Divine Assistance in the Battle
We are fighting a battle in the world today. The enemy in this battle is not Israel, Hamas, Russia or Ukraine. It is not an opposing political party or Islam. The enemy we need to be most concerned with is the evil one. We are in battle against the dragon.
It is not a battle that any person alive today started. We can find the battle in today’s first reading (second option) from the Book of Revelation. In this reading, there is good news! The dragon has been defeated, and it will be defeated again!
Who defeated the dragon before?
It was, by the power of God, St. Michael the Archangel. St. Michael is the leader of God’s army of angels. St. Michael continues to fight today in the battle against Satan. Thus, he is an important ally for us. We can always call up him in the battle against sin and Satan. In fact, St. Leo XIII wrote the Prayer of St. Michael for just this purpose.
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
(I offer a reflection on this prayer at https://renewaloffaith.org/the-prayer-of-st-michael/).
Today (September 29th) we celebrate the Feast of the Archangels. I think, in the battle against evil and knowing that St. Michael the Archangel’s history in the battle against the dragon, for some today’s feast becomes all about St. Michael.
Without a doubt, we need St. Michael’s assistance today. We also need his heavenly intercession.
However, in the battle against evil and Satan, we need to recognize our need for assistance and intercession from St. Gabriel and St. Raphael who are the other two archangels named in the Bible.
What do they offer us?
Think of the role St. Gabriel plays in God’s plan for our salvation. He is the one who told Mary she had been chosen to be the Mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38, the Annunciation, the First Joyful Mystery of the Rosary). Before that, Gabriel was also the one who delivered the message to Zechariah of the coming birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25).
St. Gabriel comes as a messenger of God. The world desperately needs to hear God’s Truth today. We need people to listen with an open heart to God’s Truth today.
St. Raphael is a main character throughout the Book of Tobit. However, his identity as an archangel is hidden until Tobit 12:11-22. In Tobit 12:15, he reveals his identity, “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand and serve before the Glory of the Lord.” The name “Raphael” means “God heals.” Raphael heals Tobit’s eyesight. We ask his intercession today that we may see as God sees.
Today the world is broken but all is not lost. With God, there is always hope. We ask St. Raphael’s assistance and intercession in bringing us God’s healing.
St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael, and all of the seven archangels, pray for us!
Peace,
Fr. Jeff