“GOOD MESSENGERS POINT TO THE MESSAGE”
Saint Matthew 18. 1-11
Feast of Saint Michael and all Angels: 29 September Anno Domini 2011
Fr Watson S.S.P.
Sinful man always tries to quantify and qualify everything. It is our way of justifying ourselves. If there are those "lower" on the ladder than us, than we are automatically "higher." Being "higher" means more honor, glory, accolades we think. Also, being greater than our neighbor might mean we are not quite as guilty, culpable, or worthy of punishment: "well, at least I'm not as bad as…"
If you are not as bad as the other guy, the worst other guy, than why are you here, why did Jesus let Himself be tortured and crucified?
Trying to be great, trying to make excuses and trying to blame the other guy was the strategy of Adam. It is the strategy of your old nature as well. Pride and ego were the sins, really one sin-my will not the Lord's-of Satan the angel. Satan desired to be fulfilled, actualized, and greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
If your view of the Spiritual realm and the realities of God's good and heavenly pasture are based on either democracy or selfish individualism your lot is cast with the serpent of old. God's Kingdom is a Kingdom (with a King) and not a debating society or inner-clique of "right people."
Consider the angels. Consider the little child that the Christ called unto Him. That young one, like Lucy Pevensie luxuriating in pure joy in the rich comforting mane of the Great Lion Aslan (a fictional "type" of Christ) was at peace to be on Jesus' lap. So too the angels have all their joy simply to be in the presence of their Creator God: Christ Jesus. Jesus is the Lord of the mighty angel armies-the Host of Sabaoth. But even better, Jesus is the Lord, big-brother, Father, and eternal guardian Angel of the lowly army of children, and all those who receive His kingdom "as" a child.
The angels are messenger spirits. The angels like all of you are created beings. But unlike you, these fiery ones have no fleshly bodies, no blood vessels coursing with liquid oxygen, and no lungs filled with the breath of God.
On this Feast day you remember and give thanks to the Christ your God for His messenger servants the angels. You thank Him for Saint Michael the Archangel, and Saint Gabriel, and for all the other named angels (names known by God now and by all of you soon) in the myriads and legions of Heavenly splendor.
All of you are the Body of Christ with Jesus as the Head. But perhaps the angels are the bright and glowing nimbus around His fair and sacred Head. They radiate from Him and are sent by Him to do His work of service. Their greatest service is to bring glad tidings of great joy which are for you and all people. Their other great joy is to be in the very presence of that great joy and to worship Him for eternity; and to be fed from His love for eternity. The angels focus on the Lord the way young infants center on their parents. The way a loyal dog sits at the feet of its master.
Every angelic activity is but a giant arrow pointing back directly to the God/Man Christ Jesus in the flesh.
The loyal Cherubs lovingly obeyed the Lord in ushering Adam out of paradise into the desert of drought and death. But soon very soon the same four-winged spirits would fill the Galilean skies to sing the Gospel to amazed shepherds. The four wings of each of the Cherubim symbolically point to the four-fold Evangel of John, Mark, Matthew and Luke. The Evangelists, like the 12 Apostles and their successors are also angels are they not whenever they preach the Good News of Christ crucified for your forgiveness!
The angelic army which could not be seen at first by Elisha's servant Gehazi was made visible when the Lord honored the Prophet's petition: "O Lord I pray thee open his eyes," then Gehazi saw a vision grand, glorious, reassuring, and yet terrifying: "and he saw, and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." These same fiery charioteers no doubt had accompanied Elijah to heaven a few months prior and would later be seen in Saint John's empyrean visions of the Parousia (the End Times) as the Holy Ghost spake to him in the Book of Revelation. Jesus mentions in his famous parable of Lazarus and Dives that they also serve as the Royal Escorts to Abram's bosom (the Gates and Mansions of Grace) for all those who die in the Lord.
The sublime and strange Seraphim with their six wings (three sets of two) hover in the presence of Christ seated upon His Throne, amongst the thick cloud of sweet smelling incense (as we should) singing boldly the Trisagion ("Holy, Holy, Holy"). But do they not do the very same thing every Mass right here at the very intersection of Heaven and Earth.
At this altar, this very evening, The Lord Incarnate in Sacramental Presence will be seated on this throne and you too will sing with Angels and Archangels and all the host of heaven the Song of the Lamb.
The wondrously weird Angels who spoke with and guarded the exile Ezekiel, with their unnatural modes of transportation and movement (wheels within wheels, turning but keeping the head straight-way) are the same guardians who protect you daily from all harm and danger and from the power of the wicked one. Believe me, the Angels know all of Satan's tricks and are more than a match for a broken snake with a crushed skull.
Gabriel, who stands in the presence of the Living Jesus, came to the Blessed Virgin and spoke, Gospelled, Jesus Christ-right into her very womb. Mary filled with Christ Gospelled Elisabeth and all of you in her Magnificat. Elisabeth shared the same Evangel when she spoke by the Holy Ghost. Angels provide such beautiful and harmonizing hymnody and background melody to you and your own bold proclamation of their Master and yours.
The angels ministered to Jesus after His forty day ordeal of fasting. They fed Him and gave Him to drink. The angels today through the pastoral office, as you will see in a matter of minutes, will continue to feed and give you drink; only THIS NIGHT it will be the heavenly bread of Christ's own Body and Blood.
Saint Michael and all Angels loudly proclaimed the Birth, the Nativity, the INCARNATION (the Sacrament of All Sacraments) at Judea; they hung their spirit heads and wept copiously at their Lord's suffering and death at Calvary; but this night their joy is again made perfect as they join you in praise, adoration, laud, and worship while you come forward to receive the forgiveness of sins from the hands and by the hands of THE KING OF ALL ANGELS: Jesus!
The "Angel of the Lord," the "malek Adonai" (i.e. the pre-incarnate Christ as He appeared in the Old Testament on certain occasions) is no longer pre-incarnate. He is EVER incarnate and He is here for you with His true flesh and real blood. He is here to give you credit for all His law keeping and to forgive you all your sins by the very sacrificial means (His Body and Blood) by which He procured it at the Crucifix. The angels are joyful for you. They rejoice every time you repent and are restored. They love you because they love Jesus.
You thank the Lord for His wondrous creations of servanthood, praise, guardianship, and loyalty. You thank God for Saint Michael and All Angels because they always point you to Jesus and His and Merits.
In the Name of The Father + and of The Son and of The Holy Ghost