The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the moments of transcendence during which we are strengthened, challenged and directed by Divine messages.
Guides on the Journey
The reading from the Book of Revelation is a vision of Michael defeating the Dragon.
* [12:7] Michael: the archangel, guardian and champion of Israel; cf. Dn 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9. In Hebrew, the name Michael means “Who can compare with God?”; cf. Rev 13:4.1
The reading from the Book of Daniel envisions judgement before the Ancient One.
* [7:13–14] One like a son of man: In contrast to the worldly kingdoms opposed to God, which are represented as grotesque beasts, the coming Kingdom of God is represented by a human figure. Scholars disagree as to whether this figure should be taken as a collective symbol for the people of God (cf. 7:27) or identified as a particular individual, e.g., the archangel Michael (cf. 12:1) or the messiah. The phrase “Son of Man” becomes a title for Jesus in the gospels, especially in passages dealing with the Second Coming (Mk 13 and parallels).2
Psalm 138 offers Thanksgiving and Praise.
* [138:1] In the presence of the angels: heavenly beings who were completely subordinate to Israel’s God. The earthly Temple represents the heavenly palace of God.3
In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells Nathanael, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
* [1:51] The double “Amen” is characteristic of John. You is plural in Greek. The allusion is to Jacob’s ladder (Gn 28:12).4
Molly Mattingly shares that we join the choirs of angels and the communion of saints in praising God every time we participate in the Eucharistic liturgy.
The word “angel” comes from the Hebrew word “messenger.” The angels in scripture are messengers for God, or their appearance points people to God and Christ. The ones who are named, like the archangels of today’s feast, communicate something about God in their names. Michael is the protector of Israel in Daniel and the leader of heaven’s armies in today’s reading from Revelation. And yet, for such a powerful being, Michael does not claim power. His name points beyond himself to God in a rhetorical question: “Who is like God?” Raphael appears as Tobias’ traveling companion in the book of Tobit. Raphael – “God heals” – leads Tobias not just to cure his father Tobit’s optical blindness, but also to healing relationships through his journey. Finally, Gabriel most clearly acts as a messenger, interpreting prophecies of Daniel and announcing the births of both John the Baptist and Jesus. In Islamic tradition, Gabriel also dictated the Qur’an to Muhammad. But Gabriel’s name means “God is my strong one” or “God is my hero,” pointing to dependence on God. I find it especially beautiful that “God is my strong one” receives Mary’s “yes” to complete dependence on God, and that he announces God’s arrival as an infant, utterly dependent on Mary and not strong at all. It lays the foundation for Paul’s line: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).5
Don Schwager quotes “The Lord of Angels,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"Do you know how he [Jesus] leads him [Nathanael] up little by little from the earth and causes him no longer to imagine him as merely a man? For one to whom angels minister and on whom angels ascend and descend, how could he be a man? This is why he said, 'You shall see greater things than these.' And to prove this, he introduces the ministry of angels. What he means is something like this: Does this, O Nathanael, seem to you a great matter, and have you for this confessed me to be King of Israel? What then will you say when you see 'angels ascending and descending on me'? He persuades him by these words to receive him as Lord also of the angels. For on him as on the king's own son, the royal ministers ascended and descended, once at the season of the crucifixion, again at the time of the resurrection and the ascension, and before this also, when they 'came and ministered to him' (Matthew 4:11). They also ascended and descended when they proclaimed the good news of his birth and cried, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace' (Luke 2:14), when they came to Mary and also when they came to Joseph... Our Lord made the present a proof of the future. After the powers he had already shown, Nathanael would readily believe that much more would follow." (excerpt from the Homilies On the Gospel of John 21.1)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 138:1-5 comments that the archangels are holy and powerful, but as Pope Francis pointed out, our vocation is very similar to theirs: to serve the Lord, to praise him, and to contemplate his glory.
Today, let’s call upon these mighty servants of God and ask them to intercede for us. As they defend us in battle, remind us of the good news, and accompany us on our journey, they will be helping us to fulfill this great vocation to which we have all been called! “Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, pray for us!”7
A Franciscan Media article on the Archangels comments that angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.
Each of the archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. Earlier belief that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet believers still experience God’s protection, communication, and guidance in ways which defy description. We cannot dismiss angels too lightly.8
Friar Jude Winkler connects the development of Jesus' title as Son of Man to Daniel 7 and to the Suffering Servant in Deutero Isaiah. We join the battle of Michael to defeat Satan when we love and dismiss lies. Friar Jude reminds us of the message of Jacob’s ladder to Nathanael that the holiness of God will penetrate the world in Jesus.
James Finley gently reminds us of our infinite preciousness to God. God cannot help but meet us with compassionate love. Offering ourselves compassion is one step to encountering the depths of God’s compassion for us. God’s compassion transforms our brokenness.
As we yield to compassion, we are caught in the updraft of grace that carries us aloft. Then, in one single continuous movement of love, compassion draws us downward into the preciousness of all that is lost and broken within ourselves. The deeper the brokenness, the greater the momentum of the descent. The greater the momentum of the descent, the more deeply compassionate love descends into the innermost recesses of our doubts and fears. Suddenly encountering such love, our doubts and fears melt in the love that sets us free.9
We connect with angels as we experience defense against choosing evil, prompts to choose life, and guides to keep our journey with Christ on track.
References
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