NUNTIATORIA

St. Michael and All Angels (Sept 29)

by the Revd Dr Robert Wilson PhD (Cantab), Old Roman Apostolate UK

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. But what are angels and what is their distinctive role? Angels are spirits without bodies of any kind. St. John of Damascus states that God is “maker and creator of the angels, who brought them into being from having no existence; forming them in his own image with a bodiless nature, as a spirit, or immaterial fire… An angel then, is an intellectual being, ever in movement, possessing free will, bodiless, ministering to God, by grace having an immortal nature, the form and limit of whose being the creator alone knoweth.” Their spiritual nature does not imply that they are everywhere present, or that they know all things, for they are creatures rather than the creator. Some of the angels fell into sin, the most powerful of these being Satan, the chief of the angels who fell. The cause of their fall is usually held to be pride.

However, the angels most commonly referred to in the Bible are those who remained in the service of God. It is usually held that they are in different ranks, namely seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, powers, authorities, princedoms, archangels, angels. There has been much speculation from the early days of the Church about the respective roles of angels in their different ranks. However, the explanations given by many justifying a clear cut distinction between the different offices do not appear to be satisfactory. For instance, it has been held that some angels are mainly preoccupied with the contemplation of God, while others with ministrations to men. But in the Book of Isaiah the seraphim are represented as not only worshipping God, but in also ministering to men (Isaiah 6). In St. Luke’s Gospel the archangel Gabriel is said to stand in the presence of God, but also ministers to men (Luke 1). It is therefore best to avoid excessive speculation about the different roles of different ranks of angels. There is a danger of falling into the elaborate systems of the Gnostic heresy, since those who believed in salvation by esoteric knowledge were often preoccupied with devising speculative systems based on different ranks of angels.

While excessive speculation about the nature of angelic ranks is best avoided, there are three archangels whose names are clearly given in the Bible, St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael. Both St. Michael and St. Gabriel are referred to in the New Testament, while St. Raphael appears in the Book of Tobit. The Book of Tobit also refers to seven angels of different rank. An even greater number of names are mentioned in later Jewish writings, such as the Book of Enoch. However, all these names, with the exception of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael were rejected in Western Councils in the eighth century, which is why among the angels we only celebrate the feasts of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

In the Bible the angels are described as worshipping God in the books of Job, Isaiah and Revelation. The Epistle to the Hebrews states that the angels are ministering spirits sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation. They not only minister in the service of God, but also work for men. They give help in prayer, as referred to in the Book of Revelation where an angel is described as adding incense to the prayers of the saints ascending before God (Revelation 8). They give succour in life, as when in the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter is delivered through the instrumentality of an angel (Acts 12). They give care after death, as in the parable of Dives and Lazarus, when the beggar died and was carried away by the angels in Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16). For the purpose of helping men, guardian angels are assigned to each person. Thus, little children are not to be despised because their angels in heaven always behold the face of God who is in heaven (Matthew 18). It is usually held that guardian angels are assigned to every human being, not only the baptised. The angels also have work to perform on the day of judgement, and in carrying out the war against the dark forces that seem so powerful in this world.

It is this latter role that is especially associated with St. Michael. In the Book of Daniel St. Michael is portrayed as the protector of God’s people, the faithful remnant of Israel (Daniel 10). The faithful are assured that, despite the apparent success of the dark forces that seem to rule this world, good will triumph into the end. The word apocalypse means unveiling, and in the Book of Daniel it is revealed that there are supernatural forces of both good and evil behind the events of human history. It is not simply a matter of political and economic forces driving events, for conflicts in this world mirror battles in the heavenly world.

However, since the coming of the Saviour into the world, the Kingdom of God is not simply a matter of future expectation, for in an important sense the time of salvation has already begun. In his ministry Jesus said that he saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven, an event in the heavenly world that paralleled the defeat of the forces of evil in Jesus’ words and works, especially his exorcisms (Luke 10). His death and resurrection meant that the principalities and powers had been in principle defeated, and the prince of this world had been driven out (John 12). Hence, in the Book of Revelation, when St. Michael is portrayed as fighting against the forces of evil (Revelation 12) it is also made clear that this is a battle that has already in principle been won. But since the new heaven and the new earth are still to come there is still need to seek the intercession of St. Michael against the dark forces that still seem so powerful in this world.

This is especially important at this present time, when we seem to be living in times of great tribulation. The rulers of this world are trying to use the present crisis to further their own delusions of power and control. We must not despair, but rather seek to see the world in a deeper perspective. Jesus did not promise his followers prosperity, but rather that in this world they would experience tribulation. But he also said that he had overcome the world and that he brought a peace which this world cannot give. This crisis will surely pass and the forces of evil will self-destruct in the end. Let us seek the intercession of St. Michael and pray for grace to persevere. 

Holy Michael, archangel, defend us in the day of battle, be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast down to hell Satan and all the wicked spirits who wander through this world for the ruin of souls.