In the sight of the angels, I will sing your praises, Lord. Angels are spiritual and immortal beings who ceaselessly glorify God even as they serve as messengers of God’s saving plan for the created universe (Catechism of the Catholic Church). Although angels generally “spend” their time in the heavenly court where they form a host of ministers and courtiers around God, they also appear as God’s loving, caring, and saving intervention in human affairs. The three archangels whose feast we celebrate today each intervened in a particular way in the lives of God’s people. Their intervention “incarnated” God’s salvation for God’s people.
Michael (meaning “Who is like God?”) is the archangel who fought (and continues to fight) Satan, the greatest threat to humanity’s relationship with God. He is the protector of all humanity (cf. Daniel 10:13, 21) and is the patron of security forces and of the sick. Archangel Gabriel (meaning “God’s strength”) announced the good news of the conception of both John the Baptist and Jesus (cf. Luke 1: 19, 26ff). He is the patron of telecommunications and the postal service. Raphael (meaning “God’s remedy”) is the archangel of healing. He was sent by God to restore the sight of Tobit and to remove the curse of Sarah who was to be the wife of Tobias, Tobit’s son. He is the patron of travelers and the blind.
We celebrate the angels not because of who they are but because of what they represent: God’s involvement and salvific intervention in our lives. God is always looking out for us to protect us and to keep us out of harm’s way since it is in this that is constituted the eternal life that is God’s plan for us. Whether as bringers of good news or bringers of healing, the angels of God remind us of God’s love for us, and how God will never fail to come to our aid in our moments of need. The presence of the angels in our midst is a reminder that God is a loving creator who never forsakes his creation. May we be always aware of God’s protective care for us.