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St. Thomas, the apostle, aka “doubting Thomas,” is the first scientist called by Jesus. He brought to the apostolic ministry a unique perspective on God and science. When told of Christ’s Resurrection and subsequent appearance to Mary Magdalene, he responded, “I will believe when I see Him for myself; when I can place my fingers in the nail wounds on His hands and feet; when I can put my hand into the wound left by the sword in His side.”

When Jesus appeared in the room where the Apostles remained in hiding, He called Thomas by name and bid him do what he demanded. Thomas placed his fingers in the wounds on His hands and feet, placed his hand into the wound on Christ’s side, and proclaimed what faith did not allow prior to doing so:

“Truly, You are risen, Lord.”

Whereas fear kept the other Apostles in hiding, it was doubt that held Thomas apart from the gift of faith. One need not discover the facts prior to believing they exist. However, we do require faith to pursue facts regarding abstract and/or supernatural matters. To venture into such territories without faith, or with blind faith, leaves us vulnerable to the machinations of illusory powers. How does one then separate the Truth from the lies?

Sight is not merely a sensory perception. It is also an inner aspect of humanity comprised of the spirit or soul. We know such things exist within all living beings to various degrees. It exists within humans to a greater extent than other beings but only because we are fashioned after God’s image. How we develop that image to its fullest depends upon our words and deeds. We are given the gift of free will; to know and choose right from wrong.

Was Thomas wrong in choosing to question the faith of his brothers and sisters upon hearing the news of Christ’s Resurrection? No, but he chose to seek the proof first and faith second. Therein lies the conundrum.

Seeing, understanding, and unraveling abstract or supernatural matters demands faith first, proof second.

Blessed are you who believe without “seeing” and “touching,” for you are both seen and touched.

Blessed be our scientific brothers and sisters, for they seek the same whether they know it or not. Their pursuit to unravel mysteries benefits our quest for greater knowledge and understanding of God’s existence. In the process, we hopefully benefit from their pursuits to better the world for humanity, and they in turn, draw closer to a God who beckons them to look more closely.

December 6, 2024

His angels walk with me.

They catch me when I stumble and lift me when I fall.

Whatever wounds I sustain, they heal through the power of God and set me back upon my path.

Thank You, Lord, for their presence and protection.

Angels guide my course and direction, because I call on them for the Divine assistance they provide. They abandon me not in the face of evil, for they do not fear to go where I tread in service to the King.

For whomever calls upon the Heavenly Host in the name of Jesus, receives their absolute attention and grace-filled guidance. Therefore, call upon them daily, minute by minute, hour by hour. Take the hands they offer and make of them a strength filled device by which you daily walk in flesh and soar in spirit. They exist in every aspect of existence. Though perhaps you have not yet seen them, know they walk among us with the powerful presence of God. From Him they derive their supernatural ability to come and go, to be seen or unseen, to work the miraculous deeds of Him who abides in everything.

We do not call upon the angels as we should.

Whether you choose to acknowledge and call upon your Guardian Angel, or another, or all of them at once, simply call. They are bound to answer, to acknowledge any and all entreaties raised in the Name of Jesus. These guardians of the faithful are a gift from God the Father. Who among us has no need of such a powerful gift?

Then open it!

The rush of a Heavenly wind will sweep through your life, your home, your spirit.

It is one more way God makes His loving presence known; a most powerful way.

The angels continually ministered to Christ during His mission upon earth. He Himself made their presence known in Scripture, so that we could imitate His acknowledgement of their Heavenly presence during times of sorrow, great distress, helplessness, and fear. They never abandoned Our Lord, and even He spoke the words stating He need only call upon His Father to send a legion to His side.

Do the same.

Imagine, if we called upon the Heavenly Host at once in a daily manner, what power would fill the world. We could lose no battles once enjoined to them through the power of Jesus. We would become a Heavenly army like no other. Our strength, our courage, our faith, would become a power to drive back the forces of evil from every darkened corner of existence.

Therefore, call upon the angels.

They exist for us in every time, through every season.

Michael, Commander in Chief of the Heavenly Host, lead your brothers and sisters to dwell among us, to assist us in our efforts to conquer ourselves in willing submission to the King. Help us, dear brother, to live as though Heaven indeed exists upon the Earth under direct supervision of the King, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to live as though the enemy is even now outnumbered.

Come, sweet Michael, in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Before going further, let us be clear:

Michael is not Jesus Christ.

Throughout the centuries, various theologians and scholars have attempted associating Jesus with angels and angels with Jesus, rather than trying to comprehend the mysteries of the Holy Trinity beginning at its simplest. Jesus is God. If you “see” Him, you see the Father. In other words, although He is the Son, He is also the Father. Therefore, if you are so inclined, you may call Jesus “Abba” or Father. You may also call Jesus mother, brother, sister, and friend, however, none of these descriptors (or others) change the simple fact that He is God. Michael is an angel, a powerful angel, in fact, the most powerful angel in existence. This is only so because God makes it so. Remember, Jesus is God, thus Michael’s powerful existence derives from Jesus as part of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, or God Himself.

There are Scriptural references describing Michael as an angel/archangel of tremendous importance and favor to God. Surely, these textual references depict him as other than God and a servant by choice. His total submission to God’s will renders him part of that will itself. Are there examples of humans or mortals having attained a similar measure of God-like submission? Yes, indeed. Christ’s own mother is the foremost example of a “yes” to God that mirrors His will as perfectly as possible.

Martyrs, prophets, and saints follow suit, along with a host of other unknown or less famous mortals of phenomenal God-like attributes. And yet Michael, like us, is comprised of free will. He desires us to become angels as well, because such things are possible. Angels may also become like us by choice (or made in God’s image) and without losing their angelic attributes or status. It is the total embrace of the spiritual that enables humans to soar, just as it is the angelic acceptance of our greater, God-like attributes that enable them to become more fully like their Creator. To become like God (which the Father desires for all) is to embrace the best and overcome the worst of whatever being we are made to represent.

Michael appears throughout historical texts, records and eyewitness accounts up to the Common Era when he still makes his presence known. Although most written accounts include religious or Scriptural documents from multiple denominations, one cannot discount the innumerable myths, legends, and lore handed down through the ages. Pagan writings also contain a variety of rich representations resembling Michael’s angelic characteristics. Thus, he avails himself to anyone regardless of race, creed, class or need providing endless information and examples of his existence. One need only kindle the desire to know him through the infinite clues he provides, however, an examination of Scripture and other religious texts is a logical place to begin.

Writings from the Hebrew Bible and the Book of Joshua (Yehoshua) contain rich representations of both Michael’s qualities and missions. With his customary straightforward and businesslike manner, he appears on a mission to declare the will of God. Does this mean he cannot feel or express emotion? Not at all. He merely carries the weighty task of the moment as one who always “stands in the sight of the Lord” and reflects the sobriety of his role as intercessor. Take for instance, the following verses from The Complete Jewish Bible, Josh. 5.13-15:

And it was when Joshua was in Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and saw, and, behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand; and Joshua went to him, and said to him, Are you for us, or for our adversaries?                      

And he said, No, but I am the captain of the host of the Lord; I have now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and prostrated himself, and said to him, What does my lord say to his servant?                      

And the captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, Remove your shoe from your foot [sic]; for the place upon which you stand is holy. And Joshua did so.

These three verses reveal a tremendous amount of information regarding Michael. To read between the lines allows one to discover a means of drawing closer not only to him, but to the Father he both loves and serves. Because although he appears to state the obvious with minimal details, the adage of “less is more” holds true for Michael’s manner of addressing humanity. The above verses are but one instance of his invitation to examine him more closely. By doing so, we also examine the one he continually mirrors or reflects.

“And it was when Joshua was in Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and saw, and, behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand” (Josh. 5.13). In this instance, Joshua looks up and sees a “man”. Although we do not have a full description of the being that appears before Joshua, we do know that Michael looks like a man. This is significant for two reasons:

Angels are spirit and therefore without gender.

Angels possess free will and therefore have choices.

Now consider the time or era in which Joshua lives. Women were not considered the equal of men nor were they thought to be worthy harbingers of God’s Word. In fact, they were not permitted to preach or teach the Word of God in public places. Michael, aware of these customs and beliefs, uses his free will to adopt a manner acceptable to Joshua, so as to overcome any barriers prohibiting Joshua from hearing the message he must impart. Because Michael states he has come as a man of corporeal strength and might (against a supernatural backdrop) he causes Joshua to fall to the earth on his face prostration. In other words, he wastes no time in capturing Joshua’s entire attention.

Michael appears “with his sword drawn in his hand”. The sword is associated with Michael because of his soldier/warrior status, the leader of angelic armies. He is the most powerful angel without equal. Not even Lucifer himself rivals the extent of power he derives from God. Yet Michael fully understands his role and the limitless might bestowed upon him by the God. Yet, when Joshua questions, “Are you for us or our adversaries?” Michael answers, “No, but I am the captain of the host of the Lord.”

Consider this reply.

           I am the captain of the host of the Lord.

He does not bestow upon himself any other military ranking above that of a captain. In essence, the most powerful supernatural being second to God and the Holy Trinity appears as a man, with sword in hand, and willfully confers a lesser rank. In so doing, he not only avows his deference to God as all powerful but expresses a humility so astounding it confuses and vexes the opposition. As an enigma, his persona defies a single answer to the riddle he represents.

Again, when Joshua puts him to the test by asking, “Are you for us or our adversaries?” and Michael answers, “No”, he firmly asserts he has not come to do man’s bidding. Instead, he turns the situation to his advantage by commanding Joshua to remove his shoes, demanding respect for himself as God’s representative. Gaining the upper hand is something Michael does very well because his cloak of humility lightly enshrouds a righteous power to attack without warning. Michael willingly holds such power in check, else he might become as destroyer rather than leader. The subtle differences between these two roles presents a fine line only Michael might tread without fear.

            Balance.

Michael epitomizes the power of balance and the balance of power. So, does God permit him the choice of when to lead or destroy? It is reasonable to assume that if He grants us the choice to do likewise, Michael’s options are far greater than our own. Therefore, one must be conscious of the fact that prayerful supplication regarding intermediary requests of Michael be constructed from a place of sincerity, lest we become influenced to disrespect his choices. As supplicants, we call upon the angelic grace of God that flows through Michael with a love for His Creation, such that God Himself looks upon Michael with immeasurable favor. This love serves as the right hand of Christ, delving deep in search of lost souls; beckoning sinners; and welcoming the outcast, shunned and forsaken.

Work Cited

The Complete Jewish Bible With Rashi Commentary. Chabad.org, 1993-2021 Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center. chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15789/jewish/Chapter-5.htm. Accessed 28 January 2021.