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The Ministry of the Archangels
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a
true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said
to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael
answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of
Israel.” John 1:47–49
Today we celebrate the only three heavenly spirits given names in
Sacred Scripture: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. In Heaven, the
angels are pure spirits with unique and eternal identities. The
names given in Scripture reveal their particular missions to
humanity. These three archangels reveal God’s power, presence, and
mercy through their heavenly missions, carried out in perfect
obedience to His will for the good of souls.
Michael means “Who is like God?” His name is a rhetorical question
that reflects his role as the great defender of God’s glory against
the pride of the devil. He cast Lucifer from Heaven and continues
to defend the Church today.
Gabriel means “God is my strength” and is the herald of divine
mysteries, most notably sent to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce
the Incarnation of the Son of God. He strengthens those called to
fulfill God’s plan, as he did with Mary and Zechariah.
Raphael means “God heals” and is the guide and healer in the Book
of Tobit, sent to bring physical and spiritual restoration. His
mission reveals God’s desire to accompany us on our journey,
bringing healing to body and soul.
Today’s Gospel offers a profound insight into the role of angels in
our lives and in the life of the Church, the Mystical Body of
Christ. The passage recounts the call of Nathanael, who is
identified with Bartholomew in the Synoptic Gospels. When Nathanael
approaches Jesus at Philip’s invitation, Jesus immediately speaks a
prophetic truth: “Here is a true child of Israel.”
On a deeper level, the True Child of Israel is Christ Himself—the
Son of Man, born of David’s line, descended from the patriarch
Jacob, whom God named Israel. In calling Nathanael a true child of
Israel, Jesus reveals not only Nathanael’s current disposition of
an open and sincere heart, but also what he would become. Over
time, through his witness of Christ’s Passion, Resurrection, and
Ascension, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and his
apostolic mission, Nathanael became truly united to
Christ—transformed into one in whom Christ lived and acted.
Jesus continues: “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you
under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this… you will
see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on
the Son of Man” (John 1:50–51). This alludes to Jacob’s dream in
Genesis 28:12, in which he saw a ladder reaching from earth to
heaven, with angels going up and down upon it.
That prophetic vision was fulfilled in Christ. The ladder is Christ
Himself, the sole Mediator between Heaven and earth. Gabriel’s
announcement of the Incarnation marks its beginning, and the
angels’ ministry continues throughout Jesus’ earthly life,
explicitly mentioned after His temptation in the desert and again
during His Agony in the Garden. But the angelic ministry extends
beyond Christ’s earthly life into the Church, His Body.
Nathanael—and every member of the Church—shares in this mystical
communion. Angels now ascend with our prayers and descend with
God’s aid as we continue His saving mission.
Reflect today on the heavenly mystery that through Christ, Heaven
is opened, and the angels of God continue their ministry among us
at His command. Like Nathanael and all the saints who have gone
before us, we are invited to rely on the angelic ministry as
members of the Body of Christ. Call on Saints Michael, Gabriel, and
Raphael to guide, defend, and heal you as you walk this path of
holiness in union with Christ.
Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, defend, strengthen, and
heal us as we continue our pilgrimage to Heaven. With Nathanael and
all the saints, may we become true children of the Promise, living
members of the Body of Christ. Continuously ascend with our prayers
to Heaven and return to us with God’s aid, so that we may one day
share fully in the life of Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Mosaic of the Tympanum depicting the Three
Archangels, by Guibert-Martin
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