On November 8th, we celebrate a feast day that is especially near and dear to the hearts of Fr. Dcn. Michael and myself…and it is one that should be on the radar for all of us here gathered, because it is the Synaxis of all of the Archangels. It is the feast where we celebrate and remember all of the bodiless powers of heaven, including and perhaps most importantly for all of us…that of our own individual guardian angels.
There are moments in our lives, and in the lives of all of those who have come before us, where we have direct interaction with the Angels. They are with us fighting off the temptations of the demons. They protect us in the material world in ways that we simply can’t fathom. But when do we interact with them the most?
Since the beginning of creation, the Angels have surrounded the Throne of Heaven, worshiping and praising God with every part of their being. They are an integral part of the eternal Liturgy, that has been going on continuously throughout the millennia since the universe has come into existence. Every time we enter into the Church, we who were made in the Image and Likeness of God Himself, plug ourselves into This Eternal Heavenly Liturgy. When we are here, we enter into a Liturgy that is ceaseless …surrounded by the Grace of God. We even sing and echo the words that are used in the praise of God by the angels! In the Church is where we are closest to them!!!
In the Divine Liturgy, we sing what is called “the prayer of the angels”. This hymn wasn’t added to the Divine Liturgy until the 5th Century, when the city of Constantinople was shaken by earthquakes for 4 months. Houses were being destroyed, the city walls were crumbling, and whole islands were crashing into the sea! All of the inhabitants of the city were terrified, and asked the Patriarch of Constantinople named Proclus what they should do. St. Proclus organized a barefoot Cross procession in the middle of an open field, where the faithful prayed to God to protect them.
The tremors began to increase dramatically after the prayers began, and a young boy in the procession was lifted up from the ground and into the heavens in front of the eyes of many. “Lord have mercy!” was the cry of the faithful, as they waited to see what would happen next. The boy returned safely to the ground, and told the people that he had heard the sound of the Angels glorifying God saying: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.” The patriarch instructed the people to chant this angelic song, and immediately upon so doing, the ground stopped shaking.
From that time, the hymn has been inserted into the Divine Liturgy, just as it was sung by the people during the earthquake. The prayer of the Angels echoes the vision that Isaiah had, hearing the angels singing what we will sing shortly: “Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord of Sabbaoth!”. We see the prayer of the angels depicted in the iconographic tradition of the Church as well. When you go next door to see the stain glass icon windows we have, St. Michael is depicted holding an orb with the words “Holy, Holy, Holy” on it.
Once our dome is complete, we will be able to look up and see Christ at the center of the Church, surrounded by the heavenly angelic Liturgy. We will be able to see it, hear it in the angelic hymns…and all of us will join in with the Angels, worshiping the Triune God with one voice!
Where would we be without Angelic Worship dear ones? Where would we be without being able to enter this heavenly joy during the week? This is why coming to services is so incredibly important for us! When we enter the doors of the Church, we are literally plugging into heaven! We plug in to Heavenly Grace like we plug in our smartphones! When we miss this connection, our battery runs low and we cease to function! So it is the same with our worship of God.