o existence. The chief
things created may be classed as follows: (1) The things that simply
exist, as rocks, and minerals--gold, silver, iron, etc. (2) Things that
exist, grow, and live like plants and trees. (3) Things that grow, live,
and feel, like animals. (4) Things that grow, live, feel, and
understand, like men. Besides these we have the sun, moon, stars, etc.;
all things too that we can see, and also Heaven, Purgatory, Hell, and
good and bad angels. All these are the works of God's creation. All
these He has called into existence by merely wishing for them.

*32 Q. Who created Heaven and earth, and all things?
A. God created Heaven and earth, and all things.

"Heaven," where God is and will always be. It means, too, everything we
see in the sky above us. "Earth," the globe on which we live.

*33 Q. How did God create Heaven and earth?
A. God created Heaven and earth from nothing, by His word only; that is,
by a single act of His all-powerful will.

34 Q. Which are the chief creatures of God?
A. The chief creatures of God are angels and men.

35 Q. What are angels?
A. Angels are pure spirits without a body, created to adore and enjoy
God in Heaven.

"Angels" are not the same as saints. Saints are those who at one time
lived upon the earth as we do, and who on account of their very good
lives are now in Heaven. They had bodies as we have. The angels, on the
contrary, never lived visibly upon the earth. In the beginning God was
alone. We take great pleasure in looking at beautiful things. God,
seeing His own beauty, and knowing that others would have very great
pleasure and happiness in seeing Him, determined to create some beings
who could enjoy this happiness; and thus He wished to share with them
the happiness which He Himself derived from seeing His own beauty.
Therefore He created angels who were to be in Heaven with Him, singing
His praises and worshipping before His throne.

The angels are not all equal in dignity, but are divided into nine
classes, or choirs, according to their rank or office, and, as
theologians tell us, arranged from the lowest to the highest and named
as follows; angels, archangels, virtues, powers, principalities,
dominations, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim. Archangels are higher than
angels and are so called because sent to do the most important works. It
was the Archangel Michael who drove Lucifer from Heaven and the
Archangel Gabriel who announced to the Blessed Virgin that