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First reading Daniel 7:9-10,13-14
His robe was white as snow
As I watched:
Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow,
the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames,
its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held
and the books were opened.
I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty,
glory and kingship,
and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm 137(138):1-5
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
All earth’s kings shall thank you
when they hear the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the Lord’s ways:
‘How great is the glory of the Lord!’
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
Gospel John 1:47-51
You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’
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To see Jesus is to see God
In order to appreciate today’s gospel, we need to refer to Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28:10-22. Jacob was in the wilderness when he dreamt of a ladder linking heaven to earth. He saw angels ascending and descending on it. When Jacob woke up, he realised that the place where he was sleeping was the gate of heaven, the house of God. In today’s passage, Jesus declares that He is now the ladder that linked heaven and earth. More than the angels which are regarded as God’s messengers in the Bible, Jesus is now the true and ultimate messenger who fully reveals God and His love to humanity. In Jesus, who is God incarnated, we come to know God as He is, i.e. a God of love and compassion.
Thus, Jesus must be at the centre of our Christian faith. We need to be in a relationship with Him and allow His words to shape how we think, love and act. As we celebrate the Feast of the Archangels today, we are also reminded that we are called to be angels, i.e. messengers, and bring God’s presence of love to those around us today.
Question for reflection:
How can I put Jesus at the centre of my life?
How can I put Jesus at the centre of my life?
