26th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2024 - The Holy Archangels and the protection of the little ones

 

When we recite the Nicene creed every Sunday, we profess God as the Creator of “all things visible and invisible.” 

The visible part of creation is of course that which we can detect with our eyes—with our senses--He created the water, the earth, the stars, the planets, the rocks, the plants, the animals, and us. All that which can be seen with the naked eye, with a microscope, with a telescope, or with a scientific instrument can be traced back to the creative act of God. 

The “invisible” part of creation refers to the nonmaterial, 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.” Angels really exist. They aren’t just metaphors. The angels were created by God as much as you and me.  

And who are the angels?  “As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal (that means God calls each of them by name) and immortal creatures” and as the letter to the Hebrews puts it “ministering spirits” because “With their whole being the angels are servants of God”.

How many angels are there? The number of angels is nearly countless and they are arranged in a heavenly hierarchy. We mention the different ranks of angels in our Eucharistic prayers which reference the Angels, archangels, thrones, dominions and powers, cherubim, seraphim, principalities, and virtues. 

As servants of God, they assist God in the orchestration of heaven and the physical universe, including God’s care for us. At the time of our birth, each of us was assigned a particular angel who is always at our side—called our guardian angel. We celebrate the feast of the guardian angels on October 2 every year. Our Guardian Angels protect us from harm, both physical and spiritual, including warding off demons who wish us ill. They strengthen us against temptation. That little voice that encourages us to remain faithful to God is often our guardian angel. They embolden us to do what is right and to live out our faith boldly.

I bring up the angels today because today on the liturgical calendar, September 29, is the feast of three very important archangels. We do not know the names of our guardian angels, but we do know the names of Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael whose names are recorded in Sacred Scripture. 

All Angels are ministering servants of God, but these three Archangels were entrusted with very special missions—missions that were so important that God wanted us to know about them.

It was an unknown angel that announced the message of the birth of Samson, but it was the Archangel Gabriel who announced the incarnation of the Son of God. Everyone of our guardian angels work to drive back the darkness of evil in our lives, but it was the Archangel Michael who was placed by God as Prince of the Heavenly army who drove Lucifer and the rebellious angels out of heaven. Many angels bring healing, cheer, inspiration, and protection, but it was the Archangel Raphael who brought healing to the blind Tobit and accompanied Tobias on his special journey.

Praying for protection and the defeat of evil, strength, and healing are common prayers. Daily we should be praying for these things for ourselves and others.  And in the course of our prayers, it is very good to invoke the Holy Archangels. After all, God told us about them so that we can call upon them. We call upon St. Michael so that satan may be driven away from our midst. We call upon St. Gabriel in our mission of spreading the Gospel in word and deed. And we call upon St. Gabriel to bear God’s healing to those most in need of it.

Every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday morning, here at St. Ignatius after the final blessing at Mass, we offer the so-called Leonine prayers which include the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. The St. Michael prayer was composed by the Pope himself, Pope Leo XIII, after the holy Pope had a terrifying vision of the demonic forces gathering against the church at the beginning of last century. 

For, Pope Leo XIII lived in a time when Masonic, godless, anti-clerical, anti-church forces were congregating in Europe, spreading not only error, but physical violence toward Catholics. And so he composed the St. Michael prayer, which was to be invoked for the protection of the Church from the corrupt and the wicked. 

In the Gospel today, the Lord Jesus speaks of those who are so corrupt and so wicked that they lead little ones astray. Instead of leading people to God like the angels, and protecting them from evil like the angels, the wicked leads souls away from God.  Our culture today, in many ways, is bent on the corruption of young people. For the last sixty years especially, we have seen countless Catholic youth being led astray, rejecting religion,  embracing the moral perversions of the world and living without Jesus as Lord. 

So, to turn the tide in our culture, but more importantly to win back souls, it is good for us to call the angels to our side, to invoke their help. God has involved them in salvation history, and he will continue to involve them in answer to our prayers. 

Call upon the angels to help parents, especially, protect their children from the corrupting influences in our society. If you have children our grandchildren, ask God to strengthen their guardian angels to help protect them, and assist them in leading holy lives. Invoke the angels of the little ones to help guard them against the evils that bombard them on the internet, in the media, and in many schools and universities. Pray that the angels may bring healing to those who have been scandalized or corrupted. 

And pray daily, that powerful prayer to St. Michael: St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil, may God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, o prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all of the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. For the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

September 29 2023 - Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael - Protection, Strength, and Healing

 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 nonmaterial, 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”

The number of angels is nearly countless and they are arranged in the heavenly hierarchy in different choirs. Many of Our Eucharistic prefaces attest to the angels and archangels, throne and dominions and, the hosts and powers of heaven” to whom we are joined in singing God’s glory. Angels, archangels, thrones, dominions and powers, cherubim, seraphim, principalities, and virtues. The angels sing God’s praises which is why they are arranged into choirs. 

At the time of our birth we are assigned an angel to guard over us, and the feast of the guardian angels, we celebrate on October 2. We do not know the names of our guardian angels, but we do know the names of three of the archangels from the holy scriptures.

Saint Michael is the "Prince of the Heavenly Host," the leader of all the angels. His name is Hebrew for "Who is like God?" and was the battle cry of the good angels against Lucifer and his followers when they rebelled against God. Michael is mentioned four times in the Bible, in Daniel 10 and 12, in the letter of Jude, and in Revelation. Michael, whose forces cast down Lucifer and the evil spirits into Hell, is invoked for protection against Satan and all evil. 

Saint Gabriel, whose name means "God's strength," is mentioned four times in the Bible. God sent Gabriel to announce the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zacharias, and, of course, to the Blessed Virgin to announce the Incarnation. Christian tradition suggests that it is he who appeared to St. Joseph and to the shepherds, and also that it was he who "strengthened" Jesus during his agony in the garden of Gethsemane. Gabriel is invoked when we require God’s strength, especially when we need strength to bear difficult messages, or in public speaking.

Saint Raphael is invoked for healing. Raphael means "God has healed", a fitting name for the archangel sent to heal Tobias' blindness in the Book of Tobit. It is often thought that it was Raphael who descended upon the pool of Bethesda and bestowed God’s healing powers upon it so that the first to enter it after it moved would be healed of whatever infirmity he was suffering.

Praying for protection and the defeat of evil, strength, and healing are common prayers. Daily we should be praying for these things for ourselves and others. And we do well, to recognize the instruments through whom God has chosen to bestow them in the past and continues to bestow them now. May St. Michael bear God’s likeness to us that satan may be driven away from our midst. May St. Gabriel bear God’s strength to us in our many trials and in our mission of the Gospel. And May St. Raphael bear God’s healing to those most in need of it, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

Through the intercession of St. Michael, may all who are persecuted for the faith be protected against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  

Through the intercession of St. Gabriel, may God’s strength be with all those who work for the Spread of the Gospel. 

Through the intercession of St. Raphael may all who suffer from loneliness or sickness know the healing graces of our loving God. 

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. 

Heavenly Father, may our prayers rise like a pleasant fragrance before you and be brought to your altar on high through the hands of your holy angels. Through Christ Our Lord.

October 2 2019 - The Holy Guardian Angels - Constant Angelic Protection

In the Nicene Creed we profess our belief that God is the Creator of all things visible and invisible. Visible Creation, of course, includes the water and planets and air and stars and minerals, vegetables, and animals, and of course human beings.

God is also Creator of the invisible: this refers not simply to microscopic organisms and the invisible parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Invisible Creation also includes the invisible, spiritual beings, the Holy Angels.

When Scripture extols God for the wondrous things He has made, it often includes reference to the Holy Angels. The Prophet Nehemiah, for example, exclaims “You are the LORD, you alone; You made the heavens, the highest heavens and all their host, The earth and all that is upon it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life, the heavenly hosts bow down before you.”

The Holy Angels, the heavenly Host, serves God in all manner of ways: in the machinations of the universe, in offering unceasing worship to the Almighty, in bringing messages from heaven and holy inspiration to human souls.

God has also sent angels to guard the human race against the wiles of the Enemy who seeks the destruction of our souls and also, in certain circumstances, against physical harm. Many people can attest to being miraculously saved from terrible injury or even death.

It is part of the deposit of faith that God has assigned a Guardian Angel to each human person, who do everything in their power to protect us against evil and to help us grow in virtue and holiness. Our guardian angels remind us to pray, sometimes they even wake us up in the middle of the night to pray for a particular cause.  Our guardian angels work to bring about conversion in us when we have sinned, to discover our vocation in life, and to do God’s Holy Will in all things.

We thank God for sending his angels to Guard us today, and we do well to pray every day: “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here; ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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May the angels who stand ever before the face of God, inspire us with a never-failing hope of coming at last into God’s presence.

In gratitude to God for our Guardian Angels, may we be attentive to their inspirations, and through them be kept safe from sin, and faithful to the works of mercy.

May we like the angels, practice purity in both mind and body, and be guarded from every temptation to sin.

May the sick know the assistance of the angels in their illness and suffering.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October, “that the breath of the Holy Spirit may engender a new missionary ‘spring’ in the Church.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

Heavenly Father, may our prayers rise like a pleasant fragrance before you and be brought to your altar on high through the hands of your holy angels. Through Christ Our Lord.

 

Annunciation 2018 - Mary, Co-Redemptrix

The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church. Earlier names for the Feast were Festum Incarnationis—The Feast of the Incarnation, and Conceptio Christi—the Conception of Christ. Though the name has varied, the date of the Feast is is placed exactly nine months before Christmas: nine months, the term of a pregnancy, except when it is displaced by Holy Week or the Octave of Easter, as it was this year.

We just celebrated Easter, and this feast gets us thinking about Christmas already. But this feast is so important, because without the Annunciation there wouldn’t have been an easter, without Mary’s yes, there would be no incarnation, and with no incarnation, there would be no saving sacrifice, no resurrection, no hope.

This is why Mary is often given the title of “Co-Redemptrix”. Mary participates in the redemption of man through her fiat. She cooperates with God’s plan for human redemption when she humbly accepts the Will of God, saying “Be it done unto me according to your word.” She accepts the labor and sufferings that the will of God entails. The devotion of the Seven Sorrows of Mary help us to contemplate all she suffered in union with Christ her Son to bring about—to deliver—our salvation.

Since Jesus Christ is the Mercy of God incarnate, Mary can rightly be called the “Mother of Mercy”, as she is in the Salve Regina. Since Jesus Christ is the salvation of the world, Mary can rightly be called the “Cause of our Salvation”, cause, in the Aristotelian sense, as she was called by St. Irenaeus in the 3rd century. Since Christ is Our Joy, Mary is rightly called the “Cause of our Joy”

Mary’s role in our salvation is not to be overvalued—as many protestants claim we do, nor is it to be undervalued, as most protestants end up doing. The Catholic position is not too hot, not too cold, but just right. To rightly love the Son, we rightly love the mother who brought him into the world through a consent of the will so humble it made the angels rejoice.

May we rightly enshrine Mary in our hearts by imitating her humility, by humbly submitting our minds, our wills, our whole lives to the Lord. May the Blessed Mother bring about in us a flowering, a new birth, of God’s grace within each of us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That through the teaching, preaching, and pastoral care of the Church all Christians will grow in their devotion to and imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We pray to the Lord.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  We pray to the Lord.

For those trapped in the downward spiral of sin, that the hope offered through the Incarnation of Christ in the womb of the Blessed Virgin will bring them new life in the Spirit.  We pray to the Lord.

That Mary’s maternal care and heavenly intercession will raise us to the moral greatness befitting true children of God.  We pray to the Lord.

For blessings on all expectant mothers, newborn infants, and young families.  We pray to the Lord.
That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  We pray to the Lord.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

October 2 2017 - Guardian Angels - Guarded in all of our ways

When I am over in the school It brings a smile to see the children’s faces light up when I teach them about the angels. The angels bring delight, it delights us to discover that God has placed an angel “to guard us in all of our ways”.

Every human being has his own Guardian Angel, and that guardian angel remains with the human throughout life whether in grace or sin.  The guardian angels ward off dangers to body and soul; they prevent Satan’s suggestions of evil thoughts, they help us to avoid occasions of sin and help us to overcome temptation; they enlighten our minds, and instruct us  and foster in us holy thoughts; our angels assist us in prayer, in both offering our prayers to God and praying for us; they correct us when we sin and urge us to repent; they help us to receive consolation in the hour of death; and they conduct our souls to God in heaven, or console us while in purgatory.

I think one of the great joys of heaven will be to meet our guardian angels, to know all the ways they guarded us, and helped to bring us to our heavenly destination. There is a joy in thanking our guardian angels. So, make sure you wish your guardian angels a happy Feast Day today!

While still on earth, now, it is to our advantage, to truly befriend our guardian angels, to call them to mind often, to pray to them, especially in moments of darkness, to guide us and enlighten our path. As we heard from the book of Exodus: “Be attentive to your guardian angel, and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him.”

The angels, who are more intelligent and more powerful, are nevertheless, at our service.  I think that is quite humbling, that these beings who are superior to us in so many ways, serve us, helping to guide our souls to eternal life.  They do all in their power to procure our salvation and increase our sanctification.

Yes, they may help us from time to time from physical maladies, from falling down flights of steps or getting into car accidents.  But more than protecting our physical health, they seek to protect our spiritual health helping us to know what is pleasing to God, and what is offensive to God.

May we know their protection, their enlightenment, and open to their guidance of these great guardians of ours for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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May the angels who stand ever before the face of God, nourish in us a never-failing hope of coming at last into God’s presence.

In gratitude to God for our Guardian Angels, may we be attentive to their inspirations, and through them be kept safe from sin, and faithful to the works of mercy.

May we like the angels, practice purity in both mind and body, and be guarded from every temptation to sin.

May the sick know the assistance of the angels in their illness and suffering.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October: That all workers may receive respect and protection of their rights, and that the unemployed may receive the opportunity to contribute to the common good.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom, and for the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas and the consolation of their families. We pray.

Heavenly Father, may our prayers rise like a pleasant fragrance before you and be brought to your altar on high through the hands of your holy angels. Through Christ Our Lord.

September 29 2017 - Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels - Protectors of the Human Race and the Church

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.

The number of angels is nearly countless. Each human being ever having lived has been given a guardian angel to watch over them. We do not know the names of even our own guardian angels who watch over our every breath, but we do know the names of three of the archangels from the holy scriptures:

Archangel Michael, who is revealed to be the special protector of the people of Israel in the book of Daniel, and who is named as a sort of general of the angelic host in its warfare against the devil in the book of Revelation.

Archangel Gabriel also appears in Daniel’s vision, announcing God’s plan to lay-low the works of the Devil. On behalf of God, Gabriel sought the consent of the Blessed Virgin of Nazareth in bearing the Messiah who would bring the definitive defeat of Enemy of God through the cross.

Archangel Raphael accompanies, in the Old Testament book of Tobit, Tobit’s son Tobias on a very hazardous journey. Along the way, Raphael cures Tobit of blindness and drives away the demon Azazel who had been tormenting Tobias’ bride-to-be, Sarah. He also helps to restore the family fortune.

In the Eucharistic Preface for today’s Mass we hear how “the honor we pay the angelic creatures in whom God delights redounds to God’s own surpassing glory.” When we honor the angels, we honor God.   And since God has placed the angels as helpers of the human race, we ought to make use of their help, by invoking them, and by imitating their virtues.

Pope Leo XIII encouraged us to invoke particularly, Archangel Michael as a protector of Holy Mother Church and whenever the action of the Devil is suspected, spiritually or physically harming someone, causing violent temptations, storms or other calamities.

Pope Leo XIII lived in a time when Masonic, godless, anti-clerical, anti-church forces were congregating in Europe which were not only spreading error, but raising arms against Catholic populations. It is well known that Pope Leo was granted a vision of the supernatural and demonic forces which spurned this hatred for Catholicism, a vision in which the devil was given great sway over the earth during the 20^th century. And so he composed the St. Michael prayer, which was to be invoked for the protection of the Church. We will pray this prayer together at the conclusion of Mass, as was done for decades following Pope Leo’s vision.

We invoke the archangels and we seek to imitate their virtues, so that we may always know their protection, that we may be found like them to be cooperators with the holy will of God, that we may be found, like them, blameless in His sight, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis, Bishop Perez, 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.

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.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy  and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

Heavenly Father, may our prayers rise like a pleasant fragrance before you and be brought to your altar on high through the hands of your holy angels. Through Christ Our Lord.

Homily: Sept 29 2016 - Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael

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.