Bishop Erik Varden delivered his third Lenten reflection at the Vatican Spiritual Exercises for Pope Leo XIV and other high-ranking clergy. The reflection centered on the theme "Bernard, the Idealist" and emphasized the axiomatic nature of God's help in Biblical faith. God's help is described as a 'habitat' or sustaining reality, not merely an occasional emergency service. The reflection addressed instances where believers cry out without a perceptible response, referencing the plight of Job. Job is presented as refusing rationalizations and seeking God's presence within his affliction.
8 days ago
Bishop Erik Varden, OCSO, Bishop of Trondheim, Norway, is leading the 2026 Spiritual Exercises for Pope Leo XIV, Cardinals in Rome, and heads of Dicasteries.1 2
The retreat runs from February 22 to 27 in the Vatican, focusing on St. Bernard of Clairvaux.1 2
In his third meditation, themed “Bernard, the Idealist,” Varden emphasized God's help as a constant sustaining reality, not an occasional emergency service.1
He quoted Mary Ward: “Do your best and God will help,” contrasting biblical faith with philosophical detachment.1
Drawing on Psalm 90 and the Book of Job, Varden explored trials where divine aid seems absent, urging believers to seek God amid lament and menace for deeper grace.1
Varden's eighth reflection highlighted angels during Christ's desert temptation, where Satan misquoted Psalm 90 to tempt a leap from the Temple.2 3 4
Angels do not indulge whims but act as guardians of holiness, tasked to “enlighten, keep, govern, and guide.”2 3 4
They mediate God's providence, linking monastic praise, liturgy, and human desires toward divine fulfillment.2 3 4
Believers should imitate angels by descending in mercy to neighbors and ascending in contemplation.2 3 4
At death, angels bear souls into eternity, where truth prevails over pretense.2 3 4
In the ninth meditation, Varden described Bernard's evolution from early intransigence to mercy-rooted realism.3 4
Quoting Jacques Lacan, he noted “the real” as what we confront, but Bernard saw it as a cry for mercy.3 4
Bernard’s devotion centered on Jesus' name: “honey in the mouth, music in the ear, a song in the heart.”3 4
True freedom, per Bernard's biography, makes one “glorious to behold.”3 4
Varden connected themes to priestly and teaching roles as angelic, countering digital substitutes with personal encounters.2
The reflections urge passing from idealism through trials to merciful realism, sustaining Vatican leaders in service.1 3
Angel mediation: theological foundations of divine guardianship in Catholic doctrine
In Catholic doctrine, angels serve as divinely appointed mediators and guardians, actively participating in God's plan of salvation by protecting humanity, announcing divine messages, interceding in heaven, and aiding the Church on earth. This role stems from their creation as pure spirits, their immaterial nature, and their mission to minister to humans, as synthesized in Scripture, the Catechism, and theological tradition.
Scripture portrays angels as God's messengers and protectors, intervening in human history to safeguard the faithful, deliver revelations, and execute divine justice. Their guardianship is not autonomous but flows from God's mercy and providence.
Protection and Deliverance: Angels shield individuals and the people of God from peril. In 2 Maccabees 11, as Lysias besieges Beth-zur with vast forces, Maccabeus and his men pray for a "good angel to save Israel." A horseman-angel appears, clothed in white with golden weapons, strengthening them to defeat the enemy: "They advanced in battle order, having their heavenly ally, for the Lord had mercy on them. They hurled themselves like lions against the enemy." Similarly, in Numbers 22, the angel of the Lord stands as an adversary to Balaam, visible to the donkey but not initially to him, preventing sinful action through divine hindrance.
Annunciation and Guidance: Angels announce key salvific events and provide instruction. Judges 13 recounts the angel of the Lord appearing to Manoah's wife to foretell Samson's birth, prescribing her conduct: "Let the woman give heed to all that I said to her. She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine." This underscores angels' role in preparing human instruments for God's purposes.
Role in Judgment and Liturgy: Revelation 16 depicts angels executing God's wrath, pouring bowls on the earth, sea, and rivers, affirming divine justice: "You are just, O Holy One... because they shed the blood of saints and prophets, you have given them blood to drink." These acts highlight angels' mediation in both mercy and judgment.
These narratives establish angels as "ministering spirits" who bridge the divine and human realms.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) integrates biblical witness into doctrine, emphasizing angels' continuous involvement from creation to eschaton.
Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets... Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself.
From the Incarnation onward, angels adore and serve Christ: protecting his infancy, strengthening him in agony, and proclaiming his Resurrection.
The Church venerates the angels who help her on her earthly pilgrimage and protect every human being.
In heaven, angels join saints in intercession:
[They] see God as he is and... are also, to various degrees, associated with the holy angels in the divine governance exercised by Christ in glory, by interceding for us and helping our weakness by their fraternal concern.
This guardianship is personal and ecclesial, fostering devotion without superstition.
St. Thomas Aquinas clarifies angels' ontology, ensuring their mediatory role aligns with divine transcendence. Angels are incorporeal spirits—"powers" rather than material beings—called "ministering spirits" (Heb 1:14).
Scripture... calls them “spirits.” For it is said in the Psalm (103:4): “You make your angels spirit.” And the Apostle... says... “All are ministering spirits, but to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation.”
Corporeal appearances (e.g., horseman, fire) are likenesses for human comprehension, not literal forms. Angels' wills fix immediately upon good or evil, achieving blessedness or damnation at their first choice, unlike humans whose changeability persists until death.
Aquinas addresses mediation limits: Faith derives primarily from the Trinity, not angels, though angels revealed truths to Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph. Good angels humbly serve humans, who image God more perfectly as life-givers.
Early apocrypha like The Vision of Paul echoes this: Angels report human deeds to God and must minister to sinners until repentance.
Catholic teaching positions angels below the Trinity, Christ, Mary, and saints in the heavenly hierarchy, due to humans' unique imaging of God's life-giving love. Yet angels govern divinely under Christ, interceding and aiding weakness. Their guardianship counters demonic rebellion, born of pride against human elevation. Devotion invites their protection on our "earthly pilgrimage."
| Aspect of Guardianship | Scriptural/Theological Basis | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Protection | 2 Macc 11; Num 22; CCC 332 | Deliver from enemies/physical-spiritual harm |
| Annunciation | Judg 13; Lk 1 (via CCC 332) | Prepare for divine vocations |
| Intercession | CCC 1053; Heb 1:14 | Aid weakness, report to God |
| Judgment Assistance | Rev 16; CCC 333 | Execute justice at Christ's return |
Angelic mediation embodies divine guardianship as service to salvation: protecting, revealing, interceding, and judging under God's sovereignty. Rooted in Scripture, affirmed by Aquinas, and synthesized in the CCC, this doctrine invites veneration of angels as allies in our pilgrimage to eternal life.