Feast of the Archangels

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in praelio. Contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur. Tuque princeps militiae caelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.

Today is one of my favorite feast days. It is also the feast-day of my confirmation saint: Michael. So today is a fitting day to start this blog. Although, I do start it with a heavy heart; I received difficult news earlier that my father suffered a stroke today. His second in the past 4 months. So I do pray today with a heavy heart - asking God for quite a bit. Mostly I ask the angels to fly to my father, and my mother, and comfort their hearts and bring them the Peace of God.

Angels are a very real thing.

One of the best books I have read on this subject is: "St. Michael and the Angels"

This blog will not always be this serious... but today is important to pay attention to our angels. St. Augustine said, "The angels have care of us poor pilgrims, they have compassion on us and at God's command they hasten to our aid, so that we, too, may eventually arrive at our common fatherland."

St. Hilary says, "Our weakness could not resist the malice of the evil spirits without the assistance of our Guardian Angels!"

Angelic Spiritual study, is not a safe thing. It is like slide, once you begin you cannot easily stop your descent. Angelic study reminds me of the quote from the "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by: C.S. Lewis, said by Mr. Beaver:

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
— C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia)

So it isn't for everyone... in fact I recommend that you don't jump into it lightheartedly, or thinking that you are indestructible, because you are not, at least not in an earthly and temporal way. Certainly if you are a Christian, your soul is sealed by God, but there are no promises about your body here on earth. This is not an exaggeration or some dramatic warning. It is very...VERY real. St. Peter warns us, "Be sober. be watchful, for your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking someone to devour." I Peter, 5:8.

So we must pray to our Archangels today... pray for their protection, and to give them Thanksgiving... for God entrusted them to protect heaven once, and he constantly entrusts them to protect his most precious people.

"Then war broke out in Heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but the could not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in Heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, which is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it." - Apocalypse 12:7-9