An archdiocesan pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Aston, Brian Bransfield, has written a book that explores the purpose of angels, writes Gina Christian for Catholic Philly.

Msgr. Bransfield’s book “Angels: Our Guardians in Spiritual Battle,” explores angels found in Scripture, the writings of the Church Fathers, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the lives of the saints and the works of key theologians.

“Angels thrive in mystery,” he said. Good angels stay invisible for humility; evil counterparts work stealthily to conceal destructive intentions.

Msgr. Bransfield is a moral theologian, author, and speaker. He was general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2016 to 2021.

He wants readers to know that “angels are down-to-earth and within reach – and they want to lead us beyond our reach to Christ.”

Angels are messengers who “help us to meet Christ and lead us further into his mysteries,” Msgr. Bransfield said.

“I think we would like to see angels as agents who fix things for us,” he said. “We want them to swoop in for the job interview, stop the accident, cure the problem. They do swoop in, but not in ways we would expect.”

Read more about the mission of angels and about Msgr. Brian Bransfield at Catholic Philly.