The Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, September 29, 2020

Revelation 12:7-12ab

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. 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. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night. They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death. Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them.”

Previous to the reform of the Church calendar in the 1960’s, each of the archangels had his own feast: September 29 for St. Michael; March 24 for St. Gabriel; and October 24 for St. Raphael.  In addition to his primary feast, St. Michael’s apparition on Mount Gargano in Italy was celebrated on May 8.  Of all the myriads of members in the angelic choirs in heaven, only these three are named in the Holy Scriptures.  The Orthodox, however, honor seven particular archangels, four of whom are named in apocryphal books.  The archangels form one of the nine choirs or ranks of angels.  We do not know how many angels are found in each choir.  The Book of Revelation 5, 11 speaks of ”thousands of thousands” of angels altogether.  While we highly esteem the archangels who have played significant roles in the history of the salvation of the human race, it is the Seraphim who make up the highest choir or rank.  The archangels make up the eighth rank, just above that of the angels proper.  The primary purpose of all the angels is to glorify God and they do so without ceasing down through eternity.  Various members of the choir of angels (“messengers”) proper are assigned as guardians of members of the human race.  Others act as messengers from the throne of God to his lowly human subjects on earth, bearing particular messages or inspirations.  The most important messages are entrusted to the archangels (“chief messengers”), as St. Gabriel was entrusted with the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In order for us to appreciate something of the glory of the archangels, it is necessary for us to keep in mind that they are not human.  We often picture them as winged people wearing white robes, but that is not really how they are portrayed in the Scriptures.  Neither Michael nor Gabriel are described at all, for instance, and Raphael only appears in human form in order to interact with humans.  The angels of the famous vision recorded in Isaiah 6, 2 are seraphim, and they are described solely in terms of having six wings.  Perhaps the fullest description of an angel occurs in a vision recorded in the Book of Daniel: “And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw: and behold a man clothed in linen, and his loins were girded with the finest gold: and his body was like the chrysolite, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as a burning lamp: and his arms, and all downward even to the feet, like in appearance to glittering brass: and the voice of his word like the voice of a multitude” (Daniel 10, 5-6).  He is described as a creature of brilliant light.

We read in awe of the great battle in heaven described by St. John in the first reading for today’s Mass: “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.”  Unlike the epic tales of wars in heaven told by the ancient Greeks, the Norsemen, and the Hindus, this war is short and the outcome is never in doubt.  Perhaps if we could measure it in human terms it would have taken place in the fraction of a second.  The will of God is carried out in heaven immediately.  It is done so in this battle through God’s angels, who cast their own kind, who have rebelled against God, into the fiery pit of hell. 

What we know of St. Michael’s service to God is recorded in the vision of his  leading the charge of the good angels against Lucifer and the wicked angels who followed him, and in the Book of Daniel, where he is called the protector of Israel, and so the Church, the New Israel, considers him her protector as well.  The Jewish Mishnah contains an interesting detail concerning the expulsion of the wicked angels into hell, that one of these grabbed hold of Michael to pull him down with him, but Michael was freed by the power of God.  The Letter of Jude relates an old tradition that Michael fought the devil over the body of Moses after the latter’s death: “When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses, he dared not bring against him the judgment of railing speech, but said: The Lord commands you” (Jude 9).  In his commentary on the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, St. Thomas Aquinas relates an ancient prophecy that St. Michael will slay the Antichrist on the Mount of Olives at the end of the world.  In the traditional Mass, St. Michael’s name is invoked in the Confiteor and in the blessing of the incense.  His name is also his battle cry: “Who is like God?”

St. Gabriel plays a part in the Book of Daniel, explaining visions to the prophet.  Most especially we remember him as announcing the conception of St. John the Baptist to Zechariah, and then striking him dumb when he was slow to believe his message; and as bringing the joyous news of the conception of the Son of God in the womb of the Virgin Mary.  Many commentators also consider that he was the angel who spoke to St. Joseph in his dreams: first, to take Mary as his wife, and second, to take the newborn Christ and the Virgin Mother to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod.  Tradition tells us as well that he brought to the Blessed Virgin the news of her Son’s Resurrection.  This tradition is the foundation for the Marian antiphonal, Regina Caeli.  His name means “God is my strength”.

St. Raphael plays a crucial role in the Book of Tobit, being sent by God to aid the family of his sorely tried servant Tobit by recovering money owed to him and also by intervening against a murderous demon so that the righteous Sarah can marry Tobit’s won Tobiah.  Raphael then returns to Tobit and heals his blindness.  He is considered the patron saint of travelers and is also called upon by the sick.  His name, in fact, means, “God heals”.

Here are the three traditional prayers of the Church to the three archangels,  from the collects of the Masses honoring them:

O God, Who assign, according to a wondrous order, the duties of Angels and men, mercifully grant that our life on earth be guarded by those who continually stand in Your presence and minister to You in heaven.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen,

O God, Who, out of all the angels, chose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the mystery of Your incarnation, mercifully grant that we who keep his feast on earth, may have him as our patron in heaven.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

O God, Who gave blessed Raphael the Archangel as a traveling companion to Your servant Tobias, grant us, Your servants, ever to be protected by his guardianship and by his help.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.