September 29. Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael.    There is a lot of interest in angels in popular culture nowadays. Fr James explained. “Angels and spirits are mentioned in various places in the Bible.  Angels are creatures of God and they are given different tasks by God. They are also honoured in different cultures in different ways, while the whole spirit world is dealt with differently too. One popular Catholic devotion, from the book of Revelation, is the prayer to St Michael the archangel as defender against the devil and his lies and evil plans.  Other archangels, mentioned by name are Gabriel, God’s messenger bringing good news, and Raphael, the healer in the book of Tobit, which is found in Catholic bibles.    “I have always been interested in angels and think that all the angels have something to contribute to our family life.” Mom said, “We did pray to St Michael and St Raphael when we were having a difficult time. We prayed for deliverance from evil and for healing. And I do believe that they helped us.“  Judy came out with, “This horrible war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas seems to go on and on.  I read that the Archbishop of Jerusalem actually said that he believes Satan is working his evil in exactly the same place where Israel was answerable to God.  Is that still the case?  Let us pray the prayer to St Michael.“  

Reflect, share, act. Scripture: Jesus said, “Truly, truly I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” John 1:51   Prayer to St Michael.   “Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May God rebuke him we humbly pray. And do thou, prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.”  Pope Francis. We are journeying towards the Sabbath of eternity, the new Jerusalem, towards our common home in heaven.  LS 243.     Jubilee.  The Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation. SNC24. Eco-tip and prayer. God speaks to us through his messengers who take different forms.  People but also the beauty of nature, animals, plants and flowers can speak of God. Pray the prayer of St Michael for peace and to defend God’s people against evil.