Merry Michaelmas

For those of you who are fans of English literature or arcane feasts of the Church, you may be aware of the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, which is celebrated on September 29th.  As the feast of the birth of Jesus has been truncated over the years from “Christ’s Mass” to “Christmas”, so too has this holy day become known as “Michaelmas.”  In a Christendom society, it would have been understood one was talking about the end of September when referring to Michaelmas.  While this feast is not well known nowadays, angels certainly are as they continue to capture the imaginations of believers and skeptics as being powerful forces in the world today or just modern-day versions of fairies.  

The primary role of angels is to be messengers from God.  As it is very intimidating to have an angel show up with such a message, almost all interactions with angels start with the angel announcing, “Do not be afraid.”  At least the angels are aware that it is human nature to be terrified of something so awesome and bizarre as having a conversation with a heavenly being.

There are four archangels named in our canonical scriptures - Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael – and several others that appear in apocryphal writings, like the Book of Enoch: Raguel, Remiel, Phanuel and Sariel.  Christians are probably most familiar with Gabriel as he is the one who announced to Mary that she would bare the Christ. It may be surprising to some that Gabriel is also an important messenger in the Muslim faith, as they believe Gabriel revealed parts of the Qu'ran to the prophet Muhammad.

Since there have not been many recorded visits from angels since those noted in Scripture, some dismiss their existence as mere fantasy, a way to move the plot along in a story when “divine knowledge” is needed.  However, there are also many faithful people who believe angels are not only real, but very active in the world today, offering spiritual guidance, support and protection.

If I wasn’t a person of faith, I could easily think that many situations in my life were “good luck” or “serendipitous,” but I choose to believe that there is more than I can see or imagine at work in the world.  Seeing a car or person while driving at just the right time to avoid an accident; being at the right place and the right time to help someone (physically or spiritually); knowing something that I’m not sure where the knowledge came from.  Is this proof that angels exist? Not empirically, but I believe.

I have a friend who is a devout Roman Catholic who does what she refers to as “angel work.”  There is a group of dedicated, faithful people who act like mediums in the world, helping the angels in their work, getting the message of God’s love and presence to those who need it that most.  I was (and will admit am still a bit unsure) of her work, but I’ve also experienced receiving messages.  As she offers the words of love and encouragement, she gets “goose bumps” as confirmation that the message is right.  I got goose bumps (the chills) as well.  And I’ve experienced that at other times as well when I’ve felt a presence beyond the physical.  Again, not empirical, but enough to make me to be more open to the possibility.

We are also aware of “angels” in our lives, certain people who are physically present to us and offer care and love.  They are the embodiment – the incarnation – of God’s love made manifest. We are blessed when such a person – a parent, partner, teacher, friend – is a part of our lives.  Such individuals help all of us experience what sharing God’s love is like in as pure a form as possible for a human being. 

I hope we will celebrate Michaelmas by giving thanks to all angels, physical and spiritual, at work in the world. We can share in their work by being messengers of God’s love.

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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