Thoughts for the Day

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Today is the Feast of Michael and All Angels, also known as Michaelmas, which falls on the 29th September each year. Michael (his name means 'who is like God'), Gabriel (meaning 'the strength of God'), and Raphael (meaning 'the healing of God') are the named biblical angels, shown as the beloved messengers of God. Today we celebrate the work of Michael who defeated Satan and his angels. The festival goes back to the early 3rd century CE and there are many traditions and customs celebrated on this day, particularly concerning feasting.

Angels are non physical beings, that serve God by actively doing His will, encouraging believers, and fighting spiritual battles on our behalf. They also eternally worship God. In our reading today Jesus uses the image of Jacob's dream when he sees angels ascending and descending to heaven, to tell Nathaniel what he will see in the future. In our rational world we are allowed to believe in angels and archangels, and today in particular we remember that they are real beings involved in protecting us (Hebrews 1.14) and (Psalm 91.9-13). They also help us fight the spiritual warfare in which we are involved every day of our life. Following the Christian way is difficult and we can find ourselves frequently tempted to go our own way. Our bible teaches us that the Father sends His angels to protect us

Lord God,
we thank You for Your servants,
for Michael and all the Angels;
for their perpetual service to You;
for their wisdom and strength
in helping many over the centuries;
and for their continual worship of You.
Amen.