On September 29, we will once again celebrate this sometimes-hidden festival in the church year. At first glance, it’s a good day to think well of angels. This sometimes-overlooked occasion holds a lot more meaning, though, especially helpful in these times.
Occurring close to the date of the autumnal equinox, this commemoration gives us the opportunity to gratefully acknowledge angelic creatures. We sometimes regard them as kind-and-watchful cherubs whose swarming presence protects us against unseemly possibilities and dangerous accidents, kind-and-gentle guardian angels.
Add the Archangel Michael to the day’s celebration, though, and this observance takes on cosmic importance. In *Scripture, we read how this chief angel battled powerful forces of evil—including Satan himself—and defeated them thoroughly. This angel took on—and triumphed over—a deep-seated insurrection that wanted to encompass the entire realm of God. Thrown out of Heaven, though, the devil/dragon retained only a fraction of his rebellious power. The end result: For all times to come, evil cannot win.
This day’s emphasis also comforts me when I’m thinking that evil—and evil people–sometimes seem to be winning. This most-powerful archangel remains one of the ways that God fiercely guards and protects God’s people. Defeat will always stain Satan’s lies. Those who dare to rise up against God’s will or God’s people have no real chance of winning the continuing battle of good versus evil. We benefit from Michael’s first and ongoing wars.
On September 29th I will take a moment to breathe calmly, to remember and to be grateful for the protection that surrounds me: The work of angels, especially one named Archangel Michael!
* Visit these seldomly referenced stories in Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3 and Revelation 12:7-12.
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