God’s Gift of Angels

Churches around the world are recognizing this coming Sunday as St. Michael and All Angels Sunday. The readings will be as follows: Psalm 91; Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3; Revelation 12:7-12; Luke 10:17-20. In each of the readings we hear about battles taking place between good and bad angels in the heavenly realms. Such references to spiritual warfare in the Bible can seem at best irrelevant, or worse, pure fantasy in our science-driven, seeing-is-believing culture. Yet the Bible reminds us not only that good and evil angels are real, but that their activity is closely tied to and influential on our history! God wants us not only to acknowledge angels as important actors in human history but also to appreciate them as gifts of God for our protection and comfort. “Let your holy angels be with us, that the evil foe may have no power over us. Amen.”