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Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

September 29th: Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels
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Gospel text (Jn 1:47-51): Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him (…): “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The Saint Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today, while celebrating the Archangels, "we see" Heaven. An angel is a creature who stands before God. All three names of the Archangels —Michael, Gabriel, Raphael— end with the word "El", which means "God". Thus, God is inscribed in their names, in their nature. Their true nature is existing in "His sight" and "for Him". In addition, they are God’s "messengers": they bring God to men; they open Heaven and, thus, they open earth.

Michael defends the cause of God’s oneness (only God is God) against the presumption of the "Dragon" (which continually attempts to discredit Him before men) and he is also the protector of the People of God. Gabriel is the Messenger of God’s incarnation: knocks at Mary’s door and, through him, God Himself asks Mary for her "Yes". Raphael is presented to us as the Angel to whom is entrusted the task of healing our "blindness" to God, instigated by materialism.

—Saint Archangels, defend us so that we can stay in the love of God.