Today we celebrate the feast of three archangels who appear in the Bible, the only angels who are named in the canonical books, although many other names for angels appear in other Jewish and early Christian religious literature written around the time of Christ and afterwards.

What we actually know of the angels from scripture is very, very little. What we do know from our Gospel today is that Jesus Himself refers to angels, and that angels were very much a part of the Jewish imagination, although the Jewish understanding of angels changed over time. What is important for us is not so much the nature of angels as the role which they played in Salvation History. Gabriel is perhaps the best known of the angels for the role this angel played in announcing God's plan to the father of John the Baptist and to Mary.

It is in this role of "Messengers of God" that we can best appreciate the Angels - for indeed the word angel comes from the Greek word meaning messenger. From the psalms we also have come to appreciate the role that angels are seen to play in protecting us from danger and guiding us through the difficulties of life. In every case, however, it is ultimately God's power that is at work, protecting us, guiding us, and leading us. The angels are seen as the instruments through which God manifests God's power and communicates God's love. Together with the Psalmist we say: