Angels are all around us. They are not fairy-tale creatures or New Age sprites but powerful beings created by God to reflect his light. And while we often are not aware of them, the angels are deeply interested in us. In Angels: Our Guardians in Spiritual Battle, moral theologian, author, and speaker Msgr. Brian Bransfield teaches us how to recognize the angels present in our lives.
Drawing on Scripture, the Church Fathers, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Msgr. Bransfield shows how the angels -- the good angels who serve God and the evil angels who fell with Lucifer -- influence us in powerful ways. The evil angels are insidious as they seek to lure us into sin and away from God. The good and holy angels help us combat the wiles of the demons and accompany us on our mission of sharing Christ with the world. They serve as God's humble yet powerful messengers and our guardians in the wilderness of this life, strengthening us against temptation. Ultimately, they lead us to the glory of the Resurrection so that we might share the victory of Jesus over sin and death.
"Msgr. Bransfield has masterly woven together the richness that Scripture and Tradition have revealed about angels. Angels: Our Guardians in Spiritual Battle is both an enjoyable and scholarly presentation that will awaken the reader to the presence of our amazing companions. It will arouse in you a deep desire to personally collaborate with them in their mission to reveal the glory of God and draw you into alignment with God's provision for your life. This book has enriched my life as it will yours." -- Neal Lozano, author of Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance and Resisting the Devil: A Catholic Perspective on Deliverance
"This book contains years of reading, reflection, and synthesis on a topic that most of us only hear about from Hollywood. Msgr. Bransfield has taken rich, sound theology and expresses it in beautiful images and simple concepts with practical application to our daily life. If you can only read one book on angels, pick this one. And then allow the various trails that Msgr. Bransfield opens up with footnotes and references to lead you deeper into this beautiful and important topic for our spiritual lives." -- Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, coauthor of Personal Prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father's Love"Thanks be to God for this journey into the Scriptural reality of the power of the angels to protect us against evil! Msgr. Bransfield guides us to getting serious about the hourly spiritual battle we're in and confident enough in God to be humble in the midst of it. This is key to being truly free in Christ in this world." -- Kathryn Jean Lopez, senior fellow, National Review Institute, director of its Center for Religion, Culture, and Civil Society and author of A Year with the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living
"In Angels: Our Guardians in Spiritual Battle, Rev. Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield deftly and faithfully considers the paradoxes of angels: They are timeless, and yet present among us now -- perhaps most acutely in our 'ordinary' moments. Bransfield ponders Scripture, the writing of the Church Fathers, the saints, theologians, and Catholic tradition to reveal how angels lead us into the divine mysteries and 'union with God.' Appropriate to the 'battle' of his title, Bransfield also helps us understand the persona of the fallen angel, Lucifer, and how to be vigilant against his cunning and subtle attacks within a spiritual wilderness. A patient and careful guide, Bransfield is generous, specific, and thought-provoking: This is a book to widen the mind and steel the spirit." -- Nick Ripatrazone, Culture Editor of Image Journal and author of Longing for an Absent God
"This book contains years of reading, reflection, and synthesis on a topic that most of us only hear about from Hollywood. Msgr. Bransfield has taken rich, sound theology and expresses it in beautiful images and simple concepts with practical application to our daily life. If you can only read one book on angels, pick this one. And then allow the various trails that Msgr. Bransfield opens up with footnotes and references to lead you deeper into this beautiful and important topic for our spiritual lives." -- Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, coauthor of Personal Prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father's Love
"Here is a rare book: a theologically deep and very readable account of one of the most fascinating realities of our faith. Far beyond being a purely academic topic, angels are very real beings who are invested in -- and intervening in -- the great spiritual battle for every soul. Msgr. Bransfield offers a glimpse into this reality, with an eye always on the hope and joy that comes from realizing we are never alone as we seek God." -- Patrick Kelly, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus
Rev. Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. He has served on the faculty of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, as general secretary of the USCCB, and as a lecturer at The Catholic University of America and adjunct faculty at The Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. He serves as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Aston, Pennsylvania.
