Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP p. 244)
This is the Collect for the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels which is commemorated today, Sept. 29. Lesser Feasts and Fasts reminds us that “Of the many angels spoken of in the Bible, only four are called by name: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael.” These four are the Archangels and are the second order of the nine orders of angels. The Archangel Michael wards off evil from God’s people and the Archangel Gabriel is the one who announced to Mary that she would bear the Christ. The word “angel” comes from the Greek angelos, meaning messenger. Angels of the first order are the lowest order in the heavenly realm and human beings are the highest order in the earthly realm. When we are told that Jesus was made “a little lower than the angels,” it means he became a human, crossing over from heaven to earth.
I had a wonderful time at the CREDO conference last week in Richmond, VA. These conferences are put on by the Church Pension Fund specifically for the wellness of the clergy. While there we meet in large groups and small groups to look at our overall health in ministry in four areas: physical health, mental health, vocational health, and financial health (particularly in planning for retirement). It is a great way to remind us to take care of ourselves so that we can better care for the parishes and communities we serve.
Adult formation will return this Sunday with Discussions with the Dean. Nick Smith will be joining us to talk about the use of AI. Please come join in the conversation at 9:15 a.m.
Don’t forget our annual Blessing of the Animals which will take place next Saturday, Oct. 7, at 11 a.m. on the North Lawn. I hope to see many of you, and your pets, next week.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
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