Angels and Saints: Who They Are and Why They Matter

by Elizabeth Klein, Brant Pitre (Foreword), McGrath Institute for Church Life

We often pray with the saints in our Catholic practice or see paintings of angels by famous artists, but who are they really? What do they do? Can they really intercede for us? Elizabeth Klein, assistant professor of theology at the Augustine Institute, leads us through a soul-inspiring exploration of Catholic teaching on angels and saints and why they matter to us as individuals and to the Church. Throughout the book, Klein answers common questions about the angels and saints in order to give us a deeper understanding and appreciation of the role they play in our lives, the Mass, and in the life of the Church. She also equips us to better discuss with non-Catholics what we believe about angels and saints. In Angels and Saints , Klein explains that these heavenly companions are gifts from God. They are our friends and are joined to us in the mystical Body of Christ. They invite us to love God and each other perfectly as they do. In this book, you also will learn that   Books in the Engaging Catholicism series from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame help readers discover the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith through a concise exploration of the Church’s most important but often difficult-to-grasp doctrines as well as crucial pastoral and spiritual practices.

160 pages, Paperback

Published November 3, 2023

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Angels and Saints, by Elizabeth Klein, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Angels they are all around us, especially our guardian angels. I have always enjoyed reading about angels and saints, I really enjoyed this book. This is a very informative book on saints and angels.

[Kristjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short (160 pg.) book that is part of an expanding series to provide clarification to the rich traditions found within the Catholic Church. Here we get an overview of what the Church teaches about Angels and Saints is a way that should be interesting to both Catholics and those interested in understanding more about Catholicism.

The book itself is divided into [the expected] two (2) parts to cover Angels and Saints separately with each very short chapter designed to address a common question (in that respect, this is very much like an FAQ). Each question provides a basic and easy to follow answer with a few relevant sources, but it really serves as a starting point for anybody who wants a more detailed understanding beyond the casual.

you already have a solid understanding of these concepts, there isn’t much here for you … unless you need help simplifying the answers for somebody else just beginning their spiritual journey (so this would be great within the context of teaching the faith).

The chapters and sections in this work are:

Introduction

Part I - Angels
Chapter 1 - What Does the Bible Say about Angels?
Chapter 2 - What Does the Church Teach about Angels?
Chapter 3 - What is a Guardian Angel, and Do I Have One?
Chapter 4 - Do the Angels Participate in the Liturgy?
Chapter 5 - Do the Angles Have Ranks?
Chapter 6 - How Can I Be More Devoted to the Angels?
Chapter 7 - Who Are the Fallen Angels, and Should I Fear Them?

Part II - Saints
Chapter 8 - What Is a Saint, and Am I Becoming One?
Chapter 9 - What Is the Communion of Saints?
Chapter 10 - What Is Canonization, and Why Does the Church Canonize Certain People?
Chapter 11 - Why Would I Ever Pray to a Saint If I Can Just Pray to God?
Chapter 12 - What Are Relics, and Why Do Catholics Venerate Them?
Chapter 13 - Why Does It Mean to Take a Saint’s Name at Confirmation or to Be Named after a Saint?
Chapter 14 - Why Do Saints Have Feast Days, Why Do They Mean, and How Can I Celebrate Them?

Conclusion

Some of the other points that really got my attention are:

First, the Catechism (§329) speaks about the word “angel” as indicating a job title, not a nature. In other words, “angel” describes what a celestial spirit does, not what it is

But perhaps the place where it is most obvious that we are joining in the praise of the angels at Mass is when we sing the Sanctus. The word sanctus is Latin for “holy” and refers to the part of the Mass when we sing the song of the seraphim heard by Isaiah

This understanding of holiness as a doxological category (a category pertaining to glory) explains all of our different articulations of holiness. An object—like a golden chalice used at Mass—is holy because it participates in worship of God insofar as it can as an inanimate thing, and it has been blessed for this purpose.

He accomplishes this union in the Incarnation, in the Church, and in the Eucharist (we use the phrase “the Body of Christ” to refer to all three of these mysteries).

The word “relic” comes from the Latin word reliqua, and it means something that is left behind. In other words, relics are the remains of the saints (this includes things left behind by Christ himself, such as the relics of the true Cross). Primarily, the word “relic” refers to the body or part of the body of a saint (what is known today as a “first-class relic”), but it can also refer to other remains, such as a saint’s clothing or items that he or she has used (a “second-class relic”). We even recognize what are called “third-class relics”—objects that have been put into contact with a first-class relic.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#AngelsAndSaints #EngagingCatholcism #NetGalley

[Themis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d like to give thanks to Ave Maria Press and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this uncorrected first proof of Angels and Saints.
This book was informative and never boring. The topic of angels is something that has always fascinated me. The chapters on angels are well explained and I was able to learn many things about the angels. The chapters on the saints are full of information every practicing Catholic should know. I highly recommend this very informative and easy to understand book about the angels and saints.

[Marissa Mascaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an information packed book. I read this to learn about angels and saints, it achieved that goal. This is probably not for people who aren’t willing to read dry and informative things, it is solely focused on education not entertainment.

[Whatshereads727 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished Angels and Saints by Elizabeth Klein due out November 20. Given to me by Ava Maria Press. A short, to the point book. It was very good and as a interested Catholic, I was looking for more details about who and where angels and saints came from and did they really complement my life. Did I need or want them? I learned a lot on the subject. This week at mass the words spoken during Liturgy made so much clearer sense to me because of this book! Why did I wait so long to read about this?
We are taught from a very young age to pray to the angels and saints. We name our children after them. They played an important part in Jesus Christ and his life on earth and definitely afterwards. They are integral to the church. But why and who are they? And why should I care?
This book provides some of those answers. Especially in regards to angels. It was so long ago that I was actually taught about angels, grammar school i believe, that I really had lost that knowledge. So reading about their relationship to God and how they intercede for us was really interesting and clear.
If this is a subject you want more knowledge about this will be a good one to pickup.