The presence of angels in our lives
September 29, 2023 - Friday
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
The presence of angels in our lives
John 1:47-51
Perhaps some of us are familiar with a prayer to St. Michael by Pope Leo XIII composed in 1886:
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defence against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
The historical context behind the composition of that prayer was the losing battle of the Papal States against the Italian government that ended up with the removal of all the vestiges of the temporal sovereignty from the Pope by 1890. Then in 1929, an agreement was signed that established the current boundaries of the Vatican State. Until Vatican II, the prayer was recited publicly after the Mass, then since 1965 its public recitation stopped. Today, we see its revival with Pope Francis and many bishops suggesting its public recitation again. Why? Perhaps, we worry about the situation in the world and the Church and turn to God for help.
The biblical paradigm sees behind the historical events, a conflict between good and evil. This battle is pictured in the twelfth chapter of the book of Revelation introduced with two signs: a woman clothed with the sun and a huge fiery dragon. This dragon and his army are defeated by Michael and his angels (see Rev 12:7-8). Drawing inspiration from that vision, the Church in crisis turns to St. Michael and his angels for help in her battle against the spiritual forces of evil. In the book of Daniel, Saint Michael is presented as having charge over God’s people (Dan 12:1) and so the Church, the new people of God, asks St. Michael for protection.
The second archangel who we remember today is familiar to all of us from the Christmas Gospels recorded for us by Luke. Saint Gabriel is a messenger of incredible news regarding the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus, our Lord. But he also appears in the book of Daniel (Dan 8:15-16; 9:21). He came to Daniel to make him understand a mysterious vision of “the Ram and the Goat” (Daniel 8:1-14) and then he came one more time to that visionary with another explanation regarding the length of punishment for Israel’s sins (Daniel 9:20-27).
Finally, the last archangel that we remember in today’s feast is Saint Raphael, “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ready and who enter the Lord’s glorious presence” (Tobit 12:15). He appears in a charming story of a biblical novella of tragedy and love, sickness and healing narrated in the book of Tobit. It is the presence of Raphael, the archangel, that turns that story around and brings it to happy end. Raphael leaves us this powerful proclamation of faith: “Do good, and evil will not overtake you” (Tobit 12:7b).
The presence of these three powerful angelic figures in the Bible is yet another evidence of God’s constant care for us. Their stories proclaim that good is more powerful than evil, that God has a beautiful plan for our lives, and that even if a tragedy strikes in our lives, it will all end well.