This year Trinity XVIII is also the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. The origin of the feast of St. Michael the Archangel goes back to fifth-century Rome when a church in the region was dedicated in honor of St. Michael. This feast became very popular in medieval England, and when the sixteenth-century reformers simplified the church calendar, this was the only observance dedicated to angels that was retained.
In Scripture, angels are mentioned many times. For example, the Gospel from Matthew 18:10 refers to the guardian angels of children. St. Michael and his angels are mentioned in today's reading from Revelation 12:7 ff. Michael the archangel is also mentioned in Daniel 12 and the Epistle to Jude. He is the warrior angel who defends God's people from the Devil. While we would certainly want to avoid superstitions and the distorted angel worship that St. Paul warns about in Colossians 2:18, Christians should recognize and honor the work of St. Michael and all the angels. Angels are spiritual beings created by God, and they are at work in the universe to praise God and to aid His people. We should remain open to their continuing assistance in our spiritual development.
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