Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels
Angels are creatures different from humans by nature. They belong to creatures, they are close to us, therefore the Church celebrates their feast. Until the last reform of the church calendar (February 14, 1969), there were three separate holidays: St. Michael was worshiped on September 29, St. Gabriel on March 24, and St. Raphael - October 24. Today, all three Archangels are honored together.
In the Christian tradition, Michael is the first and most important of the angels (Dn 10:13; 12: 1; Rev 12: 7ff), gifted with special trust by God. The Hebrew name Mika'el means "Who is like God". According to tradition, when Lucifer rebelled against God and persuaded some of the angels to rebel, Archangel Michael came forward and shouted "Who is like God" to declare war on Satan.
Michael is mentioned five times in the Scriptures. In the book of Daniel, he is called "one of the chief princes of heaven" (cf. Dan 10:13-21) and " guardian of your people" (cf. Dan 12: 1). St. John the Apostle describes him in the Apocalypse as standing at the head of the heavenly spirits, fighting against Satan (cf. Rev 12: 7). St. Jude the Apostle says that he was commissioned to guard the body of Moses after his death (cf. Jude 1: 9). The Apostle Paul also mentions him (cf. 1 Thess 4:16).
He is considered an angel of justice and judgment, grace and mercy. Even more the importance of St. Michael is accentuated by apocryphal books: the Book of Enoch, the Apocalypse of Baruch and the Apocalypse of Moses, in which Michael appears as the most important person after God, as the executor of God's plans for the earth, mankind and Israel. Michael is the prince of angels, he is an angel of judgment and God's punishments, but also an angel of God's mercy. Early Christian writers attribute many of these attributes to him; they consider him an angel from especially important divine orders. They wrote about him, among others Tertullian, Origen, Hermas and Didymus. As praepositus paradisi, he is to weigh souls at the Last Judgment.
He is revered as the protector of the People of God and therefore the Church, heir of Israel, which honors him as protector. Pope Leo XIII established a separate prayer to St. Michael that priests said after Mass with the people for the protection of the Church.
The cult of St. Michael the Archangel is very ancient and alive in Christianity. It dates back to the 2nd century. Symeon the Metaphrast writes that in Phrygia, Asia Minor, St. Michael was to appear in Cheretopa and leave a miraculous spring, to which crowds of pilgrims rushed. A similar sanctuary was in Chone, in a settlement 4 km from the Colossae, which was called "Michelion". In Constantinople, the cult of St. Michael was so alive that in the 6th century he had as many as 10 churches consecrated to him, and in the 9th century there were15 monasteries and churches dedicated to him. Sozomenos and Nikephoros Kallistos mention that there was a sanctuary of St. Michael, founded by the emperor Constantine (4th century). In Constantinople itself in the 5th century there was an image of St. Michael, revered as miraculous in one of the monasteries under his name. Many pilgrims took with them same of the oil from the lamp burning in front of this painting, as it was believed to have healing power. In Ethiopia, each 12th day of the month was dedicated to St. Michael.
Those of you who traveled with me also, remember our stop at the Mount Gargano, in the city of Monte Sant'Angelo, there is the most famous sanctuary in the Roman Catholic Church in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. On the top of the mountain there is a characteristic basilica, which are buildings situated around the grotto, testifying to its 15th-century history. The beginnings of the sanctuary date back to the end of the 5th and first decades of the 6th century. According to sources, the antiquity of this place is evidenced by the letters of Pope Gelasius I, written at the turn of 493/494 to Bishop Justus and to Bishop Herculentius (492-496) of Potenza, as well as a mention in the Geronymian Martirology on September 29. Another written source is the so-called Liber de apparitione sancti Michaelis in Monte Gargano.
The Holy Grotto has been a place of pilgrimage, prayer and reconciliation with God for centuries. For fifteen centuries, Christians from all over the world have come to the Sanctuary of Mount Gargano to honor St. Michael the Archangel, Prince of the heavenly armies, proclaiming Who is like God. There were many popes among the pilgrims: Gelasius I, Leo IX, Urban II, Alexander III, Gregory X, Celestine V, John XXIII (as a cardinal), John Paul II. Among the rulers, mention should be made of the king of Poland - Sigismund the Old. Among the saints: Anselm, Bernard of Clairvaux, Guglielmo of Vercelli, Francis of Assisi, Brigid of Sweden, Bona of Pisa, Alphonsus Liguori, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina and Fr. George with the Pilgrims from Los Angeles.
Among the many Sanctuaries dedicated to Michael the Archangel, the three most important sites are: the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo in the Gargano, Mont Saint Michel in France and Sacra of San Miguel in Val de Susa.
Saint Gabriel
Gabriel first appears by this name in the Book of Daniel (cf. Dan 8: 15-26; 9: 21-27). In the first case, he explains to Daniel the significance of the mysterious vision of the ram and the goat illustrating the conquest by Greece of the powerful Medes and Persians; in the second case, the archangel Gabriel explains to the prophet Daniel the Prophecy of Seventy Weeks. The name "Gabriel"- Gaḇrīʾēl, means “God is my strength” or “God has shown might.” In the Christian tradition (Lk 1: 11-20, 26-31), he brings the Good News. He appears to Zacharias announcing the birth of his son John the Baptist. He also announces to Mary that she will become the Mother of the Son of God.
According to some church writers, Gabriel was the guardian angel of the Holy Family. He was coming to Joseph in dreams (Matthew 1: 20-24; 2:13; 2: 19-20). He was to be an angel of comfort in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk 22:43), herald at the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Mt 28: 5-6) and at His ascension (Acts 1:10).
Almost all rites in the Church, have the feast of St. Gabriel in their liturgy just before or just after the Annunciation. This was also in the Roman liturgy until 1969; He was then worshiped on March 24, on the eve of the Annunciation. In the West, a separate feast of St. Gabriel did not become accepted until the 10th century. Pope Benedict XV extended it from local to church-wide in 1921. Pius XII on April 1, 1951 proclaimed St. Gabriela as the patron of telegraph, telephone, radio and television. St. Gabriel is also revered as the patron saint of diplomats, philatelists, messengers and postal workers. In 1705, St. Louis Grignion de Montfort founded a religious family under the name of the Brothers of St. Gabriel. They mainly care for the deaf and the blind.
Saint Raphael
Raphael introduced himself in the Book of Tobit that he is one of the "seven angels who stand ready and come before the Lord's majesty" (Tb 12:15). He appears in a human form, takes the common name of Azariah and offers his company and protection to the young Tobias, who travels from Nineveh to Media. He saves him from many dangerous adventures, chases away the demon Asmodeus. Raphael directed Tobias to cure his father's blindness with the gall of the fish he had caught. The Hebrew name Raphael - Rəp̄āʾēl, means “God has healed”
In the 7th century, there was already a church in Venice in honor of St. Raphael. In the same century, the city of Córdoba in Spain proclaimed him its patron.
St. Raphael the Archangel shows the goodness of Providence. Popular piety sees him as the prototype of the Guardian Angel. He is revered as the patron saint of pharmacists, the sick, doctors, expats, pilgrims, travelers, refugees, wanderers and sailors.
The Feast of St. Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, draws our attention to the existence of another world beyond the earthly - the heavenly world and eternal life with God, which angels already enjoy today. By living with God in eternity, we will also be able to enjoy participating and contemplating what angels and archangels already see and participate in.
The liturgical feast of these three Archangels is a good opportunity to re-realize the purpose of our earthly journey and to undertake the hardships and efforts associated with it. It is important especially in today's world, in many dimensions of the reality that surrounds us, when we are trying to erase the supernatural element and the perspective of eternal life with God from the sight of man.
The goal of our pilgrimage on earth is heaven and being with God forever. In this pilgrimage we are not alone, but constantly supported by the help, prayer and protection of the angels that God gives us as companions. We will be able to realize their constant accompanying us again, soon celebrating on October 2, the memory of the holy Guardian Angels.
In one of his letters to the spiritual daughters St. Padre Pio wrote words that we can apply not only to our Guardian Angels, but also to each of the holy Archangels mentioned today: “This good Angel prays for you and offers God all your good deeds, your holy and desirable things. When it seems to you that you are alone and abandoned, do not complain that you are missing a friend to whom you can open your heart and to whom you can entrust your misfortunes. For God's sake, do not forget that this invisible companion is with you, always ready to listen to you, always ready to comfort you. "
Let us ask God to help us imitate the Holy Archangels. That we like St. Michael always be sure that God is in the first place in our lives, That we like St. Gabriel will bring joyful news and testimony to others about God's actions in our lives and in other people's lives, and like St. Raphael help others experience God's healing of the soul and body through concrete help and prayer.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george