HEAVENLY CREATURES IN MISSION ON EARTH.

September 29, 2020 
Feast of Saints  Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels

Readings: DN 7:9-10, 13-14; PS 138:1-2AB, 2CDE-3, 4-5; Rv 12:7-12ab; JN 1:47-51.

An Egyptian proverb says, “When the angels present themselves, the devils abscond.” And a Sicilian proverb adds, “Nothing can end favorably without heavenly guidance.”

There has always been communication between heaven and earth. God shows to be continually at work and close to mankind and the whole creation. This divine communication is made manifest through the heavenly creatures, the Angels, and Archangels.

Today, we are celebrating three of the most prominent heavenly creatures, the three Archangels who are mentioned namely in the Holy Scriptures: Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. Their name itself speaks of their mission and specifies their role towards mankind. In that sense, Michael, “Who is like God”; he is the expression of the greatness of God, the Archangel who fought Satan (Daniel 10:21, 12:1; Jude 9; Revelation 12:1-9). Michael is presented as the great protector, the one who fights on behalf of God’s people, and he reminds the faithful of the real existence of the Devil and demoniac activities. In our devotional prayers, Michael is invoked for the spiritual warfare against the Devil. Gabriel, “God is my strength or the strength of God”; He is the messenger of God for the prominent news. We meet him at the two great annunciations, the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus (Luke 1; Matthew 1:18-25). His greeting to the Blessed Virgin Mary, “Hail, full of grace”, has become our most familiar and popular prayer as Catholics, the first sentence of the “Ave Maria”. Lastly, Raphael, “God has healed or the Medicine of God”; he is the expression of God’s healing and restoring power. He is the Angel sent by the Lord to care for Tobias on his journey to Medes on his father's behalf and brings happiness both to his Father and Sara his wife-to-be (Tobit 5:7-17). Every person, on his or her pilgrimage through this life also needs a guardian, a companion who expresses to us the closeness of God, to defend and protect us, to bring us the joy of good news, and to restore and heal us from all our physical as well as spiritual illnesses.

Through these heavenly creatures and messengers that are the Archangels, the Most-High has a continual means of communication and intervention in human life.

While we are celebrating the feast of these three divine messengers, the liturgy of the word speaks to us of their existence and enlightens us on their mission. The first reading starts telling that they are not only three, our messengers or the means of God to communicate with our sinful and sick humanity, but thousands of thousands who serve Him. Daniel, in his beautiful vision speaks of a constellation of heavenly creatures at the service of the Ancient of days and the Son of Man. God, from this vision, thrones in His heaven where Angels and Archangels surround Him and serve Him. The Psalmist, thus, can sing, “In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.” Just as the Angels serve the Lord in heaven, so too, must mankind serve and give Him praise on earth for all His goodness. We should every day of our life, bow before Him, and sing His holiness.

St. John, in his apocalyptic vision, reveals a heavenly battle. “Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.” At the end of this war, Michael defeated the great dragon, the eternal enemy of humanity. The spiritual and heavenly warfare described by John is the representation of the warfare in which mankind is trapped until today. Evil forces, creatures from the netherworld oppose humanity and battle us to reject God and choose their party. The Devil is always at work trying to deceive mankind. God, however, has never forsaken us. Therefore, through His greatness, Michael, he defends and protects us.

The Devil has more than one trick up his sleeve. Oftentimes, he passes through physical or spiritual illness to try us. God, through Raphael, the Medicine of God, provides us with healing. When the Devil tries to send possible “Fake News” and messages of desolation and hopelessness, God intervenes through Gabriel, the strength of God, to bring about “Good News” and consolation, a message of his closeness and love. Angels and Archangels are always by our sides. They are not imagination or fruits of human fantasy. The Lord Jesus, in the Gospel, will attest to their truthfulness while addressing Nathanael: “You will see greater things than this… Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” The greater truth is that Angels and Archangels are not only to be found in heaven. We too must behave as heavenly creatures towards each other. We are to be servants of our brothers and sisters and bearers of the good news of God’s love and closeness to them in their needs. Angels do not always appear like Gabriel, Raphael, or Michael. They must also have your face.

There is a continual movement of descending and ascending between heaven and earth. Angels bring us good news about God and bring back to God news about our humanity. They are, in that sense, the real manifestation of God’s presence towards us. The Lord comes, hears our sufferings, fights our battles, heals our wounds and sicknesses, restores us, and gives us the beautiful news of a bright tomorrow. In return, we should also make ourselves present to Him and believe in Him. For, through His Angels and Archangels, the Lord God assures us that Satan will be defeated. At the end of times, saints will be filled with joy and sinners will be filled with fear. All battles will be over!