A reading of the holy Gospel according to John 15:18-21
Jesus said to his disciples: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.”
REFLECTION:
Jesus said to his disciples: “… If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”
Jesus’s disciples were warned of the world’s view of them preaching the Good News. The Word was given to us to “keep” via the saints and angels. God sends them to help us along our earthly journey. Let us look at what the Church says about Michael the Archangel and how He keeps the Word of God.
The Church looks toward the Old Testament in the book of Daniel 12:1: “At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book.” And in the New Testament in the book of Revelations 12:7, “Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back,” Evidentially, Michael the Archangel is very important in God’s plan. He is our protector and has made his presence known by appearing to the faithful.
Pope Pius V brought our attention to our humble guardian when he instituted today’s feast day for the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. It happened in the fifth century, year 492. A bull owned by a wealthy landowner strayed from the herd, went up Mount Gargano and hid in a cave. In order to persuade the bull from the cave, they shot an arrow into the cave. Shockingly, the arrow returned only to wound the archer. So, they brought this matter to the attention of the bishop, who asked for three days of prayer and fasting. At the end of the three days, the bishop was visited by St. Michael who told him, “You have done well to ask God what was hidden from men. A miracle that struck the man with his own arrow, so that it was clear that all this happens by my will.
I am the Archangel Michael and I am always in the presence of God. The cave is sacred to me. And since I have decided to protect this place and its inhabitants on Earth, I wanted to attest in this way that I am of this place and of everything that takes place as patron and custodian.
Where the rock is thrown open, the sins of men can be forgiven. There will be no more shedding of bull’s blood. What will be asked here in prayer will be granted. Go therefore to the mountain and dedicate the cave to Christian worship.”
The bishop hesitated in following through to consecrate this sacred cave and the local town was soon besieged by a pagan army from Naples. The bishop called for prayer and sacrifice to Archangel Michael, who answered them with a miraculous victory.
Afterward, a great procession led by the bishop ensued up the mountain, where they found an altar in the cave already made and consecrated by Archangel Michael. The first mass was celebrated in the Grotto of St. Michael, also called Celestial Basilica.
Also in 1656, Archangel Michael appeared to the bishop, Alfonso Puccinelli, as he prayed to the Archangel for protection against a terrible plague sweeping the land. St. Michael told the bishop to bless the cave and give rocks from the cave stamped with MA to the people. He added, “Anyone who devotedly keeps these stones with him will be immune to the plague.” All the faithful who devotedly carried the stone remained untouched by the pestilence. This tradition has been ongoing since then.
We too can keep God’s Word, spoken through those He sends to us in the depths of our hearts. Let us pray to St. Michael, who is “always in the presence of God”. And there we will know the goodness of the Father.
