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Dear Sisters and Brothers in
the Lord:
This week (Saturday, 9/29) the Church celebrates the Feast of the holy
Archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Their names reveal their role
in salvation history. The name of Michael, the prince of the heavenly
host, means, “Who is like God?” If you remember, Lucifer, who was also
an archangel, mounted a revolt in heaven because he compared himself to
God Almighty. It was Michael who cast Lucifer and the other fallen
angels out of heaven into hell. Michael’s name is a proclamation of
truth that no creature can ever claim equality with God. God is God and
we are not god! Lucifer used this same old taunt to tempt Adam and Eve.
“If you eat the fruit of the tree, you will be like God…” It didn’t work
then and still doesn’t work now.
The archangel Gabriel had a different role to play in our salvation. He
was the messenger (that is what the word angel means) of the Good News
to our Blessed mother, Mary. He also encouraged Joseph, Mary’s
betrothed, to take her into his home. He appeared to the father of John
the Baptist, Zechariah, and made a number of appearances through the
prophecies of Daniel in the Old Testament. His name means ‘Man of God’
or ‘God has shown himself mighty.’ As we can see both are apt to this
great servant of the Lord.
St. Raphael is the last of the archangels of which we are made aware by
the words of Holy Scripture. He was sent by God to help Tobit, Tobiah
and Sarah. At the time, Tobit was blind and Tobiah's betrothed, Sarah,
had had seven bridegrooms perish on the night of their weddings. Raphael
accompanied Tobiah into Media disguised as a man named Azariah. Raphael
helped him through his difficulties and taught him how to safely enter
marriage with Sarah. Tobiah said that Raphael caused him to have his
wife and that he gave joy to Sarah's parents for driving out the evil
spirit in her. He also gave Raphael credit for his father's seeing the
light of heaven and for receiving all good things through his
intercession. Raphael's name means "God heals." This identity came about
because of the biblical story that claims that he "healed" the earth
when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen angels in the apocryphal
book of Enoch. Raphael is also identified as the angel who moved the
waters of the healing sheep pool.
We are reminded in this week’s Gospel from St. Luke, that all these
archangels are trustworthy servants of God, as we are called to be. “The
person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in
great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is
also dishonest in great ones.”
We all need the help and grace of God to be faithful and authentic
servants. Please pray for me as I am formally installed as your pastor
by Bishop Perry next Sunday at the 10am Mass. Pray also for our Pope,
Benedict XVI, our cardinal archbishop Francis George, his auxiliary
bishops, particularly Bishop Perry and all who lead others that may God
help them to be worthy of the trust others place in them as God’s
servants.
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