archangels - 25th week Friday 2017

Every change of season is marked by the church with a feast.  December 25 is marked by the birth of Jesus, March 25 is marked by the feast of the Annunciation, June 25 is marked by the birth of John the Baptist and September 29 is marked by the feast of St. Michael the Archangel.  In the reform of the church’s calendar today is the feast of the three archangels - the archangel Michael who was sent to guard the chosen people, Raphael who was sent to heal Tobit, and Gabriel who was sent to announce the good news to Mary.

St. Michael is the guardian of the city of Rome and his feast falls on the onset of autumn so as to invoke him to guard the city as the cold and the ravages of winter slowly creeps in.

Today in our gospel Nathaniel, traditionally known as the apostle Bartholomew, was so impressed because Jesus knew him as one who read his heart and his mind.  But Jesus said, you are impressed with just that?  Indeed, you will see more, Jesus said.  You will see heaven open and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. 

With Philip the invitation is repeated also to us, Come and see.

So why do we believe in angels?  First, the presence of angels in our lives affirm the reality that there is great danger in the world we live in and I am not referring to Isis or Al-Qaida but to what can harm our souls, what can lead us to sin and what can make us lose heaven. 

Second the presence of angels affirms God’s presence in our lives and this is because God cares for us and loves us in a personal way.

And lastly, we need angels because we need guides. I went to a zoo the other week without a guide, and sadly, in my first experience of a real zoo, I saw more squirrels than the animals I wanted to see.  We need guides to help us navigate ourselves through life, guides who will lead us closer to God.  That is why we need to pray to the angels, God’s own messengers, healers and protectors.