What is the food of Angels?

The wise Solomon believes that the people of Israel enjoyed the bread of angels on their journey in the wilderness. Perhaps he does not mean the manna itself since angels do not need food like the manna. However, God in his love for his people, gave His obedient believers inner satisfaction and sweetness, so that each of them may find what he desires. It is written in the book of Wisdom “Instead of these things You fed Your people the food of angels, and without their labor You provided them with ready-made bread from heaven, fitting for every pleasure and suitable to every taste” (Wisd. Of Sol. 16:20). Throughout the exodus, the people were not only served by angels, but also partook of their food. God gave His people bread from heaven — without their labor — that was delicious and sweet for every one of them (Ex. 16).

The scholar Origen calls us to go out on a spiritual journey in the wilderness of this life that we may acquire the bread of angels: “If you have understood how much rest the journey of wisdom has, how much grace, how much sweetness, do not hesitate, do not be negligent, but undertake this journey, and do not shrink back from the solitude of the desert. For to you who dwell in tabernacles of this sort there will come even heavenly manna, and ‘you will eat the bread of angels’: Only begin, and as we have said, do not let the solitude of the desert frighten you. Even angels will come quickly into your company, which I think are indicated under the form of cedars.”⁶⁶⁰

Angels are nourished by spiritual food which is the encounter with the living God, who gives the soul life and satisfaction. St. John of Damascus says, “They behold God according to their capacity, and this is their food. They are above us for they are incorporeal, and are free of all bodily passion, yet are not passionless: for God alone is passionless.”⁶⁶¹ The Jews believe that angels feed on the glory of God since “in the light of the king’s face is life” (Prov. 16:15).⁶⁶² They also say that in order for Moses to become like the angels, he needed to completely set aside all food and drink for his body.⁶⁶³