The Feast of the Archangels

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 or Revelation 12:7-12ab
Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5
John 1:47-51

In the presence of the angels, I will sing your praise!

(see Psalm 138)

"Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." (Catechism, Para. 336; St. Basil, Adv. Eunomium III, 1: PG 29, 656B)

Every September 29th we honor three prominent angels, messengers who helped carry out various aspects of God's salvation plan.

Unknowingly we live immersed in a sea of grace, God's loving power that yearns for us to be united to Him in mind and heart. He seeks this union through obedience to His Word, not simply to assert power over us, but to share His blessed life with His beloved children. However, since love can neither be forced upon nor demanded from us, we have the choice of saying "Yes" or "No" to His offer. The present state of the world suggests that relatively few have chosen to deeply participate in His divine love.

God employs other ways of drawing souls to Himself. In the Gospel, Nathaniel is introduced to Jesus by Philip, on fire with joy at having found Israel's Messiah. Nathaniel's initial reaction is amusing: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" His bias against Jesus coming from a specific area did not hinder Christ, because God's choices aren't affected by human weakness or sin. Jesus saw Nathaniel to be without guile, worthy of trust and open to receive and able to communicate, through grace, His message of salvation. Jesus told Nathaniel that prior to Philip's introducing him, He had observed him praying with a sincere and humble spirit. These words deeply touched Nathaniel, illumined his heart to see that, indeed, Christ is "the Son of God and King of Israel." Jesus assures him he will see greater wonders, "the sky opening and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." In other words, Nathaniel will actually see (at His Ascension) that He is the Christ, fully human and also fully Divine.