The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels, invite us to reflect on the extension of our sense of “reality” beyond the perception of our five bodily senses to the mystical interaction with the angels of God.
The Reading from the Book of Revelation proclaims Michael, the archangel, in victory over the dragon.
* [12:7–12] Michael, mentioned only here in Revelation, wins a victory over the dragon. A hymn of praise follows.
* [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.
* [12:9] The ancient serpent: who seduced Eve (Gn 3:1–6), mother of the human race; cf. Rev 20:2; Eph 6:11–12. Was thrown down: allusion to the expulsion of Satan from heaven; cf. Lk 10:18.
* [12:10] The accuser: the meaning of the Hebrew word “Satan,” found in Rev 12:9; Jb 1–2; Zec 3:1; 1 Chr 21:1; he continues to accuse Christ’s disciples. (Revelation, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)
The Reading from the Book of Daniel is a vision of the heavenly throne of God.
* [7:9–10] A vision of the heavenly throne of God (the Ancient of Days), who sits in judgment over the nations. Some of the details of the vision, depicting the divine majesty and omnipotence, are to be found in Ezekiel 1. Others are paralleled in 1 Enoch, a contemporary Jewish apocalypse.
* [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). (Daniel, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)
Psalm 138 is a thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue.
* [Psalm 138] A thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist. Divine rescue was not the result of the psalmist’s virtues but of God’s loving fidelity (Ps 138:1–3). The act is not a private transaction but a public act that stirs the surrounding nations to praise God’s greatness and care for the people (Ps 138:4–6). The psalmist, having experienced salvation, trusts that God will always be there in moments of danger (Ps 138:7–8). (Psalms, PSALM 138, n.d.)
The Gospel of John introduces Nathanael among the First Disciples.
* [1:47] A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him: Jacob was the first to bear the name “Israel” (Gn 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Gn 27:35–36).
* [1:48] Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf. Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10).
* [1:49] Son of God: this title is used in the Old Testament, among other ways, as a title of adoption for the Davidic king (2 Sm 7:14; Ps 2:7; 89:27), and thus here, with King of Israel, in a messianic sense. For the evangelist, Son of God also points to Jesus’ divinity (cf. Jn 20:28).
* [1:50] Possibly a statement: “You [singular] believe because I saw you under the fig tree.”
* [1:51] The double “Amen” is characteristic of John. You is plural in Greek. The allusion is to Jacob’s ladder (Gn 28:12). (John, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
Mirielle Mason comments that Jesus did not shy away from bringing his faith to those who did not believe, or those who doubted. It is important to emphasize that doubting is a natural part of our faith!
In this section of John, Nathanael himself doubts when he asks, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Really, he is asking if this Jesus fellow can be the Messiah because he was not supposed to come from Nazareth. But, very importantly, Nathanael went to see Jesus despite his doubts! This is why we need to consistently show up to church, even when we are struggling, perhaps especially when we are struggling. Jesus knew where he was at and met him there, which shocked Nathanael, but folks, He knows all of us from the very beginning to the very end of our lives! He is always with us, loving and guiding us. It is our job to pray and trust in his path, to recognize Him when He reveals Himself to us daily, and to be our honest selves whenever possible. In these ways, we may strive to live in the example Nathanael provided us. (Mason, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The Lord of Angels,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"Do you see 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) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 138:1-5 comments that at every Mass, we join the angels as they worship before the throne of God (Catechism, 335). That means that every Mass you attend, every time you gather to worship the Lord, you are doing what the psalmist describes. You are singing God’s praise “in the presence of the angels” (Psalm 138:1). Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are right there with you!
So ask these mighty archangels to draw your heart heavenward whenever you worship. Let their proclamations give you the words to praise God. Because even though they might be occupied with the events of our world, they are never too busy to do what they were created to do—worship God. And they are delighted when you do it with them.
“Lord, what a privilege it is to join these powerful angelic saints as they lead me to worship you!” (Meditation on Psalm 138:1-5, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the two choices of the First Reading. In the scene from Daniel 7, the Ancient of Days, Yahweh, is attended by angels. In Daniel 7, the term “Son of Man” referred to Israel. Jesus applies the term to himself and includes references to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah. Revelations 12 is the defeat of Satan and angels by Michael and the angels. A battle on earth is reflected into the heavens. Satan is cast upon the earth. Why? Pride? Jealousy? Whatever the reason, the diabolic is opposed to the heavenly. The name Nathanael is used only in John. He is referred to as Bartholomew in the other Gospels. The fig tree was where one studied the Law. Jesus refers to Jacob who was changed by wrestling with God. Israel is the name of honesty. Friar Jude notes that after wrestling with God under the tree, Nathanael responds by recognizing Jesus who refers to the ladder of Jacob.
Fr. Mike Schmitz introduces the book of Nehemiah and takes us through Nehemiah’s exemplary response to the call of God as he does what God asks simply because he asks. He also encourages us to pray for our enemies and explains the need to refrain from vengeance in our interactions with others, especially when we are provoked by their actions. Today’s readings are Nehemiah 1-2, Zechariah 12-13, and Proverbs 20:20-22.
Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Franciscan Alternative Orthodoxy.
Francis’ starting place was human suffering instead of human sinfulness, and God’s identification with that suffering in Jesus. That did not put him in conflict with any Catholic dogmas or structures. His Christ was cosmic while also deeply personal, his cathedral was creation itself, and he preferred the bottom of society to the top. He invariably emphasized inclusion of the seeming outsider over any club of insiders, and he was much more a mystic than a moralist. In general, Francis preferred ego poverty to private perfection, because Jesus “became poor for our sake, so that we might become rich out of his poverty” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
I sincerely think Francis found a Third Way, which is the creative and courageous role of a prophet and a mystic. He basically repeated what all prophets say: that the message and the medium for the message have to be the same thing. And Francis emphasized the medium itself, instead of continuing to clarify or contain the mere verbal message; this tends to be the “priestly” job, one which Francis never wanted for himself. (Rohr, n.d.)
We experience the influence of the Spirit in our inspiration and motivation that opens our mind to the “re-presentation” of the Divine in our community, worship, and meditation.
References
Daniel, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/7?9
John, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?47
Mason, M. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-29-2025
Meditation on Psalm 138:1-5. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/09/29/1392913/
Psalms, PSALM 138. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/138?1
Revelation, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/12?7
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/franciscan-alternative-orthodoxy/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Will See the Angels of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=sep29a
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