Archbishop of Hyderabad
Holy Mother Church gives us the blessedness and the joy of liturgically celebrating the feast of the Archangels Michael. Gabriel and Raphael on the 29th September this year and that of our Guardian Angels a few days later. In doing so, the Church unswervingly affirms and reminds us that the world of the blessed Angelic spirits in which these three Archangels exercise their leadership for our salvation truly exists, and further, that our merciful God habitually exercises His merciful providence for the well-being, safety and salvation of all human persons on earth who fear Him and seek His heavenly providence for themselves through the powerful and diligent service of these ‘blessed citizens of heaven’ to Him: ‘God our Father, in your loving providence you send your holy angels to watch over us. Hear our prayers, defend us always by their protection and let us share your life with them forever.’ And Holy Scripture unequivocally declares that Archangel Michael heads the messianic war waged against the Devil and his angels by the Son our Lord Jesus Christ as the glorious Son of Man for our eschatological deliverance and salvation.
Let us not forget our connaturality with these Angelic spirits as human persons created in the image and likeness of God in our ‘inner natures’ through which we are called to enjoy veritable communion of eternal life with them in Christ and in the Holy Spirit. May St. Michael and all the other Archangels and our Guardian Angels and all the other holy Angels who are ‘continuously in the presence of the heavenly Father’ intercede for us, and direct our personal and ecclesial life during our synodal pilgrimage of faith on earth until we join them in the everlasting blessedness of heaven forever.