What do God’s angels do?

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Revelation 12: 7-12:

War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today we celebrate the feast of three of God’s most powerful angels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

Each of them plays a unique role in Scripture, and each offer us a point of reflection today.

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Let’s begin with the most powerful, the Archangel Michael, who will slay Satan at the end of time. As we heard in our first reading, “Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail.”

Michael reminds us that each of us is engaged in a spiritual battle for our soul; often the devil lays his snares at our feet in the form of temptation, seeking to ensnare us. 

It may come in the form of addiction, anger, or a person who tests our patience. What are some of those traps for me?

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The angel Gabriel is the one who declared to Mary, “Behold, you will conceive the Son of God in your womb.” He also announced to Zechariah that his wife, Sarah, would give birth to John the Baptist.

Gabriel reminds us to be receptive to God’s word … and to share it with others.

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Finally, there’s the angel Raphael, who disguises himself as a man in the Old Testament. He protects Tobias on his journey and heals Tobias’ father from blindness.

Raphael reminds us to be agents of healing for others.

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May the ministries of these angels – whom we shall meet some day – inspire us to be God’s agents in the world today.

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Image credits: (1) Catholic Digest, WordPress (2) Angel, Wikipedia (3) National Catholic Register