The angels give us a glimpse beyond our present reality to assure us that there is indeed a divine realm which sits alongside us, where God has already won the victory over evil. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.
Readings for the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels, can be found here.
In 1993, Buckingham Palace opened to the public for the first time, as a way of raising money to pay for the repairs to Windsor Castle after the fire. Before this, the only way ordinary members of the public would get to see inside was if they were lucky enough to be invited to a reception or went to receive an honour. Now anyone could buy a ticket and look around. On the first day nearly 1000 people queued along The Mall and the first summer saw 380,000 visitors. Humans are always curious to catch a glimpse of what is normally hidden. Whether it’s seeing inside a royal palace, going backstage at the theatre, or watching a behind-the-scenes documentary, we’re fascinated with what lies beyond the everyday.
The Book of Revelation is all about enabling us to do this on a grand scale. Indeed, the very title of the book indicates that it shows us something we wouldn’t normally be able to see. In today’s passage, we see right into heaven itself. John describes a great battle taking place between Michael and his angels and the dragon and his angels. The dragon, we are told, is none other than the devil and Satan. This war represents the eternal battle between good and evil in the world – a battle that we, as Christians, are engaged in today. Yet the good news, thanks to this glimpse behind the curtain, is that good has already triumphed. The dragon and his angels have been thrown out of heaven, and they have been conquered by the blood of the Lamb. We do not need to wonder about the outcome of our efforts – the battle has already been won.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus declares to Nathanael that he is the perfect revelation of heaven. No longer do we have to wait to be invited into a previously hidden arena, like the eager visitors to Buckingham Palace. Instead, heaven has been opened to us in the person of God’s Son, who has come to us. This wonderful feast of the archangels is a reminder that we can see is not all there is. There is an unseen reality all around us, one that we are welcomed to behold and experience. And in so doing, we are assured that God’s victory over the forces of darkness is complete.
Mass today is in St Mary’s at 6.30pm.
If you’d like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
