My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
On the 8th of November, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates the
Synaxis (Assembly) of the Archangels MICHAEL and GABRIEL,
and the rest of the bodiless and heavenly ranks, the SERAPHIM,
CHERUBIM, THRONES, DOMINIONS, AUTHORITIES, POWERS,
PRINCIPALITIES, ARCHANGELS, AND ANGELS.
Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Fourth Tone
SUPREME Commanders of the Hosts of the Heavens, we, the
unworthy, importune and beseech you that by your supplications ye
encircle us in the shelter of the wings of your immaterial glory,
guarding us who now fall down and cry to you wirth fervour: Deliver
us from dangers of all kinds, as the great marshals of the heavenly
hosts on high.
Kontakion Hymn. Second Tone
SUPREME Commanders of God and ministers of the Divine glory,
guides of men and leaders of hte bodiless hosts: Ask for what is to
our profit an great mercy, since ye are Supreme Commanders of
the bodiless hosts.
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ALL ANGELS, according to the Holy Apostle Paul, are ministering spirits,"sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation" [Hebrews 1:14]. God set them as OVERSEERS OF EVERY NATION AND PEOPLE, and GUIDES TO THAT WHICH IS PROFITABLE [Deuteronomy 32:8]; and while one Angel is appointed to oversee each nation as a whole, ONE IS ALSO APPOINTED TO PROTECT EACH CHRISTIAN INDIVIDUALLY. He commands them to guard them that hope on Him, that nothing should harm them, neither should any evil draw near to their dwelling [Psalm 10-12]. In the Heavens they always BEHOLD THE FACE OF GOD, sending up to Him the Thrice-Holy Hymn and interceding with Him in our behalf, seeing they rejoice over one sinner that repents [Isaiah 6:23; Matthew 18:10; Luke 15:7]. In a word, they have served God in so many ways for our benefit, that the pages of Holy Scripture are filled with the histories thereof. It is for these reasons that the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church, wisely honoring theses Divine Ministers, OUR PROTECTORS AND GUARDIANS, celebrated today Synaxis, that is, OUR COMING TOGETHER IN ASSEMBLY FOR THEIR COMMON FEAST TO CHANT PRAISES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL and GABRIEL, who are mentioned in the Holy Scriptures by name. The name Michael means "Who is like God" and Gabriel means "God is Mighty." The number of the Angels is not defined in the Divine Scripture, where Daniel says that "THOUSANDS OF THOUSANDS MINISTERED BEFORE HIM, AND TEN THOUSANDS OF TEN THOUSANDS ATTENDED UPON HIM" [Daniel 7:10]. But all of them are DIVIDED INTO NINE (9) ORDERS which is are called THRONES, CHERUBIM, SERAPHIM, DOMINIONS, POWERS, AUTHORITIES, PRINCIPALITIES, ARCHANGELS, AND ANGELS.
A MORE INDEPTH ACCOUNT ON THE ARCHANGELS AND ALL BODILESS AND
HEAVENLY RANKS ACCORDING TO THE SACRED ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
TRADITION
Concerning Angels, Saint John of Damascus writes: "God Himself the Maker and Creator of the Angels; for He brought them out of nothing into being and created them after His own image. They are an INCORPOREAL RACE, a sort of spirit or IMMATERIAL FIRE, even as the divine David says that "His Angels are spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire [Psalm 103:6]. By this, he has described their lightness and the ardor, heat, keenness, and sharpness with which they hunger for God and serve Him. He also has disclosed how they are borne to the regions above and re quite delivered from all material thoughts.
"An Angel, then, is AN INTELLIGENT ESSENCE, IN PERPETUAL MOTION, WITH FREE WILL, INCORPOREAL, MINISTERING TO TOD, HAVING BY GRACE AN IMMORTAL NATURE. The Creator alone knows the form and limitation of hte Angelic essence; but all that we can understand is that it is incorporeal and immaterial. For all that is compared with God , Who alone is incomparable, we find to be dense and material. For in reality only the Deity is IMMATERIAL AND INCORPOREAL.
"The Angel’s nature then is RATIONAL, and INTELLIGENT, and endowed with FREE-WILL, changeable in will, or fickle. For ALL THAT IS CREATED IS CHANGEABLE AND ONLY THAT WHICH IS UNCREATED IS UNCHANGEABLE. Also, all that is rational is endowed with free-will. As the Angel is then, rational and intelligent, this being is endowed with free will; andas this being is created, it is changeable, having power either to abide or progress in goodness, or to turn toward evil. "They are not susceptible to repentance because they are incorporeal. For it is owing to the weakness of his body that man comes to have repentance.
"Seeing that they are minds, they are in mental places, and are not circumscribed after the fashion of a body. For THEY HAVE NOT A BODILY FORM BY NATURE, NOR ARE THEY EXTENDED IN THREE DIMENSIONS. But to whatever post they may be assigned, there they are present, after the manner of a mind, and they energize, but they CANNOT BE PRESENT AND ENERGIZE IN VARIOUS PLACES AT THE SAME TIME.
"Whether they are equals in essence or differ from one another we know not, God, their Creator, Who knows all things, alone knows. But they differ from each other IN BRIGHTNESS AND PASSION, whether it is that their position is dependent on their brightness to one another, because the excel one another in rank and nature; clearly, the higher share their brightness and knowledge with the lower.
"They are mighty and prompt to fulfill the will of God, and their nature is endowed with such celerity that, wherever the Divinie glace bids them, there they are straightway found. They are the guardians of the divisions of the earth. They are set over nations and regions, allotted to them by their Creator. They govern all our affairs and bring us succor. The reason surely is because they are set over us by the Divine Will and command and are eer in the vicinity of God.
"Moreover, as that most holy, and sacred, and gifted theologian, Saint Dionysios the Areopagite, says, "All theology, that is to say, the Holy Scripture, has Nine different names for the heavenly essences. These essences, that divine master in sacred things, divides into THREE GROUPS, EACH CONTAINING THREE. And the First Group, he says, consists of those who are in God’s presence and are said to be directly and immediately one with Him, namely, THE SERAPHIM WITH THEIR WINGS, THE MANY-EYED CHERUBIM, AND THOSE THAT SIT IN THE HOLIEST THRONES. The Second Group is that of the DOMINIONS, and the POWERS, and the AUTHORITIES, and the Third, and last, is that of the PRINCIPALITIES and ARCHANGELS and ANGELS.
THE NAMES OF THE ARCHANGELS
In the Sacred Scripture, we find the names of some of the Archangels. Archangel Michael, whose name signifies "Who is like unto God?" may be found in Daniel 10:13, 12:1; Jude 1:9, and Revelation 12:7-8. Archangel Gabriel, whose name signifies "Man of God," may be found in Daniel 8:16, 9:21, and Luke 1:19-26. In the Deutero-Canonical Books, the Archangel Raphael, whose name signifies "God heals," may be found in Tobit 3:17, 12:15. Archangel Uriel, whose name signifies "The Fire of God", or Archangel Jeremiel, whose name signifies The highness or mercy of God, may be found in 2 Esdras 4:36. Archangel Uriel is also listed in 1 Esdras 4:1. Archangel Salathiel, whose name signifies "Prayer to God", or Archangel Phaltiel or Psaltiel may be found in 2 Esdras 5:16. Apart from these names, although pious traditions lists two other Archangels, they are not listed in Holy Scripture: Jehudiel, whose name signifies "The praise of God", and Barachiel, whose name signifies "The blessing of God." The roster of the Archangels, showing these alternative names, abounds. It is generally agreed, however, that there are seven.
"Of the future both the Angels of God and the demons ARE ALIKE IGNORANT, YET THEY MAKE PREDICTIONS. God reveals the future to the Angels and commands them to prophesy, and so what they say comes to pass. But the demons also make predictions, sometimes because they see what is happening at a distance, and sometimes merely making guesses. Hence much that they say is false, and they should not be believed, even though they do often, in the way we have said, tell what is true; besides, they know the Scriptures.
"ALL WICKEDNESS, then, and all impure passions are the work of their mind. But while the liberty to attack man has been granted to them, THEY HAVE NOT THE STRENGTH TO OVERMASTER ANYONE; FOR WE HAVE IT IN OUR POWER TO RECEIVE OR NOT TO RECEIVE THE ATTACK. Thus, there has been prepared for the devil and his demons, and those who follow him, FIRE UNQUENCHABLE AND EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT. [Resources: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church]
(To be continued}
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 