Homily: Feast of the Archangels (Gabriel, Michael and Raphael)

Feast of the Archangels (Gabriel, Michael and Raphael) “God’s Ambassadors”

Angels are said to be messengers from God. Many people feel like they have encountered angels. Perhaps it is the mysterious stranger that shows up in a time of need and helps you, but you never see them again. People do have these experiences.

When we think of Archangels, they are said to be the closest living beings to God, and they are said to have specific functions. There are different opinions about how many Archangels there are. We hear there are 3, 4 or 12 depending on what sources we look at. The archangels are mentioned in various sacred writings, but the main two are the Koran, the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The three Archangels we remember on this feast all appear prominently in the Bible. Michael is referred to in several places in the Bible. He always leads the army of angels. In the Book of Revelation, he does battle with the dragon (Satan). This is referred to in Revelation 12:7-9. Michael always shows God’s might.

Gabriel is said to be God’s messenger. We read of him in the Gospels. Especially we remember how Gabriel appears to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce the Incarnation of Jesus (Lk. 1:26-38). Gabriel also is mentioned in the Book of Daniel.

Raphael is a major character in the Book of Tobit. He brings God’s remedy (healing) to Tobit and to Sarah. He might be a good saint to ask to intercede for us in this time of pandemic.

The translation of the names of the Archangels can give us an idea of how we should regard them. Michael is a name which means, “One who is like God.” Gabriel is a name that means, “God’s able bodied one.”  Raphael means “God’s healer.” God send’s specific Archangels to interact with human beings for particular reasons.

It was believed in the Bible that it could be fatal to have direct contact with God. This was because God’s direct revelation was so overwhelming. The Archangels and angels are God’s intermediaries. They are messengers who are said to help us when we need it most.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have I ever heard of someone having a direct encounter with an angel? How would it make me feel if I had such an experience?
2. Do I ask the Angels to intercede in times when I need something? For instance, have I ever asked Archangel Gabriel to provide an answer for a question I have about my life?

 Dear Parishioners,

We will be having an informational meeting about our new gathering space tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Culemans Hall. This session is for new parishioners, but I would like to invite anyone who feels that they would like to have more information about our plans.

          Our efforts to reach the three-million-dollar goal we established for our TTT campaign three years ago have come a long way since the 4^th of July when we announced the plan to ask people to extend their pledges for another year. At that point, we had about 2.3 million dollars. Come and hear about the pledges we have now.

          Thanks to our TTT campaign committee under the leadership of Pete Murray and Sandi Madison who have helped with this latest push. This new space could be very important for the future of our parish.

          May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you.

Fr. Mark