Holy Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven
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The angels of God were celebrated by men from earliest times but this
celebration was often turned into the divinization of angels (II Kings
23:5). The heretics wove all sorts of fables concerning the angels.
Some of them looked upon angels as gods; others, although they did not
consider them gods, called them the creators of the whole visible
world. The local Council of Laodicea (four or five years before the
First Ecumenical Council) rejected the worship of angels as gods and
established the proper veneration of angels in its Thirty-fifth Canon.
In the fourth century, during the time of Sylvester, Pope of Rome, and
Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria, the present Feast of Archangel
Michael and all the other heavenly powers was instituted for
celebration in the month of November. Why precisely in November?
Because November is the ninth month after March, and March is
considered to be the month in which the world was created. Also, as
the ninth month after March, November was chosen for the nine orders
of angels who were created first. St. Dionysius the Areopagite, a
disciple of the Apostle Paul (who was taken up into the third heaven),
described these nine orders of angels in his book, On the Celestial
Hierarchies, as follows: six-winged Seraphim, many-eyed Cherubim, God-
bearing Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities,
Archangels, and Angels. The leader of all the angelic hosts is the
Archangel Michael. When Satan, Lucifer, fell away from God and drew a
part of the angels with him to destruction, then Michael stood up and
cried out before the faithful angels: ``Let us attend! Let us stand
aright! Let us stand with fear!'' and all of the faithful angelic
heavenly hosts cried out: ``Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God of Sabaoth!
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory!'' Concerning the Archangel
Michael, see Joshua 5:13-15 and Jude 1:9. Among the angels there reign
perfect oneness of mind, oneness of soul, and love. The lower orders
also show complete obedience to the higher orders, and all of them
together to the holy will of God. Every nation has its guardian angel,
as does every Christian. We must always remember that whatever we do,
in open or in secret, we do in the presence of our guardian angel. On
the day of the Dread Judgment, the multitude of the hosts of the holy
angels of heaven will gather around the throne of Christ, and the
deeds, words, and thoughts of every man will be revealed before all.
May God have mercy on us and save us by the prayers of the Archangel
Michael and all the bodiless heavenly powers. Amen.