When we recite the creed at every Sunday Mass, we profess
God as the Creator of “all things visible and invisible.” The “invisible”
refers to the non-material: the creatures of pure spirit, known as angels. The
Catechism says, “The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that
Sacred Scriptures usually calls ‘angels’ is a truth of faith.” The angels are
called in the letter to the Hebrews “ministering spirits” because “With their
whole being the angels are servants of God”
When we started using the new translation of the missal in
2011, one of my favorite changes was the mention of the different choirs of
angels in the Eucharistic prefaces: “with angels and archangels, with throne and
dominions and with the hosts and powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of your
glory.” Angels, archangels, thrones,
dominions and powers are among the different choirs of angels, along with the
cherubim, seraphim, principalities, and virtues.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Archangels, Saints
Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
The Archangels are considered chief or ruling angels in
virtue of the special and important significance of the messages they bring or
the actions they have to perform. It was
an angel that brought the message of the birth of Samson, but it was the
Archangel Gabriel who announced the incarnation of the Son of God. Every angel
works to drive back the darkness of evil, but it as the Archangel Michael who
was placed by God as Prince of the Heavenly army who drove the Lucifer and the
rebellious angels out of heaven. The angels bring healing, and cheer, and
inspiration, and protection; but it was the Archangel Raphael who brought
healing to the blind Tobit and accompanied Tobias on his special journey.
Because of the special messages Gabriel brought he is a special
patron to those in the fields of communication. If we ever have a difficult
message to deliver: a word of rebuke or correction to a disobedient child, an
invitation to a fallen away Catholic to return to the sacraments, we do well to
invoke Gabriel.
If we need special healing: a serious illness, a friend with an
addiction, difficulty forgiving someone who hurt us, we do well to invoke
Raphael; also before we make a pilgrimage or dangerous journey. I like to
invoke Raphael for safety in air travel especially, as the airplane is speeding
up on the runway.
And we do well to invoke St. Michael to defend us from the great
evils of this age. From those who work to take away our religious freedom, for
all persecuted Christians, for all those involved in the occult, for those
experiencing any form of demonic oppression, for the great sexual immorality
and pandemic of pornography that plagues our culture.
Through the Mass, each day, we have the great blessing of joining
the angels and archangels in their worship of God on the throne of heaven. May
we seek their help and know their intercession to pray every more fully, consciously,
reverently, and devoutly—in order to be strengthen in holiness, charity, and
zeal for the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
For Pope Francis, Bishop Lennon, and all Church leaders,
that they may guide the Church to be strong in faith and generous in offering
works of mercy to those in need. We pray to the Lord.
Through the intercession of St. Raphael may all who suffer
from loneliness or sickness know the healing graces of our loving God. We pray to the Lord.
Through the intercession of St. Gabriel, may God’s strength
be with all those who work for the Spread of the Gospel. We pray to the Lord.
And through the intercession of St. Michael, may all who are
persecuted for the faith be protected against the wickedness and snares of the
devil. We pray to the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment