Gospel: Jn 1:47-51
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him, “Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.” Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” And Jesus said to him, “Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree, and I saw you.”
Nathanael answered, “Master, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!” But Jesus replied, “You believe because I said, ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ But you will see greater things than that.
Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”REFLECTION:
Angels are spiritual beings, that is, beings who have no bodies as we have. In the Bible they are very often mentioned, and they are distinguished from demons, who are also spiritual beings, but evil ones, whereas angels are essentially good.
Angels are mentioned everywhere in the Bible and are always presented as servants of God. Among the angels three are singled out as being particularly holy and powerful: Michael, the Protector of the People of God; Gabriel, the Messenger of the Annunciation to Mary; and Raphael, the Healer in the Book of Tobit. Today we celebrate these three super-angels or archangels in a special way.
About Michael, Christians must know something important. Many of us spontaneously oppose God and Satan, thus making Satan the counterpoise of God. But that is not possible, for Satan is a mere creature and God is the Creator, infinitely above any creature. No, the opposite number of Satan is Michael. And in the Book of Revelation, we see Michael kicking Satan out of Heaven. His name in Hebrew means “Who can compare with God?”
In the Christian liturgy Michael is the protector of the Church and the angel who escorts the souls of the departed into Heaven.
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