Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: September 6

The Month of September

Day 6

7. The Holy Angels Are Our Invisible Protectors and Guardians

(The Miracle of the Holy Archangel Michael. September 6, Menaion)

Both the word of God and the Holy Fathers teach us to believe that the holy Angels of God, who in God's goodness always care for human beings, do us good, care for us, remain near us, and, as those who stand ever wakefully before the face of God, attending to God's all-good providence for mankind, always protect us at the prompting of the divine will. Thus, the Prophet David, glorifying the protection of God manifested over him, says: “The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Ps. 33:8), that is, from the schemes devised against them by evil men. And elsewhere: “No evil shall befall you, and no plague shall come near your dwelling; for He shall command His Angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways” (Ps. 90:10–11). Saint Basil the Great teaches: “As the walls of a city, surrounding the city on every side, repel enemy attacks from every direction, so the Angel serves as a wall before you, guards you from behind, and on both sides leaves nothing unprotected” (Works of Basil the Great, Part 5, Homily on Ps. 33:8). Thus, from all these words we become convinced that the Angels are our invisible protectors, guardians, benefactors, and keepers. But having been convinced by these words, can we also become convinced of this truth by an example? We can. And here is such a proof.

The Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

On the 26th of the month of March we celebrate the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel, which has been handed down to us from the beginning and from God, because this Archangel ministered in the divine, supernatural, and ineffable mystery of the economy of Christ.

According indeed to the note of the Venerable Nikodemos the Hagiorite in his Great Synaxaristes, “Gabriel means man and God (that is, man of God), according to Proclus of Constantinople. For this reason he is the one who served in the mystery of the incarnate economy of God the Word. And Theophanes Kerameus, the Bishop of Tauromenium, also says that the seven letters contained in the name Gabriel signify that Christ, whose Birth Gabriel proclaimed, will come for the salvation of the whole world, which is measured by the week and comes to completion in seven ages.”

The Holy Hymnographer, namely Joseph the Hymnographer, is moved ecstatically as he refers to the “all-great Gabriel.” There is almost no troparion either at Vespers or in the Canon for the Archangel that does not reveal his admiration and his awe-filled stance toward him, not only for the fact of Gabriel’s participation in the revelation of the mystery of the coming of God into the world as a man to the pure maiden Mariam, but also for his twofold unceasing and eternal stance before the Lord of all, the Triune God: the glorification of His holy name and the readiness of obedience to the commands of His will. For example:

Prologue in Sermons: March 26

Why the Archangel Gabriel Is Called the Herald of Joy

March 26

(Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

The Holy Archangel Gabriel is called among us the Herald of Joy. Why is this so?

First, because he proclaimed to people, in general, only one thing — joy. In the Prologue it is said of him:

“This Holy Archangel Gabriel is one of the great princes of the heavenly hosts, who from the beginning is sent by God to the earth, proclaiming every joy to human nature.”

Then the Archangel Gabriel announced joy to the Prophet Daniel concerning the deliverance of God’s people from the Babylonian captivity and about the time of the Messiah. 

He announced joy to Zechariah concerning the birth of the Forerunner from a barren mother and said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John; and you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth” (Luke 1:13–14).

The Archangels Michael and Gabriel in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

The holy hymnographer John of Damascus, with strong faith and knowledge of the entire Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, opens our eyes to see mentally the spiritual world of angels and archangels, as well as the other incorporeal heavenly powers. That is, to see that creation of God, which preceded the rest of created creation and man, a creation that is in absolute obedience to the will of God and in constant glorification of His holy name. However, he emphasizes par excellence the position and work of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. And for Michael, he presents the triple characterization, as he does in every reference to him, such as in his well-known miracle at Chonae, of being Parastatis ("supporter" or "one who stands next to"), Protostatis ("the one who stands first" or "stands in front"), and Prostatis ("protector"), namely that Saint Michael is “the parastatis of the most bright three-sunned divinity,” “the protostatis of the angelic brigades,” and of course “our prostatis,” “walking with us at all times and protecting us all from every evil circumstance.” As for Saint Gabriel, he reminds us that he was the one who “revealed to us a divine and truly great mystery”: “that the incorporeal God should be incarnated in a Virgin’s womb and become man in order to save man,” and even before that “to bring the joyful news of the birth of a child to Zechariah the priest,” so that “the voice of the Word, John, would be born.”

November: Day 8: Teaching 2: Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers

November: Day 8: Teaching 2:
Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers
 
(The Seven Archangels of God)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On the day of the Archangel Michael and other Heavenly Bodiless Powers, let our word be about the seven highest archangels of God.

II. In heaven, brethren, despite the mutual love, joy, and blessedness of each and every one, there is nonetheless not that equality which some, in their utter foolishness, seek on earth; there, some govern and preside, others obey and follow. Essential and complete equality is found only among the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Prologue in Sermons: November 8

 

God's Angels Protect Man and Help Him in Times of Need

November 8

(Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and Other Bodiless Powers. The Tales of the Miracles of the Archangel Michael and Other Angels.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Our holy faith teaches us to remember that, by the goodness of God, who always cares for us, good Angels are close to us, at times granting us blessings, caring for us as elder brothers care for younger ones, and protecting us from visible and invisible enemies and from all evils, misfortunes, and calamities. Can this truth, brethren, be demonstrated in practice? Yes, we answer; know that it can be, and it can be done easily, as we are about to convince you.

The Location Where the Miracle of the Archangel Michael in Chonae Took Place

By Vasilisa Phillips-Pohil

The ancient city of Colossae is probably known to every Orthodox Christian in one way or another. It was here, on the territory of modern Turkey, that an unprecedented miracle occurred.

In this city, to whose residents the Apostle Paul once wrote, there was a church in the name of Archangel Michael, built by a local resident in gratitude to the Archangel for healing his daughter at a healing spring that flowed nearby. A pious man, Archippus, served as a sexton at this church for 60 years. With his righteous life, he converted many to Christianity.

At that time, Christianity was not yet officially recognized, and many pagans were irritated by the fact that people flocked to the Venerable Archippus and converted to faith in Christ. Then the "wicked people," as Saint Dimitri of Rostov tells us, decided to destroy the temple: they united two mountain rivers into one channel and directed their flow towards the church. The Venerable One refused to leave the holy place and began to pray to the Archangel Michael to save the temple from destruction. And then a miracle happened. The Archangel Michael appeared in front of the church, stopped the flow of water with the sign of the cross, and then cut it in two with a blow of his staff on a stone. All the water flowed into the resulting hole. From then on, the city received a new name - Chonae, which means "fissure" or "hole."

Venerable David of Hermopolis, Who Was Formerly a Robber

Venerable David of Hermopolis (Feast Day - September 6)

 

By St. John Moschos

(Spiritual Meadow, Ch. 143) 

We came to the Thebaid and at the city of Antinoe we visited Phoebamon the Sophist for the benefit of his words. He told us that in the district around Hermopolis* there had been a robber whose name was David.** He had rendered many people destitute, murdered many and committed every kind of evil deed; more so than any other man, one might say. One day, whilst he was still engaged in brigandage on the mountain, together with a band of more than thirty, he came to his senses, conscience-stricken by his evil deeds. He left all those who were with him and went to a monastery. He knocked at the monastery gate; the porter came out and asked him what he wanted. The robber-chief replied that he wanted to become a monk, so the porter went inside and told the abbot about him. The abbot came out and, when he saw that the man was advanced in age, he said to him: "You cannot stay here, for the brethren labor very hard. They practice great austerity. Your temperament is different from ours and you could not tolerate the rule of the monastery." But the robber insisted that he could tolerate these things, if only the abbot would accept him. But the abbot was persistent in his conviction that the man would not be able. Then the robber-chief said to him: "Know, then, that I am David, the robber-chief; and the reason why I came here was that I might weep for my sins. If you do not accept me, I swear to you and before him who dwells in heaven that I will return to my former way of life, I will bring those who were with me, kill you all and even destroy your monastery." When the abbot heard this, he received him into the monastery, tonsured him and gave him the holy habit. Thus he began the spiritual combat and he exceeded all the other members of the monastery in self-control, obedience and humility. There were about seventy persons in that monastery; he benefited them all, providing them with an example.

September: Day 6: Teaching 2: Commemoration of the Miracle of Holy Archangel Michael in Chonae

September: Day 6: Teaching 2:
Commemoration of the Miracle of Holy Archangel Michael in Chonae
 
(Explanation of the Icon of the Archangel Michael with Moral Lessons Derived From It)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Celebrating in honor of the Holy Archangel Michael, let us turn our reverent attention to the icon of the Holy Archangel of the Heavenly Powers, and let us take advantage of the lesson that the Holy Church wants to teach through him to all believers.

II. a) On the icon, we see the Archangel Michael in a warrior's uniform. What does this signify? Why is a resident of heaven, where peace and love dwell, depicted as armed? But, brethren, there was once a battle even there – in the kingdom of peace and love. Who rose against whom and contended? One of the higher spirits, possessing great perfections – Lucifer, with arrogance and pride, rebelled against his Creator and the Lord of all; many other spirits were drawn toward him, and they formed a terrible militia of the insurgents against the celestial order. It was then that the champion of God's glory, the Archangel Michael, appeared among the angels. Gathering all the angelic orders and the hosts loyal to God, he proclaimed with a loud voice: "Let us stand aright! Let us stand with fear before the One who made us, and let us not think contrary to God." And, standing first among the innumerable hosts of incorporeal spirits, he sang a triumphant hymn: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts!" Soon after this, all the spirits of wickedness were cast down from heaven. This is why the Archangel Michael, as the chief defender of God’s glory, the conqueror of the devil and his angels, is referred to by the Holy Church as the foremost angel of the Heavenly Hosts, the oldest among the angelic ranks, the Archistrategos of the Heavenly Hierarchies! This is why he is always depicted in a warrior form, with a sword or spear in hand, having the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan (Rev. 20:2), crushed beneath his feet, a spirit of wickedness, whom he has vanquished and cast down.

July: Day 13: Teaching 1: Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel

July: Day 13: Teaching 1:
Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel
 
(What Should the Certainty That the Holy Angels Are Sent by God to Serve Us and Care for our Salvation Encourage Us To Do?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On the day of the Synaxis in honor of the Holy Archangel Gabriel, all his miraculous appearances are remembered and glorified as the harbinger of the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God and the servant of the dispensation of the salvation of the world.

While the Lord's Archangel Michael, who at an unknown time began the battle with the spirit of evil, was given a certain divine and pre-worldly power for the conduct of this battle, by which he was appointed as a guide to Christ and a defender of the Jewish people (Dan. 10:13, 12:1), and at the same time the pre-eminent servant of the Old Testament (Heb. 2:2), the Holy Archangel Gabriel was entrusted by the Holy Spirit with the service of the mysteries of God and especially the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God for the salvation of man. For this reason, the Holy Church calls him the herald of the mysteries of God and the servant of miracles, and, according to ancient tradition, depicts the Holy Archangel sometimes with a jasper mirror on his left hand and a lantern with a lit candle in his right hand (since God's plans for the salvation of man were hidden for a time and were revealed to people only in a conjectural manner, like unclear images of an object reflected in a mirror), sometimes with a branch of paradise in his hand, which was brought by the Archangel to the Mother of God at the hour of the Annunciation.

March: Day 26: Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel

March: Day 26:
Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel
 
(About Angels)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Just as the day following the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated in honor of Saint John the Baptist, so on the day following the Annunciation the Holy Church gathers for a solemn celebration of that Holy Archangel who was sent by God to bring the Most Holy Virgin the joyful news of the incarnation of the Son of God. The Holy Archangel Gabriel is revered as one of the seven spirits standing before the throne of God, the messenger of the mysteries of God. He also announced to the Prophet Daniel the liberation of God's people from Babylon and the time of the coming of the Messiah, and to Saint Zechariah the birth of the Honorable Forerunner.

Remembering the Venerable Priest Father Demetrios Gagastathis 50 Years After His Repose

By Dr. Haralambos M. Bousias,
Great Hymnographer of the Alexandrian Church

This year marks fifty years since the repose of the good Levite of our Church, Father Demetrios Gagastathis, priest of the village of Platanos, once known as Vania, in Trikala.

Although simple and inconspicuous, Father Demetrios is well known to the Orthodox faithful for the holiness of his life, for his miraculous signs and especially for the boldness he had towards the Archangel Michael.

He had felt his presence and benevolence many times.

He was his guardian, protector and savior.

He was especially revered by the Venerable Philotheos Zervakos and the most venerable Hagiorite monks who came from Holy Meteora, fathers of virtue who found in praxis the attainment of theoria.

Miracle of the Archangel Michael Sinking the Ships of the Saracens

 

The unique fresco refers to the siege of Constantinople in 674-678 under Emperor Constantine Pogonatos by the Saracens, who are depicted as black Arabs.
 
"Then again a large number of Hagarenes gathered by sea and went to Constantinople, during the reign of Constantine, grandson of Heraclius. He also gathered the people together and they went to the Temple of the Commander-in-Chief Michael, which was called that of Eusebius, and they entreated God and the Commander-in-Chief Michael to help them. The next day, the Commander-in-Chief Michael pierced all the ships of the Hagarenes and most of the people drowned; only three ships remained, which turned back."

Homily on the Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Powers (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily on the Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Powers

By St. John of Kronstadt

(Delivered on November 8, 1907)

"We unceasingly glorify You, Christ, who wisely united heaven with earth and formed one Church from angels and men" (Stichera at Small Vespers).

We celebrate, beloved brethren, the radiant feast of the lightning-like Archangel Michael and other heavenly Bodiless Powers.

The history of the establishment of this feast by the Church is long and we will not tell it; those who wish to know it, let them read about it in the ecclesiastical book "Cheti-Minei", but now let us talk about the spiritual world of innumerable angels, about their properties, about their rank and about the immeasurable goodness of God, which included us, Orthodox Christians, in this Angelic Council and formed one Church from angels and men; and then about our duty to honor them according to their dignity and imitate them according to their strength, as our future fellow citizens in the heavenly fatherland, about which we earnestly pray to the Lord God, our common Creator.

November: Day 8: Teaching 1: Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers

November: Day 8: Teaching 1:
Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers
 
(Holy Angels Are Sent By God To Help Us and Assist Us in Salvation)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I.  When we talk to Christians on the day dedicated by the Church in honor of the bodiless powers, we consider it superfluous to prove that such bodiless powers, which we usually call angels, really exist. Only a carnal man can doubt their existence, who, like animals, is guided only by the senses, and therefore does not allow what he does not see with his bodily eyes. But whoever does not live according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, as every Christian should live, who does not limit his gaze to the sensual and rises in spirit above the earthly, necessarily assumes and readily believes that between God and man there must be an infinite series of beings who are far superior to us in nature and powers, who are the more spiritual and perfect the nearer they stand to God.  and according to the closest communion with Him, they are the mysteries of His counsels, the first executors of His will. Such are the angels of God, whom the Apostle calls ministering spirits, sent "to serve those who desire to inherit salvation."

September: Day 6: Teaching 1: Commemoration of the Miracle of Holy Archangel Michael in Chonae

September: Day 6: Teaching 1: 

Commemoration of the Miracle of Holy Archangel Michael in Chonae
 
(The Christian's Hope Is In God, Who Says to Him: "Do Not Be Afraid, I Am With You!")

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The feast of the commemoration of the miracle of the Holy Archangel Michael was established for the following reason. Near Hierapolis, in Phrygian Colossae, over a spring that miraculously granted healings, there was a church of the Holy Archangel Michael. The church was built in gratitude for a healing through the intercession of the Holy Archangel Michael. A young man named Archippus settled in the church to perform the duty of sexton. He led an ascetic life: he ate very little, wore shabby clothes and slept on stones, and at the same time he converted many pagans to Christ. The pagans repeatedly attacked Archippus, insulted him and even beat him. Finally, they decided to destroy the church itself and kill Archippus. Two rivers flowed not far from the church, and they decided to direct both rivers to the church and the miraculous spring. They dug a deep and wide ditch and filled it with water from the rivers. Saint Archippus saw the plans of the enemies and prayed in the church to the Holy Archangel Michael to save the church and the spring. Meanwhile, the pagans were already preparing to let the water flow onto the church, and they themselves stood on a hill to see the destruction of the holy place with Archippus. Suddenly Saint Archippus heard a voice that inspired him to leave the church. He went out and saw the Archangel Michael, who ordered him to watch how God would save the church. The Archangel raised his right hand and held back the flow of the waters that had already been released to flow, ordering them to go into the crevice of a larger stone located near the church, and after that he himself became invisible. Saint Archippus died at a ripe old age.

Homilies on the Weekly Festal Cycle - The Second Day (Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

The Weekly Festal Cycle

The Second Day (Deutera-Monday)

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou 

The Second Day (Deutera-Monday) is dedicated by our Church to the angels, who were created by God before the formation of creation and man. In other words, we know from Holy Scripture and the tradition of our Church that God first created the invisible world, the angels, then He created the sensible world and finally man, who is made up of the invisible and the sensible, and is the summary of the whole creation.

In the book of Job it is written: "When the stars were born, all my angels sang praises with a loud voice" (Job 37:7), which means that when God created the stars, the sun and the moon, then the angels sang hymns to Him. That is, the angels were the first creation of God, and they do not have bodies, that is why they are called incorporeal, they consist only of mind and are called noetic beings.

The Annual Procession With the Lifesize Icon of the Archangel Michael in Chios

On the island of Chios is the 14th century lifesize icon of the Archangel Michael with the impressive dimensions of five feet and nine inches high by three feet and nine inches wide, which according to tradition was commissioned by the Archangel Michael himself to be made by a hieromonk named Parthenios. This icon today is still located at the Monastery of the Pammegiston Taxiarchon in Nenita, and every year on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearing Women a procession takes place around the island with this icon as a blessing for all the people. A similar procession on the same day takes place in neighboring Lesvos, with the miraculous icon of the Archangel Michael of Mantamados. Photo is from the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers 2024.

 

See also: The Monastery of the Pammegiston Taxiarchon in Nenita of Chios and Its Lifesize Icon of the Archangel Michael 

 

The Monastery of the Pammegiston Taxiarchon in Nenita of Chios and Its Lifesize Icon of the Archangel Michael

Nenita, a large village of Chios which oversees the olive groves and the coast, is about 18 kilometers from the town of Chios and 2 kilometers from the sea. During medieval times, Nenita was the largest village of all the mastic villages (a series of fortified villages built in the 14th century during Genovese rule, from 1346-1566) with 2.5 thousand inhabitants, while today it has approximately 1180 inhabitants. Nenita is now one of the largest villages of Chios with rich social and cultural activity. Despite the intense movement of the population from the villages to the city, a phenomenon that is observed in most of the villages of the island, Nenita remains a lively and populous village that is upgraded year by year. The inhabitants of Nenita engage in agriculture and produce mastic, olives, olive oil, almonds and grapes. Nenita is one of the 21 villages (Mastichoria) of southern Chios where the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus) is cultivated, only there and nowhere else in the world, and from which mastic is extracted.

Eldress Galaktia and the Prayer to the Archangel Michael in Times of Trouble

According to her caregivers, Eldress Galaktia of Crete said the following about the Archangel Michael:

I was with the Commander of all and the entire military staff. All the officers came, but the First also came. A great and terrible loss! What will happen? Look... What is the enemy doing out there?

"If God is with us, who can be against us."

"Lord save your people and bless your inheritance."