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| “The Three Archangels with Tobias” by Francesco Botticni, 1470 |
Commentary:
Reading 1:
First Option: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Commentary on Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
In this vision from the book of Daniel, we see the symbols for God the Father, “the Ancient One,” seated on the Throne of Judgment (symbolized by fire), with all the faithful before him. Then comes “One like a Son of Man." This reference is a messianic vision. Jesus took that title upon himself in fulfillment of scripture (in addition to John 1:51, see also Mark 14:62, Luke 22:69 and Matthew 26:64 all of which reference the attendance of heavenly powers).
In the context of the Feast of the Transfiguration, this image is consistent with that seen by the disciples in the Gospel.
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OR
Second Option: Revelation 12:7-12ab
Commentary on Rev 12:7-12ab
This selection from the Book of Revelation is of that same eschatological prophetic genre as that found in Daniel 7:9ff. Here, St. John envisions the battle for heaven, joined by the forces of God led by St. Michael who is victorious.
The vision makes clear that those who were thought to be from God but who opposed the “anointed one,” Christ, were influenced by Satan, and in the Devil’s defeat by the blood of the Lamb, God’s victory is assured and the truth will prevail.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5
R. (1) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Commentary on Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5
This song of praise offers thanksgiving for the visible support of God, here attributed to angelic action. The hymn attributes this saving help to an all-merciful God to whom all glory and honor are due.
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Gospel: John 1:47-51
Commentary on Jn 1:47-51
Word of mouth attracts Philip to discipleship, and he in turn invites Nathanael. The symbolism in this passage is noteworthy, especially when Jesus describes Nathanael as “a true Israelite.”
There is no duplicity in him: "Jacob was the first to bear the name "Israel" (Genesis 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Genesis 27:35-36). Jesus tells Nathanael “"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." The fig tree is a symbol of messianic peace (cf Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10).[4]
So in essence, Jesus is saying that Nathanael was resting in Messianic Peace, inferring from that state that he had faithfully followed Mosaic Law, and had a genuine love of God. Jesus goes further than Nathanael’s faith in the final verse, telling him that he, Jesus, is the Anointed One: “…you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
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Reflection:
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Archangels. (In addition, my ordination class and I celebrate our 32nd anniversary of Ordination.) Just so we are all on the same page we can listen to the words of Pope St. Gregory the Great who defines what angel means:
“You should be aware that the word ‘angel’ denotes a function rather than a nature. Those holy spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they deliver some message. Moreover, those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels.”(from a homily by Pope Saint Gregory the Great)
The three Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, are the only ones named in scripture and each has a distinct role (as can be seen from the links provided above). The fact that these three Spirits have had a direct involvement with mankind is the reason we celebrate their feast today. We see in their intervention God’s fingers affecting the course of human events. Deep within each of us, there is also the wish that, at some point in our lives, an angel would speak to us, directly, personally, with clarity. The angel would tell us what God wants from us, or what he wants us to do.
It is interesting today that, on this the feast of the archangels, the church gives us the story of Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael, rather than one of the encounters with the archangels. In this Gospel Jesus has identified the young man as someone without duplicity, that is, innocent of worldly demeanor that would portray him as something he was not. The way Nathanael speaks when he says, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel,” makes us wonder how one, not of the twelve, had such an instant and deep understanding of Jesus’ identity. Could it be that this was a messenger from God? None of the commentaries assume this is the case.
Still we wonder if this innocent young man, without prompting, identified Jesus, and if he was an angel in human form. If that were true, it would mean that God may send his spirits, as Pope St. Gregory the Great has called them, to us, and we might not recognize them as anything but people. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2.
There is nothing theological in this reflection. It is just a hope that God might one day send an angel to us, so that we might understand at last and clearly what he wants from us. Since we have speculated above that God may indeed send his angels to us in human guise, we must be constantly vigilant that one of our daily encounters may turn out to answer our prayer. It should also serve another purpose since God frequently gives us opportunities to hear his voice through others we meet in our daily lives.
Certainly the more common intervention of the Holy Spirit can be seen, although usually in retrospect and not always clearly. The overriding principle here is we must always be open to that kind of guidance, and be constantly vigilant, knowing that God intercedes in our lives and we must watch for it.
Pax
In Other Years: Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
[1] The picture is “The Three Archangels with Tobias” by Francesco Botticni, 1470
[2] S.S Commemoratio
[4] See NAB Footnote on John 1:43-51
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