Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels

War broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

Every day and many times a day, we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” On this feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael we hear of the victory Saint Michael won over Satan when; The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.

With the Lord’s Prayer we devoutly pray to see the same victory here on earth that John of Patmos saw in the skies of the Mediterranean.

Modern thinkers would like to dismiss the tradition of angels as passé, unnecessary, insubstantial and/or unprovable. But they appear in every book of the Bible and are deeply imbedded in our religious imagination. I don’t watch much television but I suppose that lovely Irish woman Roma Downey is still appearing in reruns of Touched by an Angel. There was a hugely successful Broadway production about the AIDS epidemic called Angels in America. Writers have been cashing in on the popularity of angels as they report apparitions and conversations with divine beings. I read a book some years ago about animal angels, such as those that appear in the writings of Ezekiel, and the angelic horses that drove Achilles’ chariot. So long as the Bible remains in our hands, angels will remain in our religion.

In the scripture angels first appear as messengers of God. They seem to be a part of God’s bureaucracy. As ancient civilizations developed into empires that perforce needed writing, courier services, and minor dignitaries to manage far-flung realms, the Jews supposed God must have his assistants as well. In the Book of Tobit we see two petitions crossing God’s desk from Tobit and Sarah, which He passes along to Raphael:

At that very time, the prayer of these two suppliants was heard in the glorious presence of Almighty God. So Raphael was sent to heal them both…

Isaiah describes the fabulous appearance of God – the  King of kings and Lord of lords surrounded by fiery seraph angels crying Holy, Holy, Holy day and night.

However, in the later days of the Old Testament angels became apocalyptic figures, signaling the abrupt intervention of God into human history. Something long awaited and utterly unpredictable was beginning! 

By the time the New Testament was written we had come to expect angels to announce the birth of the Messiah. They appeared to Mary, Joseph, Zechariah and the shepherds. Finally, when John of Patmos saw the war in heaven, he saw angels and demons duking it out; and, in the twinkling of an eye, the forces of evil vanquished.

When we celebrate angels today we celebrate the victory and eternal sovereignty of God. As my minister friend in Louisiana used to say, “God is still in charge!”

We’re going to face hard time, and doubts will inevitably arise in our minds; but we practice our faith daily and we know, no matter how dark the night, God is still in charge. Angels attest to that!