Feast Of St. Michael And All Angels

Image from Amazon.

Guardian angels are what I'll speak about today, even though St. Michael is the main man - or, I should say - main angel, the feast day is for all angels. When I attended my Roman Catholic grade school in the 1940s, the illustration above was on the wall in nearly every classroom. Having a mind that wondered - and a wandering eye, too - I'd gaze the guardian angel picture and take comfort from it, that another of God's creatures - assigned directly to me - was watching over me. The angel in the picture was God's messenger to me to say, "I love you and and care for you and watch over you".

I won't go into details - again - about my dysfunctional family life, but my school was a safe and peaceful place for me and the source of much of my moral training. Thanks be to God.

Several years ago, in an antique store, I came across a reproduction of that very same picture, and I was overcome with nostalgia. The store owner must have thought I was a little crazy with my over-the-top "Oohing" and "Aaahing" about the picture. Some things get to you, don't they? Anyway, he made a sale.

My daughter had just given birth to her second son, I bought the picture for him. It hangs in his room, and I still get a good feeling when I look at it. I hope my grandson does, too.

Actually, St. Michael is not really the main angel, since, being only an archangel, he's way down in the angelic choir hierarchy, just above the plain angels.

For information about St. Michael and about angels in general, including the differing opinions on the hierarchy of the choirs of angels, see James Kiefer's post at the Lectionary.

Sometimes, I don't know what I would do without James Kiefer. He calls attention to this hymn which I like very much:

Ye watchers and ye holy ones,
Bright seraphs, cherubim and thrones.
Raise the glad strain, Alleluia.
Cry out, dominions, princedoms, powers,
Virtues, archangels, angel choirs.
Oh, praise Him! Oh, praise Him!
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia.

I have come to the conclusion that the hymns that I like or dislike have very little to do with the theology expressed in the hymn and whether it lines up with my theology.

READINGS:

Eucharistic:
Psalm 103 or 103:19-22
Genesis 28:10-17
Revelation 12:7-12
John 1:47-51

Daily Office:
AM Psalm 8, 148
Job 38:1-7;
Hebrews 1:1-14
PM Psalm 14, 150 or 104;
Daniel 12:1-3 or 2 Kings 6:8-17;
Mark 13:21-27 or Revelation 5:1-14

PRAYER

Everlasting God, who have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

UPDATE: I see that today, Saturday, and not yesterday, is actually the feast day of St. Michael and the angels. Sorry, my mistake. Well, the post is up, so there you are, ahead of everyone else.