Feast of Archangels, Sept.29, 2006

Scripture: Daniel 7:9-10.13-14 or Rev.12:7-12ab. Psalm 138:1-5.

All of the readings mention angels and we focus today on the principal archangels whose names appear in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and an apocryphal writing called the Book of Enoch. The word angel means messenger, and in the Bible, messengers of God. Today's liturgy celebrates the three archangels who are part of the Christian Tradition taken from the Old Testament and the Apocrypha. Notice that the first reading may be a choice from Daniel or from the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation known also as the Apocalypse. This latter term Apocalypse means something that is hidden, whereas, apocrypha refer to additional books or writings not found within the canon of the Old Testament or the New Testament. To confuse the issue even more, the Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church have some books not found in the Hebrew canon since they were written in Greek. They are called deutero-canonical whereas the Protestant Churches rank them among the "Apocrypha" and do not accept them as canonical. The book that treats of the archangel Raphael is deutero-canonical for the Catholic Church and is in our canon, whereas the Protestant Churches accepting only the Hebrew canon for the Old Testament exclude those books like Tobit which were handed down in Greek! Are you still with me? Probably not, but this was more for my own clarification as I reflected on the names and sources for the Archangels named Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. There is a personal event in my Marianist life that attaches me to this feast. I was ordained a subdeacon on this Feast by Archbishop Charrier in Fribourg, Switzerland in 1963.

Michael is considered as the patron of Israel and to this archangel we owe the earliest commemoration and devotion of believers both in Judaism and Christianity. His name is translated as "Who is like God" in order to emphasize that no one is like God except God in God's aseity. The name for each of these Archangels is quite important for interpreting their role for the name implies the essence and often the ministry of a person or an angel. So Michael will be the one who challenges the fallen angel the Devil or Satan with "Who is like God"? The selection from the Book of Revelation has this particular struggle between Michael and Satan. Michael is the vanquisher of the Devil. Our Church formerly had a prayer dedicated to this Archangel after the Mass: "St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle."

Raphael means the Healing of God. This archangel appears throughout the book of Tobit and also in the Book of Enoch. Raphael restores the sight of Tobit and finally blesses Sarah's marriage to Tobias after the demon had taken her other husbands. Raphael is also the patron for travellers.

Gabriel is the archangel who appears to Mary in the account of the Annunciation. Gabriel means the Strength of God or the Warrior of God. He is the archangel connected with the messianic message in the Old Testament and thus Luke is aware of this by bringing the news of the Messiah to be born to Mary. Luke may have used the book of Daniel for the mention of Gabriel.

Dear Lord, we need all the help we can get! Thank you for the angels you do send into our lives. "In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord." Amen,