This is the day that has been set aside since the 5th or 6th century to honor and celebrate the archangels–beginning with (but not limited to) Michael. For those who read British stories or watch British movies or television programmes, this day is also known as Michaelmas. Oxford University has a “Michaelmas Term” and there are such things as Michaelmas Daisies (aka Asters)–a flower that blooms in autumn:

Over the centuries, this feast day has glorified angels, well nigh to the point of unreality. Here is (but a small piece of) Butler’s encomium in praise of these beings:

Their innocence and sanctity were never tarnished with the least spot or stain, the purity of their affections was never debased by the least mixture of any thing inordinate, and the ardour with which they love God, and exert all their powers to serve him, and do his holy will, never admits the least abatement. . . . [T]he blessed angels are creatures perfectly holy, who, without either division or abatement in their affections, or interruption in their holy employment, obey, love, and glorify God with all their powers. Always employed in the delightful contemplation of his infinite goodness and other amiable perfections, swallowed up in the oceans of his love . . . .

Frankly, it is exhausting just to read about their never-abating, endless, unabated, infinite, inordinate, never abated, uninterrupted, ever-obedient, untarnished, purely selfless devotion to God that does not abate. And to read Butler’s words that angels are “swallowed up in the oceans of his love” makes me wonder if he perhaps forgot about his discussion of the “thug angel” (see my blog post of August 26) who spent an entire night beating the crap out of a heretic named Natilis.

What I find fascinating and vital is that the biblical words for “angel”–both the Hebrew (מַלְאָך) and the Greek (ἄγγελος)–simply mean “messenger.” And an “angel of God” in the literal, biblical sense is one who delivers a message from God. It’s not necessarily a full-time occupation; it may be a one-off or it may be a regular gig. Humans can be such messengers. Every time one reads of the biblical prophets and that formulaic phrase, “The word of the Lord came to X,” this is an example of someone delivering God’s message. So was someone roughing up Natilis, apparently. Furthermore, the author of book of Hebrews advises: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (13:2, KJV).

This suggests to me a very different notion of “angel” than either that of Butler’s effusive admiration of supernal beings or that of the zaftig, child-like cherubs found adorning artwork and greeting cards. It would seem that anyone could potentially be the bearer of a godly message–even someone that one mightn’t look at in awe and recognize as godly! Heck, it could even be one’s co-worker, a homeless person on the street, a sister-in-law, or…a stranger in need of shelter (or entertainment, for that matter!).

The whole point of messengers is…the message and NOT the messengers. Think of it this way: if you were to receive a check for $500,000–would it matter to you if the check were delivered by FedEx, or by the United States Post Service, or by your neighbor, or by a stranger? In a large envelope? A small envelope? A dirty envelope? Or within a rusty metal box?

So maybe the key for us is to learn how to recognize when what we are presented with is actually a message from God. We cannot rely either on the appearance of the deliverers (they might well be strangers to us), nor on the method of delivery (being beaten up, for example). Instead, we must engage the mysterious task of taking the words we hear and the events we encounter and inquiring: “Is there a message from the Divine here?”

That’s difficult, scary, life-changing work–much more difficult (and much more important) than picking daisies or celebrating winged seraphs once a year!