Archangels Among Us

Today we celebrate the feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.  Their names reflect the divine attributes of God, 'who is like God,' 'God is strong,' and 'God heals.'  We celebrate these heavenly beings because to do so draws us closer to the mystery of God, and of God's providence.  The Archangels remind us that God is not disconnected from us, but finds his home in our places and in our history.

In a parish far away, and long ago, before the Easter morning Mass, as I prepared the incense, one of the parishioners began to complain about the smell of that "stuff."  In my naivete I tried to explain the significance of incense.  I might as well have been describing the attributes of a dwarf star.  But mystery is something that we sadly lack in our spirituality and liturgy today.  Perhaps it is because of the post modern world we live in, but we do not allow our inner being to touch the divine, or even to contemplate the mystery of faith which we profess.  Maybe this is why this feast of angels is so important for us.

In using God words and imagery, we are forced to define what this means in the larger world sense, and for our own lives as well.  To consider the awesomeness of God is to reflect on our response to a God who creates us, as well as brings us peace and salvation.  We also need to move from contemplating the God of life in our head, to our hearts.  This can be a daunting task.

Moving to a more intimate relationship with God helps us understand our prayers, to seek forgiveness and reconciliation, and to serve God in loving him and one another.  The Archangels, and their ministry, helps us to call to mind that God's love and compassion is beyond our comprehension.  When we falter or have doubts, God reaches into human lives and embraces all men and women.  Our use of prayer, meditation, and 'God Language,' keeps us connected to the life of God, and helps us find him in the midst of a confusing world.  We are God's delight.

Today's feast says something very important about us as it does the Archangels.  The whole of the cosmos is directed towards our salvation.  If God is for us, who can be against?