Angels take a special part in the salvation of the human soul
Saint Bassian, bishop of Lodi, was the son of the governor of the region of Syracuse. His father was preparing him to be his successor, and therefore sent him to Rome to receive an education. Bassian had from his youth heard much of the Christians, and the desire to know their teaching and their way of life gave him no rest. Here in Rome his desire to know was satisfied: the presbyter Gordian explained to him the substance of the Christian teaching. At the celebration of the mystery of baptism Bassian saw an angel standing at the font, who held in his hands a garment with which to clothe the newly baptised. He asked the heavenly soldier boldly who he was. The angel answered that the Lord had long ago sent him to his aid.
The venerable David was the leader of a band of robbers in Egypt, in the desert of Hermopolis. His soul was weighed down with murders and with many other iniquities. In his old age he looked back upon the road of his life, and his black deeds brought him to trembling. Repentance filled David's heart; he left the band, came to a monastery and asked the abbot to receive him into the brotherhood. He became an exemplary monk and by the strictness of his labour far surpassed the brethren of the house. After some time the Lord, through the mouth of the archangel Gabriel, announced to David the forgiveness of his sins; the venerable father could not believe that God would forgive so great a sinner in so short a time. For his little faith David was struck dumb, and speech returned to him only at the reading of the canons and at his part in the divine service. In the evening of his life the gift of wonderworking was granted to the saint. Thus he lived for many years, and then reposed in peace and inherited eternal blessedness.
To Saint Eudocia there appeared the archangel Michael and declared: “I am the chief of the angels of God and am appointed to receive penitent sinners and to lead them into the blessed life. Great is the joy of the heavenly ranks if a sinner repents; for God, the Father of all, does not desire the perishing of man, who was created in His image. All the angels rejoice when they see a human soul adorned with righteousness; they greet it as their own sister.”
In Persia, in the reign of Chosroes the Elder, a young and beautiful woman, Golinduch, was married to the chief of the magi. Three years later Golinduch, enlightened by God, understood the error of the magi. She had heard of the undefiled faith of the Christians and pondered whether it was the true faith or some other, and she desired to come to the knowledge of the truth.
One night she saw in her sleep a shining angel of God, who led her to a dark place where a multitude of people were tormented in fire. “What is this dreadful place, and who are these that are tormented?” asked Golinduch. The angel answered: “This is the place of punishment for sinners and unbelievers; here are thine ancestors, who worshipped idols, the false gods of the Persians.” Golinduch began to grieve for the perishing of her ancestors and wept. Then the angel led her to another place, where was the paradise of God — the dwelling of the righteous — and through a little door showed her a great light and in it a multitude of men and women rejoicing with unspeakable joy. The angel entered through that little door. Golinduch too wished to enter the door after him, but the angel did not permit her: “Thou canst not enter here, for thou art not a Christian.”
After this vision Golinduch desired to become a Christian. She began inwardly to take care that she might be counted worthy of holy baptism, and with tears she besought the God of the Christians, and soon the desire of her heart was fulfilled. Under the guidance of an angel of the Lord she went out of her house and was brought unnoticed to an angel in the flesh — a priest of the Lord, who lived in a hidden place. From him she learned the faith, was baptised, and in holy baptism was named Mary.
To Saint Paul the Simple also the Lord granted the gift of spiritual sight. Once, at the evening service, he observed with what disposition each one entered the church. The face of him who had the Holy Spirit within him was bright, and his guardian angel entered the church with him in joy; but one sinful brother entered the church surrounded by demons, while his guardian angel followed him at a distance and wept.
The venerable Niphon saw at the door of the house of a harlot an angel in the form of a youth, weeping, and asked him the cause of his lamentation. The angel answered: “It was entrusted to me by God to guard a man who now sleeps in this house with a harlot. I cannot look calmly upon the iniquity which he commits. How shall I not weep, when the image of God has fallen into such darkness?” “Why then dost thou not chastise him, that he may leave off his sin?” asked the blessed father in wonder. The angel sighed bitterly. “It is not possible to draw near him. Since he sinned, he is a captive of the devil, and I have no more influence upon him, for God created man free, showed him the broad way and the narrow way, that he might himself choose the way he desires.”
Once the blessed Andrew the Fool-for-Christ, walking along a street in Constantinople, saw that a dead man was being carried out. By all appearances he had been exceedingly rich. Behind the coffin went a multitude of people with candles and candlesticks in their hands. An assembly of church servers was singing the funeral hymns; the wailing of his kinsfolk was heard.
The saint saw with his clear eye what was happening: a multitude of Ethiopians going before with candles cried aloud: “Woe to him, woe to him!” — in their hands were bellows, and they sprinkled ashes upon the heads of the people. The demons going behind the coffin danced and laughed, like countless sinners. Some barked like dogs. Others grunted like swine, for the dead man gave them joy and merriment. Some poured out filth, while others flew about the coffin in the air. From the sinner's body there went forth a dreadful stench. The demons going behind raised a dreadful noise and reviled the chanters: “Wretched Christians, God forbid that any of you should see the light, for you are singing over a dog, ‘give rest to his soul in the light,’ and you call a servant of God him who has committed a multitude of crimes.”
After the burial the saint saw an angel in the form of a beautiful youth, weeping bitter tears. When he drew near Saint Andrew, the blessed one, taking this youth to be a kinsman of the dead man, asked him: “For God's sake, tell me the cause of thy lamenting. I have never seen a dead man so bitterly bewailed.” The youth answered: “I was the guardian angel of the dead man. The devil has taken him to himself, and this very thing is the cause of my weeping and my sorrow.”
The blessed one asked: “Disclose to me what sins he had, that he became the devil's portion.” The angel answered: “Andrew, chosen of God, since thou desirest it, I shall tell thee all and hide nothing, for I see the goodness of thy soul, shining like pure gold. Seeing thee, I took comfort and dispelled my grief a little.
This man was in great honour with the emperor, but he was sinful and without pity. Given to pleasure, a stirrer-up of strife, a taker of bribes and a breaker of faith, a hypocrite, a flatterer, covetous, a liar, a hater of men, crafty and unmerciful. His poor servants he deprived of life with hunger and with blows, in winter he left them naked, and many he put to death with tortures. But he was repaid according to his deserts: he died unrepentant, and therefore the demons took possession of his soul. And how they reviled and dishonoured his foul body, thou thyself hast seen. This is why I grieve, O holy one, seized with great sorrow, that he whom I guarded has now become the mockery of demons.”
At that time those passing along the street saw only Saint Andrew and not the angel, and so they said one to another: “Look at this fool, how he plays the buffoon and talks senselessly to the walls!” And they pushed him and threw him this way and that. “What ails thee, simpleton? Thou art not worthy to speak with men, and thou talkest to walls!” But the saint went in silence to a hidden place and, remembering the dead man, wept bitterly.
