THE WORD AND THE FEAST
September 29, 2023: Celebrating the Archangels - Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
Daniel 12:7-12; John 1: 47-51
Angels are extensions of God; they are concrete manifestations of the presence and interventions of God. This is what the Word tells us. If we really understand them so, let us look at the kind of manifestation that the Lord gives us.
Michael is the Strength of God, the power and the sovereignty that God has. Who looks upto power and strength? Those who are weak, those who are downtrodden. God manifests, through Angel Michael, that God stands by those who are weak and exploited.
Gabriel is the Good News of God, the message of joy and salvation. Who is in need of a good news? Those who find themselves in need, enslaved and suffering, heavy laden and hopeless, who look up to the Lord for a ray of Hope. Angel Gabriel is the assurance of God, the good news that the heavy laden need to hear.
Raphael is the Healing of God, the compassionate touch of God. Obviously, those who need a healing are those who are sick, those who find it hard to live their life to the full. God chooses to reach out to the sick, the sinners, those who are struggling to remain true to their calling - Raphael is the concrete sign of this presence.
God reveals to the world, and today's world should take it seriously, that God stands by, stands for, stands with the downtrodden, with those who are in darkness and those who are spiritually and physically sick.
We are called today, not only to see and to celebrate the Angels climbing up and down the ladder of God's mediation, but to be Angels ourselves... that is, to stand by the downtrodden, the desperate and the diseased. They need the Lord and we need be the Lord's manifestation. Are we convinced of it?