АНГЕЛЫ

It is our duty to glorify the Angels. By chanting the Creator, they reveal His mercy and goodwill towards people. I'm talking about Angels, about our allies waging war against forces hostile to us - about Angels, one of whom is the Archangel Michael, who competed with the devil over the body of Moses and fought against the leader of the Persians for the freedom of the people (see Dan. 10:13). From among them is the one who turned the donkey back and kept Balaam from strange madness, and when this prophet did not understand what was happening, the voice of the dumb one brought the gifted one to reason with a word (see Numbers 22:27). From among them is the one who drew the sword and prompted Joshua to fight the enemies. Of these, also the one who in one night defeated one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians and put the barbarians to sleep in the uninterrupted sleep of death (see 2 Kings 19:35). Of these, the one who carried the prophet Habakkuk through the air to feed the prophet Daniel among the hungry lions (see Dan. 14:34–36). These and others like them stand against enemies and also have strength against suffering. Such was the wondrous and divine Raphael, who with the entrails of one fish freed a girl from the power of a demon and skillfully restored sight to a blind old man (see Comrade 11). We cannot remain silent about those who served in the New Testament; of these, for the most part, is the Archangel Gabriel, who revealed the prediction to Zechariah and punished him for his distrust with dumbness, since they did not believe that the barren woman would conceive for the sake of the future economy; he announced the unmarried birth of Saint Mary, he showed the shepherds the way to the cave and showed the Immense One in the manger, the Indescribable One in swaddling clothes, sending up with them a euphonious song of glorification: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14). Another Angel keeps the Magi from returning to Herod; some served the Creator on earth during its creation; another admonishes the betrothed of the Virgin not to let go, as if corrupted, of the one who was immaculate; another inspires him to return after fleeing from the beating of infants by Herod; although they saw the Uncreated One in the flesh, they served Him following the example of slaves. They were amazed at His power, as a result of which the tempter was struck, and in accordance with the testimony of David, lifting Him in their arms, they carried Him so as not to hit the stones (see Ps. 90:12), because “they took,” it is said, “stones to throw at Him” (John 8:59). Some flocked to suffering; others, sitting in a new tomb after the resurrection, said to the believing women: “Why are you looking for the living among dead? (Luke 24:5). After the ascension, they accompanied the disciples as bodyguards, freeing Peter from his shackles, easing dangers on land and sea for Paul, helping the faith of Cornelius, defeating the boastful Herod, the destroyer of the righteous. Isn’t that why those who control our lives deserve the greatest honor? After all, Angels were appointed not only to protect the nations, as the saying goes: “When the Most High gave inheritance to the nations and scattered the sons of men, then he set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel” (Deut. 32:8), but also an Angel was assigned to each of the people. This is not my speech, but the Holy Scripture. It was when the maiden Rhoda announced to the apostles that Peter, who had left Herod’s prison, was standing at the door, they, not believing, said: “This is his angel” (Acts 12:15). And the Savior also testifies to this, speaking about the little ones in this life: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). Christ appointed guardian angels for each church, as, revealing to John, he says: “Write to the angel of the church of Smyrna... I know your deeds, and sorrow, and poverty (however, you are rich) ...” (Rev. 2:8, 9). The angels report to the Judge of all, and He commands them to say to everyone who does good: “Your prayers and your alms have come as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4) (9). You might be interested in: