Feast of the Holy Archangels - Sept 29, 2025

Today we turn our attention to the Feast of the Holy Archangels. We believe that God created the angels before the rest of creation, and among them are our guardian angels and the Archangels. We are surrounded by angels, invisible, yet very real. They are the mighty messengers and protectors of God. Three are celebrated three by name – Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. In today’s Gospel, we read that Jesus encounters Nathanael, and tells him, “…you will see heaven opened and you will see the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51). This an image of connection; heaven is no longer separated but joined in Christ. The angels are part of that connection – they remind us that we are never alone and that God’s plan is bigger than what our eyes can see.

Each of the Archangels shows us a little something about who God is and how he works in our lives.

Michael’s name means “who is like God.” He leads the battle against Satan and he shows us that evil never has the last word.  Gabriel is the great messenger who announces to Mary that she will bear the Son of God and he reminds us that God enters into our lives with messages of hope. And the third is Raphael, whose name means “God heals.” He’s the companion and the healer in the Book of Tobit. He reminds us that God’s mercy always seeks to restore what is broken. 

But what does this really mean? We may never see angels with our own eyes, but the truth in this Feast Day is that heaven is closer than we think. Every time you resist temptation, Michael is at work. Every time God’s words speak to your heart, Gabriel is near. Every time you experience healing – physical, emotional, and spiritual – Raphael has been sent.

Jesus told Nathanael that he would see greater things, that heaven itself would open to him. The same is true for us. We are not abandoned in this world, we walk with Christ and with the help of his angels, we fight, we listen, and we heal.

Today, let us pray that we may trust in the unseen with the help of God’s angels, and like Nathanael, believe that heaven is open to us, because Christ is with us.

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Image Reference: Jacob’s Ladder by William Blake (circa 1805) — Public Domain

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