The Synaxis of the Holy Archangels
and All the Bodiless Powers
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When someone we love is facing an operation or setting out on a long journey, we often ask God to send His angel to watch over them. We know that our own care can only reach so far.
On 8 November, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel and all the heavenly bodiless powers. We honour Raphael and the whole angelic host, together with our guardian angels. In the Creed we confess God as the Maker of all things visible and invisible. We belong to a creation greater than we can see, and in our struggle towards salvation we are surrounded by the care of God.
The angels are living, personal beings, created by God and sustained by His grace. St John of Damascus describes an angel as “immortal, not by nature but by grace” (An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith II.3). Their knowledge and power have limits. They live in communion with God and receive their holiness from Him. Scripture calls them “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). They worship God and are ready to go wherever He sends them.
The Church speaks of nine angelic orders, arranged in three groups: Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones, then Dominions, Powers and Authorities, and finally Principalities, Archangels and Angels (St John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition II.3). Whatever their rank, the angels serve God and those entrusted to their care. We too are responsible for how we use the gifts God has given us.
The word synaxis means an assembly or gathering. Church tradition recalls the gathering of the faithful angels around Michael when Satan and those who followed him fell through pride. Michael summoned them to remain steadfast before their Creator. “Let us stand aright. Let us stand with fear” (St Nikolai Velimirovich, The Prologue of Ohrid, 8 November). His very name asks, “Who is like God?” Michael remains faithful to the God who created him. His example calls us to examine our own pride, especially when we insist on our own will and find obedience difficult.
We hear that same call to stand aright at the Divine Liturgy, as we prepare to offer the holy oblation. We sing the thrice holy hymn with the heavenly powers and mystically represent the Cherubim (Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Cherubic Hymn and Anaphora). These words are so familiar that we can pass over them without much thought. They tell us whom we stand with when we come before God.
The Epistle to the Hebrews speaks of our coming to the heavenly Jerusalem, to “an innumerable company of angels”, and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant (Hebrews 12:22–24). In the worship of the Church, heaven and earth meet in Christ.
I remember a weekday Liturgy at Holy Trinity in Saweni, Fiji. Heavy rain was falling on the tin roof, and only a few people had been able to come. When the Cherubic Hymn began, I was struck by the fullness of the singing. I looked towards the chanters and saw the same few faces. That moment brought home to me something we confess whenever we celebrate the Divine Liturgy. However small the congregation, we stand before God together with the heavenly hosts.
The Lord who receives the praise of the Seraphim also hears us when we are tired and find it difficult to pray. We may come to church distracted by troubles at home, or find that our thoughts wander as soon as we begin our prayers. We can bring them back to God, however often we need to do so, and ask Him to help us pray with attention. St Paul writes, “Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18).
At the Annunciation, Gabriel greets the Virgin Mary and announces that she will bear the Son of God (Luke 1:26–38). The eternal Son takes our human nature and enters the life of the world for our salvation. Gabriel’s message directs us to Christ. To honour him is also to receive with faith the good news he announces.
The Church honours the Theotokos as “more honourable than the Cherubim” (Axion Estin). The Virgin Mary freely offered herself to God and became the Mother of His incarnate Son. Her place above the angelic hosts reveals the honour God has given to humanity through the Incarnation. She is one of us, and in her we see the holiness to which God calls the human person.
God created us with body and soul, and our whole life belongs to Him. At the Eucharist we bring bread and wine, gifts of the earth prepared through human labour, and offer them to God. St Peter calls us a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). We live this calling in the worship of the Church and in the way we work and care for others. The life we offer at the altar must also be offered in our homes and in the responsibilities entrusted to us.
St Paul speaks of the spiritual forces against which we struggle and calls us to put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:11–18). We ask the Archangel Michael to help us remain faithful in this struggle. We receive strength through prayer and repentance, and through confession and Holy Communion.
God also gives us our guardian angel as a faithful companion on the way to salvation (Matthew 18:10). We ask for his help as we struggle against the sins to which we so often return. That prayer needs to be accompanied by a willingness to listen to our conscience and seek forgiveness when we have done wrong.
In Gethsemane, an angel appeared to Christ and strengthened Him as He approached His Passion (Luke 22:43). We remember this when we pray for help in our own suffering. We pray for deliverance from danger, and also for strength to remain faithful through illness, grief and uncertainty. The presence of suffering does not mean that God has forgotten us. His care can sustain us through circumstances we cannot yet understand.
Christ tells us that there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). We should remember this when we are discouraged by falling into the same sin again. However ashamed we may feel, we can still approach Him in repentance and seek the help we need to change. The angels whom we honour rejoice in our return to God.
When the disciples returned rejoicing that even the demons submitted to them in His name, Christ directed their attention to something greater: “rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). These words help us when fear of evil begins to occupy too much of our attention. The Lord wants us to place our hope in the salvation He offers.
People long for freedom, justice and recognition of their dignity. Yet wherever personal advantage governs our relationships, the human person is easily overlooked. People come to be valued only for what they produce, what they possess or what they can give us. Our Orthodox faith teaches us to recognise the image of God in every person (Genesis 1:27). If the heavenly powers attend to our salvation with such love, how can we remain unmoved by the suffering of our neighbour?
To live an angelic life is to learn their devotion to God while fulfilling our human responsibilities. We turn away from sin and attend to the needs of the people beside us. The child without enough food, the sick person awaiting a visit, the family overwhelmed by hardship and the neighbour who has become isolated all have a claim upon our love. Our own comfort must never make their suffering seem distant. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The Lord has given us opportunities to lay up treasure in heaven through the mercy we show on earth (Matthew 6:19–21).
This mercy is also needed in our homes. In the Divine Liturgy we ask God to grant us “an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies” (Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Litany of Supplication). We ask for peace because we know how easily we lose it, and how often others suffer because of our anger. His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia urges us, “Do not allow judgement, condemnation, gossip, bitter comments and hatred to take possession of your heart” (Homily at Panagia Kamariani, Red Hill, 13 September 2026).
This can be especially difficult with our own family. We know one another well, including the weaknesses and disappointments that are seldom mentioned outside the home. When we are angry, we know which words will hurt. We may bring up an old mistake that the other person thought had been forgiven, or speak in a way we would never allow ourselves to speak to a visitor. Afterwards, we may defend ourselves by saying that we were tired or under pressure. That may explain our impatience, but the person we have hurt still needs us to acknowledge what we have done.
We also need to listen more carefully. A sharp reply may come from someone who is exhausted or worried about something they have not been able to explain. Giving them time to speak may help us understand what we would otherwise miss. We may still need to discuss a serious matter or ask them to take responsibility for something they have neglected. We can be honest about that while speaking in a way that allows the conversation to continue.
And when we have spoken badly, we can go back. We can say, “I had something I needed to tell you, but I should not have spoken to you like that. Forgive me.” The other person may need time. We should not expect an apology to remove the hurt immediately. We also need to listen to what they have experienced and show through our behaviour that we mean what we say. We may still need to resolve the disagreement, but we can begin by taking responsibility for our own part in it.
Christ places reconciliation before the offering we bring to the altar (Matthew 5:23–24). St John Chrysostom explains His command with these words: “since this also is a sacrifice, your being reconciled to your brother” (Homilies on Matthew 16.12). Going back to ask forgiveness is therefore part of the life of prayer we are trying to live.
Before our evening prayers, let us remember the people we have spoken to during the day. If someone is still hurting because of our words, let us bring that before God and do what we can to put it right. Our prayer and fasting should help us become more patient with others. Christ asks us to let our light shine so that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
When St John of Kronstadt preached on this feast, he urged Christians to prepare for life with the angels through holiness and compassion for one another (St John of Kronstadt, “Feast of St. Archangel Michael”). We await the resurrection and the life of the world to come, where redeemed humanity will glorify God together with all His heavenly hosts.
“Let us stand aright” before God, with attention in prayer and faithfulness when life becomes difficult. When we next ask for an angel of peace, may we remember anyone we have hurt and be willing to make the first approach. As we celebrate their Synaxis, let us ask the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, Raphael and all the bodiless powers, together with our guardian angels, to intercede for us. Through their prayers, and the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, may the Lord keep the light of faith burning within us and grant us the joy of knowing that our names are written in heaven.
