Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels
Reading 1: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
As I watched:
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5
R. (1) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD
« Great is the glory of the LORD
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Alleluia: Psalm 103:21
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: John 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
« Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him. »
Nathanael said to him, « How do you know me? »
Jesus answered and said to him,
« Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree. »
Nathanael answered him,
« Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel. »
Jesus answered and said to him,
« Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this. »
And he said to him, « Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. »
Meditation
Beloved in the Lord, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ abound in each and every one of our lives.
Today, we celebrate the Archangels Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. We honour these superior beings, who are more intelligent than we are and endowed with many powers, whom God has placed at our service to help us attain salvation.
In today’s first reading, the Archangel Michael and his angels fight against the dragon and his angels. The dragon is Satan, the enemy of our souls. Created by God to serve us, he rebelled, together with some of the angels of heaven, who became demons. These demons fight against God’s angels, who are placed at our side and throughout the world according to a precise order. Their purpose is to prevent us from attaining salvation.
On this day when we celebrate the angels, we need to understand their mission so that we can make their work easier. The angels are here to encourage us to do God’s will, to inspire us to do good, and to show us the path of salvation that leads to God. Every day, they inspire us to do what is good; they speak to us and encourage us to turn away from evil.
The demons, on the other hand, are there, as the text tells us, to accuse us, to turn us away from God, to lead us into sin, and to bring about our downfall with them. They are the ones who incite us to anger, lying, slander, deceit, and revenge. They tempt us to make choices that go against God’s will.
We are in the midst of this battle, but we must make our choice. Will we listen to the angel of God or to the demon who rebelled against Him? Who do we usually listen to? It is a relentless battle. The angel cannot force us to do what is right; we must choose. However, we can become aware of his presence, speak to him, and listen to him. We can make his mission easier by doing what he inspires us to do.
The angels are beings of emotion; they are saddened when they fail to lead us to choose God, when they have to give a negative account of us before God.
Let us therefore turn inward and examine ourselves. Which of the two do we listen to most often? Whom do we want to listen to from now on? This battle is not a video game or a movie. It is the battle of our lives, the battle we must win with our angel and all the angels of heaven, so that one day, like them, we may see God face to face, praise Him, worship Him, and serve Him continually.
Let us pray
Lord, grant us the grace to help the angels and archangels in their mission, so that not only may we be saved, but that many people throughout the world may also be saved.
Intercession
Today, let us pray for those who rebel against God, that they may repent.
Mother Mary, pray for us.
Spiritual Exercise
Today, let us pray to the Holy Archangels and ask them to help us listen more attentively to the Lord.
Flora KAMTA (Community of the Disciples of the Living Christ)
