WEBVTT

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Glory be to Jesus Christ. It's not unusual when

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listening to the radio or watching a TV program

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to suddenly hear this announcement. we interrupt

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our regular program to bring you this important

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breaking news. Did you know that each time that

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the Scriptures is proclaimed, it is breaking

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important and relevant news? And did you also

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know that Prior to the gospel reading in the

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church, the deacon always proclaims as if it

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were a command, wisdom, let us attend. And there

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are some translations which read, let us be attentive.

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Well, after hearing the word of God, are you

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encouraged? Are you inspired? Are you nourished?

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Or do you simply leave the church unchanged?

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And unaffected. This morning I bring you breaking

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and special news. The news about the feast day

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of St. Michael the Archangel. And all the heavenly

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hosts. And that the divine liturgy. We hear this

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often overlooked. petition. An angel of peace,

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a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and

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bodies, let us ask of the Lord. From the opening

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chapters of the Bible to the last book, there

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are over 200 references to the work And ministry

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of the angels. We may not always be alert. Or

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sensitive to their presence. But I assure you.

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They are far more involved. In your life. And

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in my life. Than we realize. I could give you

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a couple examples. Of how. The angel. Of mercy.

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Protected me. When there was no hope. through

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the findings of technology and science, we are

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gradually learning more and more about the mysteries

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of this material and physical life. Likewise,

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the more we read in the scriptures or the more

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we acquaint ourselves with the contents of the

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scriptures. We learn more and more about the

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role that angels play in the life of a Christian.

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Now the scriptures tell us That God created heaven

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and earth. And in the Nicene Creed we repeat.

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I believe in one God. The creator of all things

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visible and invisible. Before creating the visible

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world. Our God created the heavens, the invisible

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world, the world of angelic hopes or bodiless

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powers. I want to tell that individual that the

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angels didn't appear because of the Big Bang

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Theory. The angels appeared because God created

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them as ministers of flaming fire, as those who

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minister to us. All angels were created as free

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beings. And one of their primary functions is

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to praise, glorify, and worship God at the throne

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of mercy. Lucifer, however, out of pride and

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arrogance, vain glory, rebelled against God,

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and as reported in the 12th chapter of the last

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book of the Bible, Revelations, he was cast out

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from heaven by the archangel Michael. And Lucifer,

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with all those who followed him, became the source

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Of an evil and demonic power. Now Christ defeated

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these demonic powers. But they still exist. They

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exist as great deceivers. As dividers. Those

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who separate us from God and from one another.

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Those who create within the depths of our soul,

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our being, temptation to resist the will and

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the teachings of God. And we are told in very

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specific ways, both in the epistle that Paul

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wrote to the Romans, And in the sixth chapter

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of Ephesians. That the struggle is not only against

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flesh and blood. But listen carefully. But against

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the rulers of darkness. Against malicious spiritual

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forces. This feast day calls us to emulate the

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angels. And as St. Paul wrote to his young colleague,

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fight the good fight. Hold on to eternal life

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to which you were called. And let us say to which

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we were all called. As Christians. We have weapons.

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Mighty weapons. To defend ourselves. The weapons.

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Consisting of faith. The cross. And above all,

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the sacraments. It's interesting to point out

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that although there are limitless amount or numbers

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of angels, three play a very active and prominent

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role in the scriptures. The archangel Michael,

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who was called the leader of the angelic host,

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Archist Artigos. The Archangel Gabriel, the divine

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messengers, who on a number of missions brought

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the word to the Blessed Mother. That she was

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chosen to be the mother of our Lord. He brought

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the message to Zacharias. That he would have

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a son named John. The forerunner and Baptist

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of John. But the clearest example of a guardian

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angel. appears when Raphael accompanies Tobias

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on a long journey, protecting him from harm.

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Now, as previously mentioned, angels offer praise,

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glory, and worship. And we are to emulate these

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things in our life. They are messengers of the

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Old and New Testament. They appeared so many

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times to Abraham, to Joseph, Moses. The Greek

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word angelos means angels. Of. Merch. Excuse

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me. Messengers of God. They go before us. With

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us. Protecting. Guiding us. In our. Journey.

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In this life. On one occasion, Jesus said to

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his disciples, he who is not with me is against

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me. These words are particularly apt in discussing

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and defending the Christian way of life. When

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it comes To Christ. You and I cannot be neutral.

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In fact the Christian has no time. Where he could

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say I'm not on duty. There is no time that he

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could relax. Because the same Peter. Wrote in

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his epistle. The demon goes about roaring about

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like a lion seeking to devour us. Seeking to

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trip us up. A Christian is never off duty. If

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you want to be with Christ, then you must be

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willing to follow him. To love him. With all

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your heart, soul and mind. Only then. Are you

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one with him. And with the angels. Whom we emulate.

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And as we have in the liturgy every Sunday. So

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clearly. And beautifully. To remind us. Let us

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who mystically represent the cherubim. Sing to

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the thrice holy. God. That thrice holy hymn.

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That Isaiah experienced. When he saw the angels.

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Singing holy, holy, holy. And the temple was

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filled. With God. As we celebrate this feast

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day. Let us renew our vocation. To carry. The

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life giving message. Of salvation. And to do

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God's will. Here on earth. As it is done in heaven.

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By the angels and archangels and all the heavenly

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hosts name of the Father the Son and the Holy

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Spirit