AND THE HERO LIES WITHIN !

'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
 

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's no thing enlightened about shrinking so
that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.
 

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other
people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others. Be the light you are meant to be and light up others on the way, and remember; allow yourself to be lighted too!

Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

           

The name Michael comes from the Hebrew phrase mi-ke-el meaning, “Who is like unto God?”  “Who is like unto God?” was the cry of the great Archangel when he smote the rebel Lucifer in the conflict of the heavenly hosts. From that hour he has been known as Michael, Captain of the armies of God, the archetype of divine fortitude, the champion of every faithful soul in strife with the powers of evil. Ever since its foundation by Jesus Christ, the Church has venerated Saint Michael as her special patron and protector. He is also the patron of grocers, mariners, policemen, radiologists and the sick.

            Gabriel as coming from the Hebrew root word geber, meaning, “man,” plus el which is the shortened formed of elohim or God. So Gabriel can mean: “man of God.” But the same Hebrew root word can also form the word gibbor, which means, “mighty.” And again Gabriel can also mean: “God has shown Himself mighty.” He was the angel who announced to Zechariah and to Mary the coming birth of St, John the Baptist and Jesus respectively. He said top Mary, “Hail, full of grace,” which we pray always everyday. He is the patron saint of messengers, postal employees and radio and television workers.

            The name Raphael comes from the Hebrew verb rāphà, which means: “to heal.” Combined with the divine el, it becomes: “God heals.” He is one of the three angels mentioned by name in Scripture and one of the seven that stands before God’s throne. He was the lead character in the deutero-canonical book of Tobit in which he travelled with and guarded Tobiah and cured a man’s blindness and hence his connection with travelers, young people, blindness, healing and healers. Traditionally, he is considered the force behind the healing power of the sheep pool mentioned in John 5:1-4. He is the patron saint of the blind, nurses, physicians and travelers.

            This feast of the Three Archangels is not only a reminder of their role as messengers of God but of us too as messengers and missionaries of His good news and message of the Kingdom and His salvation. We are called to bring this good news of God’s salvation and kingdom to others like they did.