Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels
(Daniel 7:9-10.13-14; John 1:47-51)
Scripture does not speak much of angels. However, it does reveal that there are
many. Today’s reading from the prophet
speaks of “myriads” attending God on high.
Jesus indicates the presence of many angels in today’s gospel as well.
He says that the heavens will be opened and the angels will ascend and descend
in what sounds like a long, long procession.
There is a story that tells how human beings are served by
the presence of so many angels. Once a novice
monk was having difficulty resisting sexual temptation. He became so discouraged that he went to his
spiritual advisor, an elderly monk, to say that he decided to leave the
monastery. The spiritual advisor asked the
young monk why and was told about the temptations. The elderly monk then took him outside and
told him to look at the western sky and tell him what he saw. The young monk looked up and saw a band of
devils whooping and dancing in preparation for battle. Then the elder told his protégé to look at
the eastern sky. When he did, he saw
legions and legions of angels armed and fitted for war. The old monk explained that the angels were
there to protect the novice from sin if the young man would just ask for
help. This the novice did. When he returned to his cell, he changed his
mind about leaving the monastery. He was
confident that with the help of all those angels, he could fulfill his vocation
as a monk.
Angels attend to the God who loves us. When we feel overwhelmed by spiritual or
worldly cares, we just have to call to God for help. He will send his angels to our aid.
