Meditation for the Week of September 23, 2019

Reading:
“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.’” (Revelation 7:7-11)
 
Devotion:
September 29 is the Feast Day for St. Michael and All Angels.  Christians have always been fascinated by angels, and you see them all the time in movies, TV shows, and on your Facebook feed.  But there are many myths about angels and what they really are.  Today, I’d like to dispel two of these myths:
 
Myth #1: Angels are cute and cuddly.
Sometimes you see angels pictured as playful children or beautiful women.  They seem harmless or even fragile.  But that is not the case.
 
Angels are fearsome spiritual warriors.  The first words out of an angel’s mouth are usually “Fear not!”  Some people have confused angels for God himself.
 
The word “angel” means “messenger.”  These are God’s servants, and because they are in His holy presence, they reflect His glory.  With their messages, they bring the glory of God down to earth. 
 
They also fight against Satan and His angels.  We know that Michael and the angels will be victorious, not only because the Book of Revelation tells us so, but because Satan has been defeated by Jesus through His death on the cross, and he has no more power over any of us.
 
Myth #2: When you die, you become an angel.
Jesus does say that in heaven we will become “like the angels” but He is only saying that we won’t get married after we die.  The truth is that angels and human beings are different creations of God, and we’re much better off being humans rather than angels.
 
Jesus did not become an angel.  Jesus did not die for the angels, but for all of humanity.  We confess that when Jesus returns we will rise from the dead, just as He did, with a new, glorified body, just like Jesus’ Easter body.  This is a blessing beyond anything that God has given to the angels.
 
So no, your loved ones who have died in the Lord are not angels watching over you from heaven.  They are at rest awaiting the resurrection of the dead.  But God does promise to use His angels to watch over you and defend you, and when your last hour comes, they will bear you to His side.

PRAYER
​Everlasting God, You have ordained and constituted the service of angels and men in a wonderful order.  Mercifully grant that, as Your holy angels always serve and worship You in heaven, so by Your appointment they may also help and defend us here on earth; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.