Reading 1
Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
As I watched:
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Responsorial PsalmR
Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5.
(1) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD
"Great is the glory of the LORD
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Gospel
Jn 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Meditation: Psalm 138
The Archangels
I praise your name for your fidelity and love. (Psalm 138:2)
Have you ever thought about what it’s like to praise God with all of his angels? We know that the Archangels we celebrate today act as God’s messengers to his people, and there are many biblical examples of their work in salvation history. But did you realize that the most important role of the angels of God is to praise him before his throne?
So what is heavenly worship like? Today’s readings give us a glimpse. Imagine God, the “Ancient One,” on his throne, surrounded by myriads of heavenly beings, with glory shining all around him (Daniel 7:9-10). Imagine “the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51). The descriptions of angelic worship in the Book of Revelation provide a window for our imagination as well. And let’s not forget the heavenly chorus that announced the birth of Jesus with joyful songs of praise and glory!
But how do we enter into this joyous celebration? While our times of personal prayer lay an essential foundation, they aren’t the only opportunity. Honestly, any time we lift our hearts to the Lord is a chance to enter into this heavenly worship. When we go to Mass, heaven touches earth, and we are lifted up into worship. Our hearts can be raised up to heaven just as easily when we are walking down a busy street as when we are kneeling in a quiet church. Opportunities can come when we are cooking dinner or driving to work. And there’s nothing to stop us from putting on some praise music and dancing around the living room with our children!
The angels rejoice when heaven touches earth and when we mortal beings are lifted up to join them in their chorus of praise! So don’t miss out on the many opportunities you will have today! Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to open the heavens for you so that you can sing and dance and praise and worship the Lord.
“Holy Spirit, even though my feet are on the ground, raise my mind and heart to heaven so that I can join in with all the angels praising and worshipping God!”
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