A Feast of the Archangels

Early in the Feast Days of the Church, the most well-known Archangels each had their own feast day. Archangel Saint Gabriel was March 24, Archangel Saint Michael was September 29 and Archangel Saint Raphael was October 24.

After Vatican II, two things happened. The first was that the individual feast days of Gabriel and Raphael were removed completely from the calendar. They are celebrated along with Michael and all the Archangels on September 29. The second change is that September 29, now the Feast of Archangels, is no longer a day of Holy Obligation.

Personally, I think we should still honor Saint Gabriel. His feast day is important in that it is celebrated on the eve of the Annunciation. Saint Gabriel appears as a messenger three times in the Bible. He was sent to Daniel concerning his vision of the Messiah. He appeared to Zachary in the Temple with news of the coming birth of his son, Saint John the Baptist. And most importantly, he was chosen by God to be the messenger of the Annunciation. Hail Mary, full of grace are the word spoken by Saint Gabriel that day.

Saint Raphael is the Archangel that comes to us from the book of Tobit. He is a healer. Tradition holds that it was the Archangel Raphael who stirred the waters at the healing pool in Bethesda. His name means “God has healed.”

Saint Michael is best known as a warrior angel. He appears four times in the Bible. Michael is mentioned by name twice in the Book of Daniel, once in the Epistle of Saint Jude, and again in the Book of Revelations. From Revelations, we know that Saint Michael and his angels will have a final battle with Lucifer and the fallen angels. Saint Michael has done battle with Satan many times, often rescuing souls at the hour of death.

As for the remaining Archangels, there are four more for a total of seven. In addition to the roles found in scripture, the seven Archangels are the Patron Saints for each of the Seven Sacraments. While you would think Archangels must be some of the highest ranking of all the angels, of the nine choirs of Angels, Archangels are among the lowest. The more closely angels serve God, the higher the choirs. The more closely they interact with people, the lower the ranking. Seraphim are the highest of all, and Guardian Angels the lowest. This does not diminish their importance or value. Everything created by God is priceless in His eyes.

Angels are our advocates. Often Catholics invoke the name of an Angel or Saint in prayer. We call on Saint Michael to defend us against all that is wicked, Saint Gabriel to impart wisdom that we may better understand the will of God, and Saint Raphael to keep us healthy. Remember, Angels and Saints have no real power. They do have God’s ear, and nothing comes to us except through Him.

---

Feast Days and delicious foods just go together, don’t you agree? Enjoy this Blessed Day!

Linguine Shrimp in a Pesto Cheese Sauce
1/2 White Onion
8 Garlic Cloves
10 White Mushrooms
3 Roma Tomatoes
12 oz Linguine Pasta
1 lb medium Shrimp (25 count)
8 tablespoons Butter, divided
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Flour
2 cups Milk
Pinch Salt
Black Pepper to taste
1 cup Italian Blend, Parmesan-Romano-Asiago Cheeses
1/2 cup Basil Pesto Sauce

Peel and dice onion, set aside. Peel and dice garlic, set aside. Clean, stem and slice mushrooms, set aside. Seed and dice tomatoes, set aside until ready to use.

Peel and devein shrimp. Remove tails if desired (easier to eat without tails). Keep shrimp chilled until ready to use.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, bring to a rolling boil. Stir in linguine, return to a boil. Cook pasta as directed al dente, stirring occasionally, about 11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain pasta and keep warm. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together once drained.

While the pasta cooks, place a skillet over medium heat. Melt a tablespoon of butter in the skillet, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Sauté shrimp in the butter until pink, about 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove shrimp, wrap in foil to keep warm and set aside.

Heat olive oil in the now empty skillet. Sauté onions until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, remaining 7 tablespoons of butter, sauté until garlic is soft and fragrant, about a minute longer.

Whisk flour into the milk, add to the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper, simmer for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cheese, stir until melted. Stir in pesto. Add shrimp, mushrooms and tomatoes; cook for about 4 minutes, or until heated through. If sauce appears too thick, thin with a little pasta water until creamy.

Add pasta to the pan. Pull pasta through sauce to coat well. Serve into warm plates and enjoy. Perfect with a light salad and warm bread.

---

 In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord