MINISTRIES OF THE ARCHANGELS FOR US


SAINTS MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL, ARCHANGELS

Apoc 12:7-12; Ps 138:1-5; Jn 1:47-51

Descending and Ascending of Angels on the Son of Man

We celebrate the archangels today. By this celebration, the Church brings us to consider, thank, and glorify God for the wonders of his love for us, poor sinners. The Scriptures make abundant references to the ministry of the angels in our salvation history. These make us aware of the existence of these spiritual creatures of God. He created them as spiritual or heavenly beings to praise and glorify his name and wonderful works of nature and grace. We have no clear idea of when they were created, but the Fathers of the Church hold that the reference to God’s creation of heaven in the beginning refers to the angelic beings. Saint Augustine considers the alternation of evening and day in the creation story as referring to the participation of angelic beings in the creation of the earth. Evening refers to initial confusion and gradual illumination of the angelic minds as God created different species of things in the universe. They move from the evening of their confused knowing to the light of their understanding of each species God created on earth, resulting in their praise and exaltation of God. Thus, their participation in God’s creation of the earth is mainly as observers; they admired and praised God as he brings things into existence.

In the same way they participated in God's creation of the earth, they also participate more actively in the work of our salvation from sin. Since evil emanated from the ranks of the angelic beings, God deigned to have them play a more active role in our salvation. Lucifer was an angel of God who refused to submit to God's divine plan. Our first reading gives us a window into heaven, a glimpse of the mystery of sin and the role of the archangel Michael in Satan’s ejection from the heavenly realm. “Now war broke out in heaven, when Michael with his angels attacked the dragon. The dragon fought back with his angels, but they were defeated and driven out of heaven. The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had deceived all the world, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him.” This is a mystical presentation of what we said yesterday about the enemy of our salvation and his cohorts, who fight with every means to lead us to damnation. Saint Michael the archangel defeated him by the same means Job defeated him, and with which we are to defeat him; through total submission to the will of God. Michael, meaning ‘Who is like God?’ or ‘No one like God,’ stood on divine will to fight and defeat the dragon with his angels. Our submission to God’s will makes us become like God. God acts through us when we conform to his will.

The same conformity to divine will characterises all the archangels. Saint Gregory the Great explains that they are called ‘angels’ because they act as God’s emissaries every time they come to us. When they are not on mission, they wait before God in adoration of his holy will. They adore the divine Majesty, wait for the revelation of his will, and carry it out. The words of our Lord to Nathanael in the Gospel indicate that the angels wait on the Son of Man to know the Father’s will and carry it out as they do in heaven. “I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.” This explains the role of the angels. The archangels carry important messages for our salvation. Archangel Gabriel brought the message of the Incarnation of the Eternal Word. Archangel Raphael was revealed in the journey of Tobit’s son, Tobias, as the angel of divine healing and remedy. Our Lord’s words, therefore, imply that our Christian vocation joins us to the ministry of the archangels, for we carry and serve the important message of salvation for souls. Thus, the psalmist positioned himself with the angels to adore God. “I thank you, Lord, with all my heart; you have heard the words of my mouth. In the presence of the angels, I will bless you. I will adore before your holy temple.

Let us pray: O God, who dispose in marvellous order ministries both angelic and human, graciously grant that our life on earth may be defended by those who watch over us as they minister perpetually to you in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. 

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