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+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Give God the Glory

Reflections on Chapters 12-14 of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Years ago, I had a grandparent chargingly ask me if it was OK for her to be proud of her granddaughter, because she had been taught, “Pride goeth before the fall.”   I assured her that being proud of her grandchild was not a sin when the feeling was offered in thanksgiving of the accomplishment and not boosting up one’s own ego. “Look at what I have done,” has been the down fall of many people because they neglect or forget those that helped them achieve their goals. The Book of Acts shares story after story of the importance of acknowledging that all power and might comes from God, to whom we should offer our thanks and praise.   When our egos take over and we congratulate only ourselves for what we have done, we become idolatrous. Chapter 12 records an terrible story of King Herod’s response to the apostles.   He outright kills James and then arrests Peter, who is guarded by over 30 men....
Read more

Good Lord, Deliver Us

Today is the “Hallmark Holiday” Valentine’s Day.  Some of us will mark the occasion by wearing red or remembering at the last minute to buy a card or flowers of one’s beloved.  But my thoughts and prayers are with the 17 families of Parkland, Florida who mark today as the first anniversary of living without a loved one who was killed in a shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  It seems hard to believe a year has past since that awful day, which also happened to be Ash Wednesday.   Due to that fact, I was not as “plugged-in” that day and only got snippets of information between services.   As the details emerged, it was tragic and heartbreaking, taking on a surreal shimmer as most unthinkable acts do. Unfortunately, it was quite real, and the aftermath will be felt forever. I don’t know any of the victims, however I feel a connection to Carmen Schentrup, who was a 16 (almost 17) year old senior with big plans. She was also Episcopalian. ...
Read more

Transformation

Reflections on Chapters 9-11 of the Acts of the Apostles A little over a year ago, on the Feast of St. Paul’s Conversion (January 25), I wrote a blog post entitled “People Don’t Change – Until They Do.”   In our cynical world, too often we dismiss the idea that transformation can be a reality: that a criminal can be rehabilitated; an addict can remain in recovery, a “sinner” can become a “saint.” It is true that, being human, many of us fall short of complete change (I’ve lost and gained the same 40-50 lbs. many times in my life). However, such skepticism neglects the power of the Holy Spirit at work in peoples lives.   As we continue to read through the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, an essential art of what the author is sharing with us are amazing stories of such radical transformation that the only thing that can account for it is the Holy Spirit. And it begins with Saul.   He is the perfect villain in the story of the apostles.   No one was more opp...
Read more