St Michael slaying evil
Michaelmas - St Michael and all Angels
On the Feast of Michael and all Angels, popularly called Michaelmas, we give thanks for the many ways in which God's loving care watches over us, both directly and indirectly, and we are reminded that the richness and variety of God's creation far exceeds our knowledge of it.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, it is occasionally reported that someone saw a man who spoke to him with authority, and who he then realized was no mere man, but a messenger of God. Thus we have a belief in super-human rational created beings, either resembling us in appearance or taking human appearance when they are to communicate with us. They are referred to as "messengers of God," or simply as "messengers." The word for a messenger in Hebrew is Malach, in Greek, Angelos, from which we get our word "angel".
By the time of Christ, Jewish popular belief included many specifics about angels, with names for many of them. There were thought to be four archangels, named Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. An alternative tradition has seven archangels (see Tobit 12:15 and 1 Enoch 20). It is thought by many scholars that the seven lamps of Revelation 4:5 are an image suggested by (among many other things) the idea of seven archangels.
Michael (the name means "Who is like God?") is said to be the captain of the heavenly armies. He is mentioned in the Scriptures in Daniel 10:13,31; 12:1 (where he is said to be the prince of the people of Israel); in Jude 9 (where he is said to have disputed with the devil about the body of Moses); and in Revelation 12:7 (where he is said to have led the heavenly armies against those of the great dragon). He is generally pictured in full armor, carrying a lance, and with his foot on the neck of a dragon (not to be confused with St George who doesn't have wings).
Music on Sunday
MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS
CANTOR EUCHARIST @ 10.00 AM
Prelude: Largo from Trio Sonata 5 – J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
Hymns: Processional O worship the King
Gradual O praise ye the Lord
Thanksgiving Fill my whole life
Post Communion Angel voices ever singing
Setting: Christ Church Mass – Philip Matthias (b. 1954)
Psalm: 138 NPCW
Anthem: Les Anges (The Angels) – Erik Satie (1866-1925)
Motet: Panis angelicus - André Caplet (1878-1925)
Postlude: Les Anges (The Angels) from La Nativité du Seigneur (The Birth of the Lord) – Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
This week at St Andrew's
No Lectio Divina Meditation, English Conversation Group or Chinese Morning Prayer this week due to school holidays
Wednesday - Coffee + Chat in the Pioneer Chapel at 12 noon
No access to church from 2pm Wednesday until Saturday due to floor polishing
Ensemble Gombert concert 3pm
ROSTERS
Comments