29 September 2022
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
The feast of the archangels presents a rich and beautiful opportunity to contemplate the ways that God has ordered Creation and provided for his people. There’s much that we do not know about the angels, but there’s also much that we do. So many of the most pivotal moments in salvation history are marked by human-angelic interactions. For instance, it was the archangel Michael who defeated Satan following the rebellion in heaven and who guards us still from the wiles of the evil one. It was an angel of the Lord who stayed the hand of Abraham when he was about to offer his only son, Isaac, in sacrifice. It was the archangel Gabriel who appeared to Zechariah to herald the birth of John the Baptist. Likewise, Gabriel also appeared to the Blessed Virgin to announce that, with her consent, God intended to become incarnate and accomplish the redemption of humankind.
The significance of each of these events cannot be overstated and each instance of human-angelic interaction likewise reveals just how intimately the angels are involved in the execution of God’s protection and Providence in our everyday lives. Today, let us pray in gratitude and wonder for a greater appreciation of the archangels and all of their incredible goodness and service to humankind. May they continue to guide and protect us always in all things.