Feast of Title

John 1:47-51

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

St Michael and All Angels, Scarborough

I don't know why this church was named "St Michael and All Angels" but I am glad that it was. Angels are an important part of Biblical revelation. They are an essential aspect of our Christian faith.

Earlier this year when I was preparing to go on pilgrimage to Fatima I was surprised to be told that it would not only put me in touch with Mary but with angels too. Sure enough the chapel where many of our daily eucharists were celebrated was "The Chapel of the Holy Angels". Then I discovered that the Fatima children not only met Our Lady six times in 1917 but that these were preceded by three meetings with the Fatima Angel during 1916.

On my return I found a new book by Jane Williams, wife of the Archbishop of Canterbury, with the title "Angels" and she informed me that "Angels widen your horizons and deepen your faith". I was more familiar with another book with the same title published in 1995 and written by Martin Israel in which he explores the subject biblically, historically, and personally. He tells of his own meetings with angels and also quotes the experience of friends too. He is an Anglican priest but also a distinguished pathologist and former lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons.

Today's gospel draws our attention our Lord and the Angels. We are given an image of Jesus' links with heaven through angels ascending and descending upon Him. It is the gospel counterpart of Jacob at Bethel when he saw in a dream a ladder set up from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending upon it. He exclaimed "How awesome is this place. This is the gate of heaven." The gospels report angels at the Annunciation, at the Birth of Jesus, at His Temptations in the Wilderness, and at His Agony in the Garden. We find them at the Resurrection and at the Ascension. Jesus speaks about angels a lot in his teaching and announces that at the Parousia "The Son of Man will come with His Father's glory accompanied by His angels".

Last Tuesday we commemorated St Sergius, Patron of All Russia, who was a 14th century holy monk. He is described by a contemporary as "a heavenly man and earthly angel". Saints are like our Lord, our Lady, and the Angels. They are link persons between earth and heaven. You sense it when you are with them. They help you know the reality and the mystery of God. They give assurances of His goodness towards us. No wonder that Martin Israel subtitled his book"Messengers of Grace". Like St Sergius we too can become "earthly angels". Through Christ we can enable others to make contact with God and with heaven.

At the third meeting with the children of Fatima the Angel appeared with a chalice and a host to communicate them. He joined with them in prayer to the Most Holy Trinity.

I pray that blessing from God will continue to be found in this church and people.

"Surely the Lord is in this place. This is none other than the house of God".

May we all, especially in eucharist "see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man".