“SAINT MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS”
Saint Matthew 18: 1-11
St. Michael and all Angels [transferred]: 1 October Anno Domini 2023
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
Angels are not as popular as they used to be. Many remember the peak angelogy back around 1993 when television, gift shops, calendars, and “you name it” were all-about-angels. So, things have died down a bit in current clown-world. This is mostly fine by Lutherans. Lutherans like angels the way they like The Blessed Virgin—in the closet or the basement undercroft until Christmas eve. That might be for some, sadly, because they never read the Scriptures—the whole counsel of God.
But not for you. You who daily pray Luther’s Morning and Evening prayer have the reality in your face and life: “…let Thy holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me.” That angel that is constantly by your side is not either/or but rather both/and—it is your guardian angel, to be sure, but also the Lord Christ Himself—for is He not the angel (i.e., The Messenger of The Trinitarian Godhead)?
You are way too hard, and frankly, abominable to your angel protector. Not just by ignoring its presence—forgetting all about it—but by cavalierly and presumptuously sinning every day right in front of a holy, heavenly host! The angel knows and sees what you actually do. You should be daily apologizing to your guardian as well as coming to your Shepherd for confession.
For more than four thousand years God’s people have known about, thought about, and talked about the angels.
As a Christian who believes in Christ’s constant immanent presence in your life, and Salvific Presence—“for you”—at His Divine Service, you know how important the angels are. They are always, like you, with Him.
Both the pagan philosopher Aristotle (whom Dante portrays as being in an ante-chamber limbo rather than a circle of hell; for his civic righteousness and questing for truth) as well as the great scholastic Aquinas point us in an important direction. We must know the essence of a thing and the purpose of a thing to know its God-given reality. Angels are the foremost invisible creatures, either good or evil, of great number and power. Today is The Feast of St. Michael and Jesus’ Host, not Satan and the fallen demons—so no talk about them. Other than to say that the Angels fight against the devils—in the spiritual realm and as they manifest themselves in the political, social, and cultural battlefields. Their presence with you allows you too to fight like men of God!
From the Seraphim sent to guard the border gate at Eden, post-fall, to the “fiery ones” interacting with St. John the Divine in Revelation, these creatures bookend all of Holy Writ. They were there at the creation of man, the Fall, the acts of Abraham (eating with him at Mamre), the plagues and signs during Moses’ leadership and much more leading up to The Son of God’s Annunciation (conception) and visible ministry. You hear about them all the time when you read, don’t you?
Yes, three “men” greeting Abraham as he sat in the cool of the day; men in white at the empty tomb on Easter morn and again at the mount of Ascension asking the “12” why they were still looking “up.”
The purpose, the Aristotelian/Aquinian purpose of the Host is to do God’s will as messengers (that is what angel literally means—heralds! “Hark, the herald angels”—sing; i.e., Gospel) and guardians.
They also worship God constantly. And as true worship is to receive The Gifts of The Lord, the worship folder is appropriate.
But, disabuse yourself that they are soft, fluffy, long-haired, womanly, plump Valentine Day card, pleasant creatures. They most certainly are not. They are not safe; they are good (to quote Mr. Beaver)! They are fierce, awesomely powerful, lightning fast, warriors of supernatural strength. Not garbed with mere earthly Roman Legion armor and weaponry but with heavenly cosmic offensive and defensive hardware—as hard as The Rock of Ages!
The great Patristic Churchman Dionysius (or, if you are a ‘higher critic’ Pseudo-Dionysius’) posited an order of angels in 9 ranks. Confessional Lutherans should see no great problems with this systematization (The Rule of Faith stands immutable)
You want to know the visual essence of an angel? How about a Cherub: Chapter 1 of Ezekiel’s vision gives you a look which is so terrifying it would give the devil nightmares. I summarize: “whirlwind…out of the north…great cloud…fire infolding itself… brightness…out of the midst…the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire…came the likeness of four living creatures…appearance…the likeness of a man…four faces…four wings…face of a man…face of a lion…face of an ox…face of an eagle…appearance…like burning coals of fire…the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning…as for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them…And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it” [Ez. 1]. That is the kind of invisible creature who is beside you daily, on the plain, your own impenetrable security detail; not a Saint Bernard to the rescue but a St. Michael (and all angels).
We know the “man” is the pre-incarnate Christ Jesus, The Son of God from all eternity—Light of Light! We know from Esaias’ similar vision of the awesome Seraphim in chapter 6 where the “man,” The Lord, is viewed “high and lifted up” the same Greek used by John to denominate our Lord’s crucifixion. The throne is always Christ’s Cross.
Sing with all the Seraphs, Cherubs, and angels today louder than ever, the mighty HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, as they attend to you and surround you with all of their wings sounding like mighty waters—for this is The Feast of Victory for our God! They show you how to worship in holy song—The New Testament anthem and chorus: “Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged” [Is. 6. 6-7].
“Therefore, with The Seraphim, The Cherubim, The Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities; with Saint Raphael, Gabriel, and The mightiest of Princes, Saint Michael; with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Thy glorious name, evermore praising Thee:”
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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