The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today's feast reminds us of the Spiritual Realm where the Angels dwell. When I speak of the Spiritual Realm, we must not imagine a separate world above our own. The Spiritual and Physical worlds are different aspects of creation by one and the same God. Though the Spiritual Realm can exist without the Physical Realm, the Physical Realm cannot exist without the spiritual one.

We are composed of bodies and immortal souls. Angels are spirits without bodies; animals are bodies without immortal souls. We, humanity, are the meeting or blending of all of God's creation. We have bodies like mortal animals but souls like immortal angels. The Son of God became one with us, not with angels or animals. We may be less than the angels, but it was for humans that God created all of the physical world. This is both a dilemma and a glory for us.

In our souls, we have free will — the ability to learn, understand, choose, and love. We have this in common with the Angels in heaven. Many of the angels used their free will badly and caused a great disturbance to the peace and harmony that was to be theirs and ours in Heaven. They were given a choice, and they chose badly. Some believe that it was revealed to them that the Son of God would become Man. This meant that the Angels must serve and worship God in human form. This is when the fallen angels rebelled, and Saint Michael rose to the fore as the defender of God and humanity.

Saint Michael, the great defender of God in Heaven, continues his battle against the fallen angels (devils) in our day, alongside the Church and her saints. We are not alone in this fight. Saint Michael and the angels stand with us, ensuring that we do not perish on the day of God's judgment. When our loved ones depart, the Church prays that Saint Michael may lead them into Heaven. This is why Saint Michael is often depicted with the scales of Justice, weighing the souls. His presence assures us of divine justice and mercy.

Saint Michael, the great defender of God in Heaven, also stands before the Throne of God, offering in a golden censer the fragrant incense of the prayers of the saints. He is not just a warrior, but also a mediator between us and God. He assists us in the battles of this life and in our worship of God, not only Saint Michael and our Guardian Angels but also all the Angels in Heaven. Their presence strengthens us and assures us that we are not alone in our spiritual journey.

Sadly, there are also fallen angels, or devils, who once served God but chose to rebel against Him. They seek to drag us down with them into the punishments of Hell. Our battles are not just with flesh and blood (physical) but are even more — they are spiritual. What raises or lowers our status in the Spiritual Realm is our use or misuse of our free wills. Do we love God, or do we love ourselves? Our lives are not usually clearly defined between these extremes — we tend to fluctuate a little one way and then the other. This is where the battle rages. The battle is for the absolute determination of our will for God or against Him. In this, the Angels and devils fight. Our souls are the prize that is being warred over. We are not simply indeterminate physical objects; we are active participants in this war for ourselves.

Those who love God work with the Angels for their own salvation. The Angels fight with good men and for them. Those who love themselves more than God work with the fallen angels (whether they acknowledge it or not). To the degree that we humble ourselves and love God more than ourselves, we rise in the spiritual realm — life. Humility and innocence are not signs of weakness, but of spiritual strength. To the degree that we become proud and vain, loving ourselves more than God, we fall in the spiritual realm. Let us strive for humility and innocence, for they are the keys to our spiritual growth and salvation.

In today's Gospel reading (Saint Matthew 18:1-10), Jesus teaches us that to the degree that we become humble like children, we will find greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven. We become less to the degree that we cause ourselves or others to sin. When we scandalize (lead or tempt to sin) the innocent, we take up arms with the devils against God and the Angels and merit the punishment of the fallen angels. While children and the innocent may appear weak and easily abused or taken advantage of by us, we must remember that they have angels in Heaven before the Throne of God. Their angels will not sit idly by watching their charges being destroyed or taken advantage of. There is Hell to pay for the evil we do with the choice of our free wills.

Only the innocent, like little children, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In this context, innocence refers to a state of purity and humility, free from the stain of sin and the burden of pride. We must strive to become innocent ourselves and do all that we can to protect or restore the innocence of all those around us. It is a lifelong battle that we must never tire of waging. When we grow tired or weak, let us call out with increasing fervor to Saint Michael and our Guardian Angels for their aid and assistance — both in our battles and our worship of God.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!

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