Angels inspire; they protect; they herald great events; they guide the blind.

Above it stood the seraphim (Isaiah 6:2)

And there came an angel of the Lord and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah.  (Judges 6:11)

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and behold there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings, for they had wings like the wings of a stork...  (Zechariah 5:9)

And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo three men stood by him.  (Genesis 18:2)

Who maketh His angels spirits (Hebrews 1:7, Psalm 104)

His ministers a flaming fire (Psalm 104)

Angels are like wind: Martin Luther took literally the psalmist's statement that ‘the wind has wings.’ After a particularly severe and violent storm, he reflected: "The devil provokes such storms, but good winds are produced by good angels.” This heady image invokes the winds of Pentecost for me, blowing through our lives, cleansing our hearts and thoughts.

Archangels have a unique role as God's messengers to people at critical times. Of all the angelic interactions in the Bible, perhaps none is more deliberate than the involvement of the archangel Gabriel in the conception and birth of both John the Baptist and Jesus.

The name Gabriel means "man of God," or "God has shown himself mighty.” (There's that muscle again.) It is Gabriel who announces the good news to John’s father Zachariah, and Gabriel who removes Zachariah’s ability to speak when he doubts the angel’s words. Zachariah’s tongue is stilled for Elizabeth’s entire pregnancy.  (Flex!) Finally, he announces to Mary that she would bear the Savior of the world:

The angel Gabriel said to Mary, "Do not fear, Mary, for God has been gracious with you. You shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus. He will be great; he will be called Son of the Most High..." (Luke 1) 

‘Virgin, you have heard what will happen, you have heard how it will happen . . . You have heard that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will be by the Holy Spirit and not by a man. The angel is waiting for your reply . . . We, too, are waiting for this merciful word, my Lady… The price of our salvation is being offered you… The whole world is waiting, bowed down at your feet. And rightly so, because on your answer depends the comfort of the afflicted, the redemption of captives, the deliverance of the damned, the salvation of all the sons and daughters of Adam, your whole race.  My Lady, say this word, which earth and hell and heaven itself are waiting for. The very King and Lord of all… is waiting anxiously for your answer… by which he proposes to save the world.’        -- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

The word the Angel awaits is: Yes.