Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
(Daniel 7:9-10.13-14; John 1:47-51)
Quantum mechanics proposes that positions of subatomic particles cannot be determined with certainty. Indeed, it presumes that a particle can be in two places at the same time. Albert Einstein refuted this idea saying that there must be specific position for each particle because “God does not play dice with the universe.”
Just as Einstein and other contemporary physicists have speculated over the movement of subatomic particles, Thomas Aquinas and other theologians in the Scholastic Age contemplated the presence of angels on a pinhead. Their purpose was not to count angels but to indicate God’s presence to humans in distress. The scholastics, following Scripture, maintain that God’s ways are infinite since He uses these spiritual entities to carry out His will.
Today’s feast of the archangels encourages us to trust in God’s Providence by offering a glimpse into the mechanics of God’s ways. In the gospel Jesus predicts that his disciples will see the Father assist him bear the greatest of human suffering by sending angels over him. Similarly, we can be reassured that God will help us when we turn to Him with our needs.
