Do angels have a role in the life of the Church?

The scholar Origen believes that an angel joyfully accepts the one who receives baptism, because of the great blessings that the baptized receive. He says, “For the heavenly powers, the ministries of angels, ‘the church of the firstborn,’ were present at the time when the mystery of the faith was transmitted to you. If we understand correctly that ‘Israel’ means ‘seeing God in the mind,’ even more correctly is it said concerning angelic ministries, according to the opinion of the Lord. When he spoke of infants—and in fact you yourself were an infant in baptism—he said that ‘their angels always behold the face of my Father, who is in heaven’ (Matt. 18:10). Therefore, in the presence of those sons of Israel, who were beholding the face of God, who were present at that time when the mysteries of the faith were transmitted to you, Jesus ‘wrote Deuteronomy’ in your heart.”⁶⁶⁴

Again he says, “in the time of one’s infidelity and sins one is a human being born of infidelity under the angels of Satan, malignant spirits, and unclean demons. But when a person shall have accepted the faith, then Christ, who is the redeemer and redeemed him from the malignant lords with the price of his own blood, delivers the person believing in God to an angel who is holy and always sees the ‘face of the Father’ because of his purity.”⁶⁶⁵

Before coming to the faith, one is subdued by the devil; but after coming to the faith, God dedicates an angel to guide the person to good deeds and to protect him from evil angels. With reference to the words, “When through the laver I became a child in Christ,” it may be said, that there is no holy angel present with those who are still in wickedness, but that during the period of unbelief they are under the angels of Satan. But, after the regeneration, He who has redeemed us with His own blood consigns to us a holy angel, who also, because of his purity, beholds the face of God.

664 Origen, Homilies on Joshua 9.4 (FOTC 105:100).

665 Origen, The Commentary of Origen on the Gospel of St. Matthew. Vol. 2 , trans., Ronald E. Heine (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2018), 13.28: p. 422

Origen also says that angels go back and forth between heaven and earth. “For we know that they ascend to heaven, carrying the people’s prayers and then they descend carrying all blessings for every person. God has dedicated them to offer His blessings to those who love Him.”⁶⁶⁶