Wednesday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Daniel 7:9-10. 13-51 & John 1: 47 – 51
Reflection Date: September 29, 2021
The liturgy celebrates the feast of the three archangels who are venerated in the tradition of the Church.
Michael (Who is like God) was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God. He is the protector of all humanity from the snares of the devil.
Gabriel (Strength of God) announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist and Mary, the birth of Jesus. His greeting to the Virgin, "Hail, full of grace," is one of the Christian people's most familiar and frequent prayers.
Raphael (Medicine of God) is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that "The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of tradition."
Angels are pure, created spirits. The name angel means servant or messenger of God. Angels are celestial or heavenly beings, on a higher order than human beings. Angels have no bodies and do not depend on matter for their existence or activity. They are distinct from saints, which men can become. Angels have intellect and will and are immortal. They are a vast multitude, but each is a person. Archangels are one of the nine choirs of angels listed in the Bible. In ascending order, the choirs or classes are 1) Angels, 2) Archangels, 3) Principalities, 4) Powers, 5) Virtues, 6) Dominations, 7) Thrones, 8) Cherubim, and 9) Seraphim.
In Hebrew, the name of Michael means who is like unto God and is also known as "the prince of the heavenly host." He is usually pictured as a strong warrior, dressed in armor and wearing sandals. His name appears in Scripture four times, twice in the Book of Daniel, once each in the Epistle of St. Jude and Book of Revelation.
From Revelation, we learn of the battle in heaven, with St. Michael and his angels combating Lucifer and the other fallen angels (or devils). We invoke St. Michael to help us fight against Satan; to rescue souls from Satan, especially at the hour of death; to be the champion of the Jews in the Old Testament and now Christians; and bring souls to judgment.
This feast of the archangels reminds us that the physical things are only a small part of reality and that we cannot pretend to know and understand everything. Angels are not imaginary but real beings with different tasks to perform.
Michael is given the task of defending us against the forces of darkness and evil. Raphael cures our wounds and sicknesses. Gabriel is the great messenger of God. The feast of the archangels invites each of us to deepen our faith in them; the protection and the help that we continue to get from these angels should prompt us to honour them and be grateful to them.
Let us also become 'angels' in the lives of others.
Joseph Cardozo SJ | Contributor
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
