The Catholic Defender: The Celestial Choir of Seraphim
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Saraphim may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity.
The Celestial Choir of Seraphim is the highest order of angels in the traditional celestial hierarchy of Abrahamic religions. Known as "the burning ones" (from the Hebrew saraph, meaning "to burn"), they are described as being closest to the throne of God, aflame with an intense and perfect love for the Divine.
The Seraphim is believed to be the highest Choir, the most intimately united to God, while the Angelic Choir is the lowest. The history of this Chaplet goes back to a devout Servant of God, Antonia d'Astonac, who had a vision of St. Michael. He told Antonia to honor him by nine salutations to the nine Choirs of Angels.
The term Celestial choir in Christianity describes a heavenly gathering of angels and saints who come together to sing praises to God. This assembly embodies the spiritual connection between divinity and worship, reflecting the importance of music and harmony in expressing devotion and reverence in the Christian faith.
According to the foundational vision in Isaiah 6, Seraphim possess distinct physical and symbolic traits:
Six Wings: They are depicted with three pairs of wings.
Two cover their faces: Representing reverence and shielding them from the direct, overwhelming glory of God.
Two cover their feet: Symbolizing humility and submission before the Creator.
Two are for flying: Representing their readiness for divine service and swiftness in carrying out God's will.
Fiery Nature: They are often associated with the color red in art, representing the "fiery" intensity of their devotion and their role in spiritual purification.
Multiple Eyes: Some traditions describe them as being covered in eyes to symbolize their constant, all-encompassing contemplation of God.
Continuous Worship: Their main function is to circle the throne of God, perpetually chanting the Trisagion "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory".
"Holy God": Refers to the Father and God's essential transcendence.
"Holy Mighty": Refers to the Son and God’s power.
Supreme Emphasis: In Hebrew tradition, repeating a word three times (the superlative) indicates that the subject—in this case, God's holiness—is absolute and reaches the highest possible degree.
Heavenly Unity: Liturgically, when Catholics sing this, they are believed to be joining their voices with the Celestial Choir of Seraphim, making the church a "heaven on earth".
Agents of Purification: They act as ministers of spiritual cleansing. In scripture, a Seraph used a live coal from the altar to touch and purify the lips of the prophet Isaiah.
Enlightenment: As the highest choir, they are believed to receive divine knowledge directly from God and pass it down through the subsequent eight choirs of angels.
The Seraphim lead the "First Sphere" of angels, which is focused entirely on the contemplation of God.
Contemplating God's person, wisdom, and justice
"Holy Immortal": Refers to the Holy Spirit and God’s eternal, life-giving nature.
"Have mercy on us": Unlike the purely worshipful "Holy, holy, holy" of the angels in scripture, this added phrase is a human supplication for grace and forgiveness
Church tradition, attributes a revelation to a 5th-century earthquake in Constantinople. According to the belief:
During the disaster, a child was miraculously lifted into the sky.
The child heard the angels singing this specific hymn.
Upon returning to earth, the child taught the people the words; once they began to chant it, the earthquake stopped.
Saint Michael Chaplet was approved by Pope Pius IX and it starts with an act of contrition. Then there are nine salutations, one for each choir of angels. Each one is followed by an Our Father and three Hail Marys. Then four Our Fathers are said, one honoring Saints Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and the Guardian Angel.
The Seraphim are included in the ranks of the company of angels, in the Celestial Hierarchy spoken of in Hebrews 12:22. Their number is considerable. The title of Seraphim is applied to those angels assigned to God's altar and they are connected with the holiness of God.
No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, Hebrews 12:22
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