Angels are not etherealized human beings, evolving  animal qualities in their wings; but they are celestial  visitants, flying on spiritual, not material, pinions. Angels are pure thoughts from God, winged with Truth and Love, no matter what their individualism may be. Human conjecture confers upon angels  its own forms of thought, marked with superstitious outlines, making them human creatures with suggestive feathers; but this is only fancy. – Mary Baker Eddy (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures)

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Mary Baker Eddy defines “angels” in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, as “God’s thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness,  purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality.”

When we’re receptive to them, we can  feel the presence of angels with us every where, every moment.

In the Scriptures we’re told that Mary and the shepherds heard angel-messages over 2000 years ago: “…behold,” says the angel Gabriel to Mary in the the first chapter of Luke,  “thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest… ”  In the next chapter we read,  “…there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord… And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 1 and 2)

“On earth peace, and good will to men.” What could be a purer angel-message than this?

Sometimes it seems to me I am most receptive to angel-messages when I am most in need of angel-messages. As Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health, “The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.” When I was struggling with depression several years ago, circumstances trained my “suffering sense” to keep my thoughts open to all the good in every moment – trained me to recognize angel messages of love when they appeared.

God, Love, is continually talking to us – whenever we’re inspired to help our fellow man that’s the angel voice of Love talking; whenever we feel the impulse to ally ourselves with truth and justice that’s the angel-intuition of God, Truth; whenever our hearts are moved by the beauty and harmony in music, art, poetry – that’s the angel-touch of Soul.

In my last blog post I mentioned finding a great youtube clip for that Godspell song, Prepare Ye the Way. My success in finding that clip, led me to venture back onto youtube to look for a clip for the sister song to Prepare Ye the Way – Long Live God. And I found this sweet rendition by a singer named Vikki Dee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWIK-MflAIk&feature=c4-overview&list=UUkedJ_DOLNDVkUQSLbsd7xA

I’ve been singing that song for the last two days – mixing it up a little – “Long live Life; Long live Truth; Long live Love; Long live God” – to coincide with my understanding of what God is.  And I’ve found inspiration in this musical exercise. I’ve felt the touch and power of Love inspiring me – long live Love!  What can overpower Love? Nothing! Long live Truth! What is more powerful than Truth? Zip. Long live Life! What can end the expression of Life? Nada.   “Love alone is Life,” writes Mary Baker Eddy in one of her poems.  And “Where there is love there is life,” says Mahatma Gandhi.

Long live Life. Long live Truth. Long live Love.  These are angel messages from God, “winged with Truth and Love.” They bolster me up with courage, envelope me in comforting love, and remind me of what’s really important.