God Sees Beneath the Surface

Reflection Date: September 29, 2026 | Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels
Daily Readings: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; John 1:47-51

Children of God:
September 29 is the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels.

The Church calls Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael archangels because Scripture presents them as angels entrusted with significant missions in the story of salvation. 

The word “archangel” refers to an angel of a higher or leading order, and the Church celebrates these three together because their names are specifically revealed in Scripture. 

Michael appears as a defender who stands against evil and is associated with the protection of God’s people. Gabriel appears as God’s messenger who announced the birth of John the Baptist and later brought Mary the message that she would become the mother of Jesus. Raphael appears in the Book of Tobit as a companion and healer who guided Tobiah and brought healing to his family. 

Their missions show three different ways God’s help reaches his people: Michael defended, Gabriel announced, and Raphael accompanied and healed. 

They were honored because they served God’s purpose. 

The Church therefore celebrates them not as independent powers but as heavenly servants who carried out missions received from God.

This brings us naturally to the gospel story of Nathanael. Jesus saw Nathanael approaching and recognized something in him that others might not immediately have noticed. 

Nathanael was surprised that Jesus knew him, especially when Jesus mentioned seeing him under the fig tree. 

Jesus then told him that he would see greater things, including heaven opened and angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. 

What are our inspirations for today? 

First, God sees more in us than we see in ourselves.

Nathanael approached Jesus with questions and even skepticism, yet Jesus immediately recognized something good in him. 

Before Nathanael fully understood who Jesus was, Jesus already saw the truth within Nathanael.

There are moments when we see only our weaknesses. We remember our mistakes, failures, disappointments, and limitations. We compare ourselves with other people and conclude that we are not good enough, talented enough, successful enough, or holy enough.

But the gospel reminds us that God's vision is deeper than our self-image. Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree even before Nathanael approached him.

The Lord sees what is hidden, including the goodness that we sometimes fail to recognize in ourselves. 

The challenge is to allow God's gaze to become more important than the labels we place upon ourselves.

God sees more in us than we see in ourselves.

Second, God can use ordinary people to carry extraordinary messages.

Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael were remembered because they served specific missions from God. Gabriel announced good news, Michael defended against evil, and Raphael accompanied a person through a difficult journey. Their greatness came through service, not self-promotion.

That is also something we can live in our ordinary circumstances. A parent can become a messenger of God's love through patience. A teacher can become a messenger through encouragement. A friend can become a messenger by listening. A priest can become a messenger through preaching and presence. A media worker can become a messenger by using communication to bring truth, hope, and understanding.

The gospel ended with Jesus promising that Nathanael would see greater things: “You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51). 

The image tells us that Christ stands at the center of the connection between God and humanity. We do not need to become extraordinary celebrities to participate in God's work. We simply need to become faithful messengers where God places us.

God can use ordinary people to carry extraordinary messages.

As we reflect, we ask ourselves: Do I allow myself to see my life through God's eyes rather than only through my weaknesses and failures? 

How am I becoming a messenger of truth, kindness, hope, or healing to the people I encounter? Am I attentive enough to recognize the ways God is already working in the ordinary events and people around me?

Children of God:
The feast of the Archangels reminds us that heaven is not distant from the story of humanity. 

God sends his messengers because he cares about the journeys of his people. 

Nathanael reminds us that Jesus sees us even before we fully understand him. 

The Lord sees our hidden struggles, our quiet goodness, and our possibilities. 

May we always remember that the greatest thing we can see is not merely the presence of angels, but the presence of Christ who connects heaven and earth.