Fr. Longenecker: Angels, Shepherds and Sheer Joy

The following comes from Fr. Longenecker:

Angels crowd the Advent story, and their presence culminates in the throng of angels who appear to the shepherds on the hill outside Bethlehem. The angelic presences pushing in on the ordinary world come first to the priest Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and then to the Virgin Mary and Joseph. Finally, they appear with the message that God’s son has been born to the humble shepherds.

The story is told in the classic words of the King James Version:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

The presence of the angels in Advent is the presence of the supernatural pressing in on the natural. At the coming of Christ the veil between the seen and the unseen worlds is tissue thin. That which is invisible presses in upon those who can only see the visible. As God takes human flesh it is as if the whole divine realm becomes more present in this physical dimension.

Have you ever wondered why messengers from heaven so often appear to shepherds? Not only did the Christmas angels come to shepherds, but the Hebrew people were a nomadic herding tribe. Moses was a shepherd when God appeared at the burning bush. The great king David was a shepherd boy, and at Laus, La Salette, Lourdes and Fatima Mary appeared to shepherd children. The supernatural appearances come to humble peasants for a good reason. Humble workers are, on the one hand, likely to accept a supernatural appearance, and on the other hand, they are unlikely to fabricate a wild story. They’re down to earth, simple, honest and straightforward people — likely to believe in the supernatural but also unlikely to deceive.

The combination of angels and shepherds brings alive the wonder of Christ’s birth, and the symbolism of the shepherds and the wise men add to the levels of meaning and mystery. As his ancestor David was the shepherd king, the child in the stable will prove to be both the Good Shepherd and the King in God’s kingdom. So the angels herald his birth to the shepherds, and through the guiding star the kings make their way to pay him homage. As princes and peasants come together, they prove that the child is the Lord of both the highest and the lowest of humanity.

The angels of Christmas night also remind us of the role of the angels. They are God’s messengers and bring the message of Christ’s birth to the shepherds, and through them to the whole human race, but they are also agents of praise. The angelic role is to give everlasting praise, honor and glory to God. When the shepherds see the angels, they hear a hint of heaven and get a glimpse of glory. Their hearts lift in praise and wonder as they experience the stupendous sight of heaven being opened for a moment as God comes down to dwell among mankind.

As the shepherds take action and hurry to worship the newborn king, they remind us of an important takeaway from the story. Every glimpse of glory and spiritual uplift brings with it the call to action. The angels praise God, but they also serve God. They worship him, but they also render him service. They glorify him and they bear his message to the world. Likewise, following their example, at this Christmas season we turn out hearts in worship and praise, but we rise from Christmas Mass with an even greater determination to bring the angelic message of peace and goodwill to the world through both our lips and our lives.

Angels by Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Venerable Fulton Sheen on Angels!

Here is another classic from Archbishop Sheen!

Dr. Peter Kreeft on Angels & Demons

Don Bosco on Guardian Angels

If you should be in any danger,

of soul or body,

call on your Guardian Angel;

and I assure you that

he will help you and free you.

St. John Bosco

Angels, Visionaries and the Virgin Mary

The following comes from the Mystic Post:

A Medjugorje visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti speaks of Angels to Pilgrims:

Q. Our Lady continues to be present here despite the fact that many ask what she does and why she appears for so long. Is this so?

A. “I always say that Our Lady loves us and that is why she stays with us and desires guiding us on the path which every Christian should be on and would be on if it weren’t because they are inert, dormant. A Pope once said that if a Christian is not Marian he is not a good Christian.

That is why I would like to make you fall in love with Our Lady. I recall that once Our Lady asked us to offer her some time in prayer during the night for nine consecutive days, so we went up the Hill of Apparitions and she would appear to us at 2.30 in the morning.

We went up the hill for the entire novena, and offered it for Our Lady’s intentions. As I said, Our Lady appeared at 2.30 in the morning, but we, and the people who came up with us, wanted to stay on to give thanks for her apparition, and because we didn’t know many prayers we decided that each of us would say an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be. So it would often happen that we’d be there till 5 or 6 in the morning.

At the end of the novena Our Lady appeared very happy, but the nicest thing was that she was accompanied by many Angels, some of whom were big and some little. We have always noticed that when Mary comes with Angels if she is sad they too are sad, but if she is happy their expression of joy is even more intense than hers.

That particular time the Angels were very happy. At the moment of the apparition all the people who were with us saw a great number of falling stars, and they firmly believed in Mary’s presence. The day after when we told the priest what had happened he told us that the day before was the feast of Our Lady of the Angels! Mary’s most important messages are: prayer, conversion and fasting. She asks for prayer, but even before this she asks for conversion. Our Lady asks us to begin praying so that our lives become prayer.

I remember the time that she asked us to dedicate three hours to Jesus and we said: “Isn’t that a bit much?” She smiled and said: “When one of your best friends pay you a visit you don’t look at how much time you spend together.” So that’s how Our Lady invited us to make it so our best friend was Jesus. Mary’s invitation to prayer was gradual. The first prayers we said with her were the seven Our Fathers, Hail Mary’s and Glory Be’s, plus one Apostles Creed. Then, bit by bit, she asked for the Rosary, then the complete Rosary, and then she asked us to complete our prayer with Holy Mass. Our Lady does not force us to pray; she invites us to change our lives through prayer. It is her desire that we live prayer in a way that our lives become a continuous encounter with God. Our Lady calls us to give joyful witness with our lives. That is why, when I speak, I try to transmit the joy that she gives me. Her presence here in Medjugorje is not one of chastisement or sadness, but of joy and hope. That is why she is appearing for so long. Once, in a message to the parish, she said: “If there is need I will knock on the door of each home, of each family.”

I see many pilgrims who feel the need of conversion once they are home, because improving the quality of one’s own life means to improve the quality of the entire family, and of the world; and in doing so we begin to put into practice the request in the Holy Scriptures: become light and salt of the earth.

Our Lady is calling us in a special way so that we may begin with all our strength to be her joyful witnesses.

Padre Pio on Listening to Your Guardian Angel

The following comes from Aleteia:

Padre Pio had encounters with angels throughout his life and got to know them very well. He also received interior locutions; he had to discern from whom they came and how he ought to react to them.

In a letter he wrote on July 15, 1913, to Annita, he gives her (and us) invaluable advice regarding how to act in relation to our guardian angel, locutions, and prayer.

Dear daughter of Jesus,

May your heart always be a temple of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus increase the fire of his love in your soul and may he always smile upon you, as he does on all the souls that he loves. May Mary Most Holy smile upon you during all the events of your life, and abundantly make up for the absence of your earthly mother.

May your good guardian angel always watch over you, and be your guide on the rough path of life. May he always keep you in the grace of Jesus and hold you up with his hands so that you may not hurt your foot on a stone. May he protect you under his wings from all the deceits of the world, the devil and the flesh.

Have great devotion, Annita, to this beneficent angel. How consoling it is to know that we have a spirit who, from the womb to the tomb, never leaves us even for an instant, not even when we dare to sin. And this heavenly spirit guides and protects us like a friend, a brother.

But it is very consoling to know that this angel prays unceasingly for us, and offers God all of our good actions, our thoughts, and our desires, if they are pure.

Oh! For goodness' sake, don't forget this invisible companion, ever present, ever disposed to listen to us and even more ready to console us. Oh, wonderful intimacy! Oh, blessed companionship!  If only we could understand it! Keep him always before your mind's eye. Remember this angel's presence often, thank him, pray to him, always keep up a good relationship. Open yourself up to him and confide your suffering to him. Be always afraid of offending the purity of his gaze. Know this, and keep it well present in your mind. He is easily offended, very sensitive. Turn to him in moments of supreme anguish and you will experience his beneficent help.

Never say that you are alone in the battle against your enemies; never say that you have no one to whom you can open your heart and confide. It would be a grave injustice to this heavenly messenger.

Regarding interior locutions, don't worry; stay calm. What you must avoid is your heart becoming attached to these locutions. Don't give them too much importance; show that you are indifferent. You should neither scorn nor love or desire such things.  Always respond to these voices thus: "Jesus, if it is you who are talking to me, let me see the facts and effects of your words, that is to say, holy virtue in me."

Humble yourself before the Lord and trust in him; spend your energy, with the help of divine grace, in the practice of the virtues, and then let grace work in you as God desires. The virtues are what sanctify the soul and not supernatural phenomena.

And don't confuse yourself trying to understand which locutions come from God. If God is their author, one of the principle signs is that as soon as you hear those voices, they fill your soul with fear and confusion, but then, they leave you in a divine peace. On the contrary, when the author of the interior locutions is the enemy, they begin with a false security, followed by agitation and indescribable malaise.

I have absolutely no doubt that God is the author of the locutions, but we must be very cautious because often the enemy mixes in a great deal of his own work with them. But this should not scare you: this is a test to which even the greatest saints and most enlightened souls were subjected, and yet they were acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. You must simply be careful not to believe in these locutions too easily, above all dealing with those that are related to how you must act and what you must do. You should receive them and submit them to the judgment of your director and resign yourself to accept his decision. 

Read the rest here.

A Prayer for Healng to St. Raphael the Archangel

Here is a prayer to St. Raphael the Archangel, for healing and health from Spirit Daily:

St. Raphael, the Archangel, defend us from all sickness. Be our defense against illness and infirmity, we humbly pray. And do thou, oh prince of heavenly healing, by the power of God, cast all diseases, epidemics, disorders, and malignancies from us that endanger us bodily, emotionally, and spiritually, so that we may use our good health to do God’s will, in Jesus name. Amen

Catholic Answers: Guardian Angels

Don Bosco and Guardian Angels

When tempted, invoke your Angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.
                                     -St. John Bosco

Angels Among Us

The following comes from Fr. George W. Rutler:

The Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael on September 29, is quickly followed by the Feast of the Guardian Angels on October 2. Here we get into a deep science: not the natural science which increasingly is opening up the wonders of the physical universe, but rather the higher science of perfect spirits and incalculable intelligences, whose lowest "choirs" are the angels and archangels. Unlike natural science, this knowledge comes not from observation but from revelation. We use reason to acknowledge that there are wonders beyond our ability to reason, and that includes angels who have no need of reason because they are pure intellects.

Angels are creatures, but existed before the first man (Colossians 1:15-16). They are subject to Christ (1 Peter 3:21-22). They enjoy the constant presence of God (Luke 1:18-19). They are numerous beyond human calculation, and so they are described as thousands upon thousands, or myriads, since Hebrew has no word for “millions." (Hebrews 12:22-23). They know God's will but do not know all its details (Matthew 24:35-36). Angels are multi-lingual (1 Corinthians 4:9) and patrol the earth (Zechariah 1:10-11). Although Christ is divine, he can appear as an angel (Hosea 12:4-5). Angels can appear as winds and fire (Hebrews 1:7) and they rejoice when we go to Confession (Luke 15:9-20). Scripture never says that they have halos, and only seraphim and cherubim are described as having wings, so we would probably not recognize an angel if we saw one. They are astonishingly strong, so that one was able to slay 185,000 Assyrians. They want to comfort us (Matthew 28:1-7) and do not want us to give them the worship which is due to God alone (Colossians 2:18-19). Jesus had power to invoke 72,000 of them (twelve legions) had he wanted to avoid crucifixion, but he did not (Matthew 26:52-53). At the end of the created universe they will accompany Jesus in the Final Judgment (Matthew 25:31).

As angels have no bodies, they have no size, and so they care for everyone equally, regardless of size or age or worldly importance. Jesus said that the littlest human body has a guardian angel in heaven (Matthew 18:10). In each of us the guardian angels see their Lord and our Lord. So Pope Francis said on September 20: "Every child that isn't born, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of Jesus Christ."

St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) wrote to a young girl: "Never say you are alone in sustaining the battle against your enemies. Never say you have nobody to whom you can open up and confide. You would do this heavenly messenger a grave wrong."

Guardian Angels

Pope Francis: Listen to Your Guardian Angel

VATICAN CITY (CNA) In his homily for the feast of the Guardian Angels, Pope Francis told those gathered for daily Mass on Oct. 2 to be like children who pay attention to their “traveling companions.”

The doctrine of the angels, the Holy Father stressed, is not imaginary, but “reality.” He cited what Jesus said: “I send an angel before you to protect you, to accompany you along the path, so that you do not make mistakes.”

According to the Tradition of the Church, each of us has a guardian angel who protects us and helps make us aware of things, the Pope said at the Santa Marta residence. Oftentimes, we have the feeling that “I should do this; this is not right; be careful.” This, he said, “is the voice of” our guardian angel

Our guardian angels will “carry us” throughout our entire lives. For this reason, he said, we should “listen to his voice; don't rebel against it.”

“No one walks alone, and none of us can think that he is alone,” the Pope said, because “this companion” is always with us.

Not listening to our guardian angel's advice, the Pope said, is like telling him to go away. “It is dangerous to chase away our traveling companion,” he said. “The Holy Spirit  advises me. The angel advises me; this is why we need him.”

Turning to the readings of the day, Pope Francis noted how there are two images presented: the angel and the child.

God has given us angels to protect us, the Pope said. “If one of us were to believe he could walk along [alone], he would make many mistakes,” the Pope said. Such a person would succumb to “that most ugly mistake, which is pride,” focusing on one's own greatness and “self-sufficiency”.

Recalling the Gospel scene in which “the disciples argued over who among them was the greatest,” the Pope describe this “internal dispute” as “careerism.”

In contrast to the “careerist” mentality, Jesus teaches the disciples to have the attitude of children: “docility, the need for guidance, the need for help.”

Those whose attitude is more like that of a child are “closer to contemplation of the Father.”

Concluding his homily, Pope Francis put forward the following question: “How is my relationship with my guardian angel? Do I listen to him? Do I wish him good morning? Do I say: 'Protect me during sleep?' Do I speak with him? Do I ask his advice? He is at my side.

“We can respond to this question today, each and everyone of us: How is my relationship with this angel who the Lord has sent to protect and accompany me along the way and who always sees the face of the Father who is in the heavens?”

Catholic Answers: Guardian Angels

Celebrating the Archangels: 7 things to know and share

The following comes from Jimmy Akin at NCR:

September 29^th is the feast of St.s Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael—archangels.
These are the only three angels whose names are mentioned in Scripture, and this is their day.
Here are 7 things to know and share . . .
 
1) What is an archangel?
The word “archangel” (Greek, archangelos) means “high-ranking angel”—the same way that “archbishop” means a high-ranking bishop.
Only St. Michael is described as an archangel in Scripture (Jude 9), but it is common to honor St.s Gabriel and Raphael as archangels also.
 
2) Why are they called “saints” if they’re angels rather than humans?
The word “saint” (Greek, hagios) means “holy one.”
It does not mean “holy human being.” As a result, it can apply to holy ones that aren’t human.
Since St.s Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael all chose to side with God rather than the devil, they are holy angels and thus saints.
All angels that sided with God are saints, but these three’s names are known to us, and so they are picked out by name in the liturgy.
 
3) Does this day have any other names?
Yes. Traditionally in English it has also been called “Michaelmas” (i.e., the Mass that celebrates St. Michael, on the same principle that “Christmas” is the Mass that celebrates Christ’s birth).
 
4) What do we know about St. Michael?
His name means “Who is like God?” (The implied answer is: Nobody; God is the greatest there is.)
St. Michael is mentioned by name in three books of Scripture:

• In Daniel, he is described as “one of the chief princes” in the heavenly hierarchy (Dan. 10:13). He is also described to Daniel as “your prince” (Dan. 10:12). The meaning of this phrase is later clarified, and Michael is described as “the great prince who has charge of your people” (Dan. 12:1). He is thus depicted as the guardian angel of Israel. These same passages also refer to Michael doing battle against the spiritual forces at work against Israel.
• In Jude 9, Michael is said to have contended with the devil over the body of Moses. On this occasion, we are told, “he did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you.’”
• In Revelation, Michael and his angels are depicted fighting the devil and casting them out of heaven (Rev. 12:7-8). He is also commonly identified as the angel who binds the devil and seals him in the bottomless pit for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3), though the name “Michael” is not given on this occasion.

 
5) What do we know about St. Gabriel?
His name means “God is my warrior” (meaning, essentially, “God is my defender”).
St. Gabriel is mentioned in two books of Scripture:

• In Daniel, he is assigned to help Daniel understand the meaning of a vision he has seen (Dan. 8:16). Later, while Daniel is in a prolonged period of prayer, Gabriel comes to him (Dan. 9:21) and gives him the prophecy of “seventy weeks of years” concerning Israel’s future (Dan. 9:24-27).
• In Luke, he appears to Zechariah the priest and announces the conception and birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-19). Later, he appears to the Virgin Mary and announces the conception and birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-33).

 
6) What do we know about St. Raphael?
His name means “God heals.”
St. Raphael is mentioned in a single book of Scripture: Tobit.
In Tobit, the blind Tobit and the maid Sarah, whose seven husbands have been killed by the demon Asmodeus, pray to God.

The prayer of both was heard in the presence of the glory of the great God. And Raphael was sent to heal the two of them: to scale away the white films of Tobit’s eyes; to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel in marriage to Tobias the son of Tobit, and to bind Asmodeus the evil demon, because Tobias was entitled to possess her (Tob. 3:16-17).

Raphael thus becomes a travelling companion of Tobias, posing as a relative named Azarias son of Ananias (Tob. 5:12). He eventually binds the demon, enabling Tobias to safely marry Sarah, and provides the means for Tobit to be healed of his blindness.
Afterward, he reveals his true identity, saying:

I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One (Tob. 12:15).

 
7) How is this day celebrated?
In addition to its commemoration in the liturgy, there are various local ways of celebrating this day. See here for some examples.
See also here.
It might also be a good day to say the Prayer to St. Michael:

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Pope Francis thanks boy for entrusting him to guardian angel

(CNA/EWTN News)  A 16 year-old Argentine boy who suffers from chronic encephalopathy – a brain disorder – was moved by a letter from Pope Francis responding to a note that he had sent the pontiff a few days earlier.

The boy, Nicolas Marasco, is unable to speak, but was able to send a letter to Pope Francis, with the help of his parents, saying that he asks his guardian angel every night to watch over the Holy Father and assist him in his pontificate.

“Dear Francis, my name is Nicolas and I am 16.  Since I am unable to write you (because I still cannot speak or walk), I asked my parents to do it for me, because they know me best,” his letter said.
“I want to tell you that when I was seven years old, Father Pablo gave me First Communion at my school,” he continued, “and this year, in November, I will receive confirmation – something which gives me great joy.”
“Every night ever since you asked me, I pray to my guardian angel – whose name is Eusebio and who is very patient – to watch over you and help you. You can be sure that he is good at it because he watches over me and is with me every day.”
“I would very much like to go see you and receive your blessing and a kiss, just that,” the boy continued. “I send you many greetings and I continue praying to Eusebio to watch over you and give you strength.  Love, Nico.”

The Argentinean daily Clarin reported that Pope Francis was deeply moved by the letter from Nicolas.

He shared the story of the young boy during his visit to Assisi on Oct. 4, saying, “In this letter, in the heart of this boy, is beauty, love, the poetry of God.  God who reveals himself to the simple hearted, the little ones, the humble ones, those who we often consider to be the last.”

A few days later, Marasco received the Pope’s answer, which was also published in Clarin.

“Dear Nicolas, thank you so much for your letter. Thank you so much for praying for me. Your prayers are helping me to do my work, which is to bring Jesus to the people,” the Holy Father wrote. “For this reason, dear Nicolas, you are important to me.”
“And I want to ask you a favor. Keep helping me with your prayers, and also keep praying to Eusebio, who is surely friends with my guardian angel, who also watches over me.”
“Nicolas, thanks for your help,” the Pope continued. “I am praying for you. May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin watch over you. Affectionately, and with my Blessing, Francis.”

On Nov. 9, Marasco received the Sacrament of Confirmation, together with 16 of his classmates.

His mother, Marisa Mariani, told Clarin, “What has happened to us has made us realize that the simple things are what matter, a word of encouragement, someone who listens, someone who doesn’t look the other way, as we sometimes experience out on the street.”

The Magnificent Mont St Michel

The following comes from Fr. Dwight Longenecker: 

When I lived in England I used to make my annual Benedictine retreat at the magnificent monastery of Mont St Michel. Like an embodiment of St Michael in stone–it was planted on an island in the midst of not only the sea, but surrounded by unpredictable shifting tides and miles of quicksand.

The chaotic bay with it’s sea and shifting sand was like the unpredictable and irrational forces of evil. In the midst of the chaos that could swallow you up, Mont St Michel stands on a rock and rises up like a monumental angel of stability and victory. The walls of the village at the first level, then the village itself–representing ordinary life surrounded by the security and defense of faith. Above the village rises the medieval monastery–an unimaginable glory higher and higher as if the creator himself decided to make a sandcastle that would last forever.

At the summit is a soaring Gothic church, and hidden away is the jewel of it all–the small cloister–built delicately and enclosed for the life of prayer and solitude yet open to the spiritual sky and open to the angels.

I first stayed there on my hitch hiking pilgrimage from England to Jerusalem. I could not sleep the first night in my narrow cell. Finally I drifted off, then at three in the morning–like an alarm clock–I woke wide awake and alert and aware of a spiritual entity at the foot of my bed. I could see nothing, but sensed a being some seven feet high filled with light and benevolence. I knew it was my guardian angel, and knew his presence not only then, but  recognized it as being with me for a long time, and was assured of his presence on my pilgrimage.

Pope Benedict: Do not forget your guardian angel

The following comes from the CNA:

Pope Benedict XVI used his Sunday Angelus address to remind Christians to call upon their guardian angel for help throughout life.

“Dear friends, the Lord is always near and active in human history, and follows us with the unique presence of His angels, that today the Church venerates as 'Guardian,' in other words those who minister God's care for every man,” the Pope told pilgrims gathered in Rome's St. Peter's Square, October 2.

“From the beginning until death,” he said, “human life is surrounded by their constant protection.”

The Pope's comments come on the Feast of the Guardian Angels, a day celebrating the Catholic Church's teaching that each person is assigned an angel to help protect and guide them through life. It was Pope Clement X who first extended the feast day to the entire Church in the early 17th century.

Pope Benedict also reflected upon today's Gospel, which contains a “particularly severe warning by Jesus, addressed to the chief priests and elders of the people,” for their lack of generosity towards God.

“Therefore I tell you,” Christ says in the Gospel of Matthew, “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it,” comparing the Jewish religious authorities to vineyard workers who reject the will of the owner.

“God has a plan for his friends, but unfortunately man's response is often driven to infidelity, which results in rejection,” the Pope said, noting that “pride and selfishness prevent us from recognizing and accommodating even the most precious gift of God: his only begotten Son.”

“These words make us think of the great responsibility of those who in every age, are called to work in the vineyard of the Lord, especially in a role of authority, and the push us to renew our full fidelity to Christ,” the Pontiff said. He observed that the “rejected and crucified” Christ is now “the 'cornerstone' on which the foundation of all human existence and the whole world may rest with absolute certainty.”

This was the Pope's first Sunday Angelus address since returning from his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, 15-miles to the south of Rome. Some 20,000 pilgrims gathered to hear his address from the window of his study at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.

Pope Benedict said that the faithful must be “anchored in faith in the cornerstone who is Christ, abiding in Him like the branch that can not bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine.” He urged those assembled to be faithful to Jesus because “only in Him, through Him and with Him is the Church, the people of the New Covenant built.”

“The Servant of God Paul VI wrote about this,” the Pope said, quoting his predecessor: “the first fruit of the deepening consciousness of the Church itself is the renewed discovery of its vital relationship with Christ. A well-known thing, fundamental, essential, but never quite understood, meditated upon, celebrated enough.”

Pope Benedict concluded by imparting his apostolic blessing to those assembled.

The Feast of the Archangels

Today is the Feast of the Archangels! To learn more about them click here:

Angels are not like the other saints on the Church's calendar who were all human beings. Angels are celestial beings created on a higher order than man. They are completely spiritual beings; they have intelligence and will; they are personal and immortal creatures. Angels are the servants and messengers of God -- in fact, this is what the word "angel" means. Several different kinds (or ranks) of angels are mentioned in the Bible: angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim, thrones, choirs, dominions, principalities, and powers.

The feast of Saint Michael, one of the seven archangels of Scripture, originated in the sixth century. It was known, in English, as "Michaelmas", and this name lives on in a wildflower, a white aster with many small star-like flowers, that blooms in late September, known as the Michaelmas daisy.

Recently two other of the archangels named in scripture, Gabriel and Raphael, are also honored on this day.

Michael the archangel, whose name in Hebrew means "Who is like God?", is revered as the leader of the angelic army who will conquer Satan and his armies of demons, and is considered the defender of the Church. Michael is more often represented in art thank any other angelic being. He is often shown wearing armor, in the act of slaying the great Dragon of the Apocalypse [Satan] in Revelation 12:7-9.

The archangel Gabriel, whose name in Hebrew means "Strength of God", announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zachariah, and soon after, announced to Mary that she was to become the mother of Our Lord. His address to her, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee" (the "angelic salutation") is familiar to all who say the Rosary.

The archangel Raphael, whose name means medic or ointment of God, is mentioned by name in the Old Testament book of Tobit, whom the angel aided by healing him of blindness and guiding his son on his travels.