Tag: angels

The Feast of Angels

We celebrate today the angels – the Greek word, “messengers.” They truly bring us a message of good news, announcing to the shepherds in the field, “The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. (Luke 2:10-11).”

It is the archangel Gabriel who announces the conception of Jesus to Mary. And in even greater joy, the angels announce to the women at the tomb, ““Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. (Luke 24:5-6)” The epistle today tells us, “You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, subjecting all things under his feet. (Hebrews 2:7-8)” Materialists deny the existence of angels, but it is only reasonable to believe that there is more to reality than what we can see with our physical eyes and hear with our physical ears. Angels are our connection with God, so much so that sometimes in the Old Testament there seems to be a confusion between God and his angels. Jesus tells us, “At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven. (Matthew 22:30).” Jesus tells his arresters, “Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53)”

And angels comfort him in the agony in the garden. Today then is a day of faith, today we connect with God, today we hear the good news of the coming of God into the world, today we hear the good news of the resurrection to life.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

Synaxis for the archangels

The Church commemorates today the Synaxis for the archangels, Michael and Gabriel, and all the bodiless powers of heaven.

“The role of angels, or spiritual powers, is evident from their appearance in both the old and the new testament. St Paul says: “They are all spirits, whose work is service, sent to help those who will be the heirs of salvation.”

“While the Church honors these divine ministers as guardians and messengers each Monday, today we feast especially Michael and Gabriel. Michael, whose name means “one like God,” was revered in the Old testament. In the book of Revelation he is depicted as the captain of the angelic army” (NS).

James Michael Thompson writes of today’s feast: “The Synaxis of the Chief of the Heavenly Hosts, Archangel Michael and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Powers: Archangels Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jehudiel, Barachiel, and Jeremiel was established at the beginning of the fourth century at the Council of Laodicea, which met several years before the First Ecumenical Council. The 35th Canon of the Council of Laodicea condemned and denounced as heretical the worship of angels as gods and rulers of the world, but affirmed their proper veneration.

A Feastday was established in November, the ninth month after March (with which the year began in ancient times) since there are Nine Ranks of Angels. The eighth day of the month was chosen for the Synaxis of all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven since the Day of the Dread Last Judgment is called the Eighth Day by the holy Fathers. After the end of this age (characterized by its seven days of Creation) will come the Eighth Day, and then “the Son of Man shall come in His Glory and all the holy Angels with Him” (Mt. 25:31).”

Commanders of the heavenly hosts,
we who are unworthy beseech you,
by your prayers encompass us
beneath the wings of your immaterial glory,
and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry to you:
“Deliver us from all harm,
for you are the commanders of the powers on high!” –Troparion – Tone 4

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Angelic protection

Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
to Guardian Angels for Spiritual Protection

Lord, stretch out Your mighty hand and Your sublime and holy arm, and in Your watchful care look down upon me, Your creature, and send down upon me a peaceful angel, a mighty angel, a guardian of soul and body, who will rebuke and drive away every evil and unclean demon from me. For You alone are Lord, Most High, almighty and blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

This week the vigil light is offered to God’s glory in memory of all deceased of Waselik family. by members of the family.

The Divine Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts (compiled by St Gregory the Great) will be celebrated on Friday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m. Please come and join in this beautiful tradition of our Church.

Sestrechi will next meet on Sunday, April 7, after the 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy. The meeting will be held in the church hall Classroom 1.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Monday, April 8, at 6:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All council members, organization representatives and interested parishioners are invited.

The next meeting of Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will be held on Monday, April 8, 7:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All men of the parish are invited to attend.

The traditional Easter parish “SVIACHENE” will be held on May 5, following the Divine Liturgy. We will celebrate only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. We will be running a raffle. If you would like to donate any items to be raffled, please bring them to our church hall on Sundays before our “Sviachene” or on Sunday, May 5. Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $10.00 for youth from 12 to 18. Free for altar boys, and under 12. Also, we ask you to donate homemade cakes for desert. We trust that all parishioners will join this parish gathering and through their presence attest to cherishing in our hearts a love for one another which builds our parish family.

Our next PYROHY PROJECT will be Saturday, April 13. We need your help on Friday to peel potatoes and especially on Saturday to make pyrohy (varynyky). Please come and help. See Walter Ushchak for more information.

The Knights of Columbus Have available for sale a freshly cooked batch of 2 1/4 lb. secret, tasty recipe Kovbasa and Cabbage meals for $10.00 each or a 2 lb. vegetable only mix for just $6.00. These meals may be purchased in the church hall, please see Walter Ushchak

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St Michael the Archangel and all holy angels

st-michaelToday, is the feast day of St Michael the Archangel, and all holy angels according to the Byzantine liturgical calendar (as a point of comparison, the Latin Church in her Novus Ordo liturgy, honors St Michael on September 29).

“Angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, virtues, powers, and the many-eyed cherubim praise you. You are surrounded by the six-winged seraphim; two wings cover their face, two their feet, and with two they fly, and they call one to another with never-ending and never-silent hymns of praise.” [Liturgy of St. Basil the Great]

“Princes of the heavenly hosts, we, though unworthy, beg you to encircle us through your prayers under the shelter of the wings of your spiritual glory. Guard us as we come to you and sincerely cry: Deliver us from dangers, O princes of the powers on high!”

Catechesis

The Church’s teaching on St. Michael is that he is the leader of the good angels, thus holding the title of “Archangel.” Angels are non-corporeal beings created by God. As spirits without bodies they’re invisible to the human eye. By definition, angels bring to us messages because this is one of the ways God communicates with us. Additionally, the “messengers of God” are the guardians of human persons, and their work is to be constantly singing the praise to God.

One commentator said, “God out of love created the angels and wanted to test them if they too really loved Him. God gave them a command to follow. The good angels readily and gladly obeyed. But some refused to obey and were cast out of heaven to live no longer with Him. Suffering and torment were theirs. The bad angels, also called ‘evil spirits, demons, or devils,’ tempt us, the children of God, to do evil – not listen to God nor to do the good God calls us to do.”