Be Alert!

September draws to a close with the feast of St Michael and All Angels on 29 th September. In earlier times its was known as Michaelmas and was kept as quarter day when accounts were due to be settled and fresh start for autumn was to begin. In the Christian tradition, angels are understood to be messengers of God. Certain angels are mentioned in the Bible by name, most notably Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Each is associated with a particular gift or role.

Raphael appears in the book of Tobit. His name has a Hebrew root meaning “to heal” and this is his role in the story where he restores Tobit’s eyesight. Christian tradition developed this to suggest that where, in John’s gospel there is talk of an angel stirring up the water of a pool near the Temple and those bathing in it being healed, the angel in question is Raphael. He is looked to as a patron saint of medics. He is the messenger of God’s healing love, reminding us to pray for all who are suffering and need to know God’s comfort and healing presence now and to be agents of that care too.

Gabriel is perhaps the most familiar of the angels from his well -loved role in the story of Jesus birth. How many of us have played the Angel Gabriel in school nativities? He tells Mary she will become Jesus’ mother, and the shepherds of Jesus’ birth. His name means “the strength of God” and he is the angel who reveals God’s work in the world through the human beings God calls. Perhaps he reminds us to be on the look out for signs of God’s work around us, and to be alert to the ways in which we can join in.

Michael is referred to in the mysterious books of Daniel and Revelation. He is the defender of God’s people, especially from the forces of evil. In the vivid imagery of Revelation he is depicted as overcoming the power of Satan, casting him out. With this identity as the defender, it is perhaps not surprising that many cities around the world adopted Michael as their patron. Most poignantly at this time, it is significant to note that amongst them is Kyiv, where the cathedral is dedicated to St Michael. May his feast day be a time of deep prayer for the protection of all who are vulnerable in places of war across our world.

At this time of the turning of the seasons, may we be encouraged by the stories and gifts of the angels to be, like them, messengers of the good news of God’s care for us, each in our own way.