They Are There for Us

Homily for the Feast of the Archangels

When Jesus explains things to his disciples, and by extension to us, he uses common, every day, ordinary things. He compares us to a lamp that is placed to illuminate the entire room. He also compares us to the salt that is used to preserve and to enhance flavor. He speaks of a net for catching fish. He illustrates the way we perceive the Word of God by telling a story about a man sowing seeds. Like the Prophet Isaiah, he speaks of heaven as a banquet. There are many more examples of the common and ordinary things that Jesus uses in his preaching in the Gospels.

However, today we celebrate the Feast of the Archangels. Through this feast we are invited to look beyond our ordinary world to catch a glimpse of the heavenly realm which we will only experience fully when we come to the end of our journey on this earth. We get to hear, with the humble Nathaniel, Jesus’ promise that we will see so much more than we see now. Now beyond affirming that Heaven is our true home, what can we take from these readings today?

We focus our answer to that question on the three archangels. One could argue that all three are “down to earth” because they have been sent to human beings as our protectors and guides. Michael is revered the world over as our protector – not only driving Satan out of heaven but keeping Satan from getting a toehold in our spiritual lives. Gabriel is world-famous for the astonishing news he brought to human beings – first into the doubting Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, and then to the humble and obedient virgin, Mary. Raphael, featured in the Book of Tobit from the Hebrew Scriptures, brought guidance and healing to a family beset by trials and suffering.

While the heavenly beings whose feast we celebrate today are mentioned in the Bible, they are among myriad Angels created not only to worship God night and day for all eternity, but to help each individual member of the human family find their way home to God. When asked to define Angels, St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “the Angels work together for the benefit of us all.” They serve God’s people, giving help, offering comfort, and providing protection. They are also powerful intercessors for us before the throne of God. To put it simply, “They are there for us.”