REFLECTIONS ON ‘ARCHANGEL MICHAEL AND ALL ALL ANGELS – 29th September 2025
In my previous church, a kind and well-known artist offered a stained glass window of an angel to be installed in the vestry window. He said that when he was married in church, he felt the presence of angels. As the Bible reading about faith, hope, and love was being read, he said he saw the body of the angel of love supported by the two wings of faith and hope.
The congregation loved the window, but permission to install it was not granted. Reason: “No theology of guardian angels in the CofE”. I sent the Chancellor the collect prayer I read that morning, and permission was given.
Send your holy angels to watch over us, O God,
that on our lips will be found your truth
and in our hearts your love;
so we may ever taste your goodness.
Do you believe in Angels? in the land of the living;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Do You Believe in Angels?
On September 29th, the Church celebrates St. Michael and All Angels, a day that invites us to reflect on the role angels play in our lives. My own experiences in two churches named for Archangel Michael, along with the stories shared by others, have deepened my sense of how angels watch over and guide us.
The psalmist writes:“He hath given His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11). People hold many different beliefs about angels. Some see loved ones—especially children who have died—as becoming angels in heaven. I share this conviction. For others, angels are tied to their daily work. St. Michael, for instance, is the patron saint of police officers, representing strength and protection.
Angels also appear in popular culture. Doreen Virtue, a well-known spiritual writer in the New Age movement, describes Archangel Michael as a powerful guardian who helps anyone who calls on him. In my ministry, I have served churches dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels. Often these churches were built on hills—sacred places with layered histories—reminding us of the enduring presence of angels.
The sages of the Old Testament taught that every prayer is carried by an angel who perfects each word before presenting it to God. If a prayer is misspoken, the angel corrects it. If it is tainted by impure thoughts, the angel purifies it. In this way, angels serve as both messengers and protectors of our spiritual lives.
Religious art and tradition also reveal much about how angels are understood. In Rublev’s famous Trinity icon, three figures sit together; Christians often interpret them as representing the Trinity, while in Jewish tradition they are identified as the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael visiting Abraham. Each angel had a special role: Michael healed Abraham, Gabriel told Sarah she would have a son, and Raphael was sent to destroy Sodom. Across Judeo-Christian tradition, angels are seen as messengers, healers, and protectors.
The Bible affirms this enduring belief. Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to a young woman named Mary. He greeted her with the words: “You are honoured very much. You are a favoured woman. The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:26–38). Angels appear again and again at key moments in the birth, life, and resurrection of Jesus.
The apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians that our true struggle is not with other people but against the powers of darkness and spiritual forces. Here Michael, the archangel, takes a central role and helps us fight these hidden battles. Scripture presents him as the defender of God’s people: in the Book of Daniel, as their protector in times of trial; in Revelation, as the leader of the heavenly armies who defeats Satan; and in the Epistle of Jude, as the angel who resists the Devil himself.
Through these stories, traditions, and experiences, we are reminded that angels continue to guard, guide, and protect us—whether through moments of deep faith, through the prayers we offer, or through the unseen battles waged on our behalf.