriel who announced to the Blessed Virgin that she was to be the Mother of God.  The angels receive their names from the duties they perform.  The word angel signifies messenger.

36 Q. Were the angels created for any other purpose?  A. The angels were also created to assist before the throne of God and to minister unto Him; they have often been sent as messengers from God to man; and are also appointed our guardians.

The duties of the angels are many.  Some remain always in Heaven with God; some are sent to earth to be our guardians and to remain with us.  Each of us has an angel to take care of us.  He is with us night and day, and offers our prayers and good works to God.  He prays for us, exhorts us to do good and avoid evil; and he protects us from dangers spiritual and temporal.  How unfortunate then must one be to cause him to return to Heaven with sad complaints to God; such as:  “The one whom I have in charge will not obey Thy laws or use the grace Thou sendest him:  with all my efforts to save him, he continues to do wrong.”  He will be doubly sad when he sees other angels returning with good reports and receiving new graces for those whom God has committed to their care.  If you love your guardian angel, never impose on him the painful duty of bringing to God the report of your evil doings.

Now, how do we know that the angels offer our prayers and good works to God?  We know it from the beautiful story of Tobias, told in the Holy Scripture. (Tobias).  This holy man loved and feared God.  He lived at a time when his people were persecuted by a most cruel king, who wished to force them to give up the true God and worship idols, but many of these good people suffered death rather than deny God and obey the wicked king.  When they were put to death, their bodies were left lying on the ground, to be devoured by birds of prey or wild animals.  Anyone caught burying them was to be put to death by the king’s servants.  Tobias used to carry the dead bodies of these holy martyrs into his house and bury them at night.

One day when he returned very tired he lay down by the wall of his house to rest, and, while lying there, some dirt fell into his eyes and he became blind.  This Tobias had a young son whose name was also Tobias; and as he himself was now blind and poor, he wished to send his son into a certain city, at a good distance off, to collect some money that he had formerly loaned to a friend.  As the young man did not know the