Archiepiscopal Encyclical for the Feast of the Holy Archangels, Nov. 8, 2018
Today as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Archangels and give thanks to
God for these holy messengers and protectors, we also continue our
celebration of the 60th anniversary of the opening of Saint Michael’s Home.
Through the vision and leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Michael
together with the efforts and donations of faithful from throughout our
Holy Archdiocese, the doors of Saint Michael’s Home were officially opened
on May 25, 1958. On this day, a sacred work began through a facility and
ministry that has continued to offer compassionate and quality care to
Greek Orthodox elderly.
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Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels - November 8, 2017
The Holy Scriptures describe the holy angels as ministering spirits sent
forth to serve for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation (Hebrews
1:14). In carrying out their divine tasks, the holy angels offer an example
of true service to God and humankind....
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Encyclical For The Feast Of The Holy Archangels (11/08/2016)
On this blessed Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels we honor and
support each year the legacy of compassionate service and quality care
through the sacred ministry of Saint Michael’s Home, one of the National
Ministries of the Holy Archdiocese of America. As the Holy Angels have and
continue to offer a witness of the grace of God, the staff, administration
and benefactors of Saint Michael’s continue to offer grace and love to the
residents and their families in an environment that sustains the body with
dignity and nurtures the soul in our Orthodox faith.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2014)
The blessed ministry of the angels is also reflected in the quality of care
and compassionate service offered by our beloved Saint Michael’s Home. On
this feast we recognize the faithful service of the trustees, directors,
and staff, affirming that in a sacred environment, filled with the presence
of God, they are being faithful to His command to offer comfort, love, and
healing.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2013)
The power to bring sanctity into any place in this world is also given to
each of us when we live in Christ, and we seek to bear fruit in the lives
of others. On this feast we recognize this especially in the ministry
offered by Saint Michael’s Home in New York. For over fifty years, the
staff and directors of Saint Michael’s have offered compassionate service
to the elderly, and in so doing have created a place of love, grace, and
holiness.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2011)
On this blessed feast of the Holy Archangels, we recognize the ministry and
service of our cherished Saint Michael’s Home in New York. For over fifty
years, Saint Michael’s has offered the highest quality of care to its
residents in an environment of compassion, fellowship, and faith. The
nature of this service by the staff and directors has been a true witness
of Jesus Christ and of the divine vocation of the Holy Archangels.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2010)
On the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels, on November 8, we
commemorate the spiritual and bodiless powers of Heaven who were brought
into being by God and who serve with faithfulness and zeal. As servants and
messengers of the Most High and as protectors and guardians of humankind,
the Holy Archangels and all of the heavenly hosts are obedient to the
loving will of God. This is an obedience to the holiness and power of God,
to the love of God, and to the truth of His promises and the potential for
salvation and restoration for all of the created order.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2009)
On this blessed feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels we commemorate
the beautiful presence and purpose of the myriads of angels that have been
created by God for serving His divine will and plan for salvation. In the
observance of this feast, in the pages of Holy Scripture, and through the
iconography of our parishes we are reminded that the angels, led by the
Holy Archangels, are an essential part of the order and ministry of God’s
kingdom. As messengers, protectors, and beings of divine praise, angels
direct our attention to the glory and holiness of God, and it is in this
way that they aid us in gathering people into God’s home.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2008)
I communicate to you with joy on the festive occasion of the Feast of the
Synaxis of the Holy Archangels, which our Holy Orthodox Church celebrates
on November 8 of each year. This day is one for all of us to be conscious
of the very real and active presence that God’s holy angels have in our
lives. The Epistle to the Hebrews describes the holy angels as ministering
spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who are to obtain
salvation (1:14). Our Holy Tradition, following this understanding of
Scripture, teaches that each of us is assigned a guardian angel at the
moment of our baptism to protect and watch over us throughout our life on
earth.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Synaxis of The Holy Archangels (11/08/2007)
On November 8, our Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Synaxis
of the Holy Archangels. On this date, we honor the divinely created and
appointed messenger of God and awesome and glorious protector, the
Archangel Gabriel and the Archangel Michael. Among these Archangels, we
also commemorate the myriad of angelic beings who never cease in praising
and glorifying God and laboring for the fulfillment of His Kingdom
(Revelation 5:11-13). The Holy Scriptures describe the holy angels as
"ministering spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who are to
obtain salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2006)
It is with much joy that I greet you on this festive occasion of the Feast
of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels, a day designated by our Church to
remember the active role in our lives of the "myriad of myriads and
thousand of thousands" of angelic beings, constantly praising and
glorifying God (Revelation 5:11-14). Given the high level of appeal that
angels receive in our contemporary culture, this day affords us with an
opportunity to reflect upon the uniquely spiritual identity of the angels
as understood by our Orthodox Church.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2005)
On the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels we reflect upon the love
of God revealed in the ministry of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and
all the heavenly, bodiless powers who serve as holy messengers, guardians
and protectors. Archangel Michael, is known as a protector of our holy
Orthodox Faith. The Archangel Gabriel serves as the messenger of God, most
notably as the bearer of the Good News of the Annunciation.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2004)
On the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels we honor the divinely
created and appointed messengers of God, the Archangels Michael and
Gabriel, and we commemorate the myriad of angelic beings who never cease in
praising and glorifying God and laboring for the fulfillment of His Kingdom
(Revelation 5:11-13).
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Encyclical for the Feast Day of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2003)
The joyous Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels is a welcome
occasion to reflect upon the tremendous love of our God, a love which is
made manifest, among many other ways, through the constant protection of
the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, together with countless multitudes of
bodiless powers in heaven.
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Encyclical for the Feast of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2002)
I take this opportunity to communicate with you upon the glorious Feast of
the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels, a day when we commemorate the
Archangels Michael and Gabriel and the countless myriads of bodiless powers
who ceaselessly praise and glorify Almighty God. In as much as angels
praise the living God, St. Paul reminds us too that angels are ministering
spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation (Heb.
1:14).
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Message Commemorating the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels (11/08/2000)
In the Mystery of Holy Baptism, each one of us as Orthodox Christians has
been granted a heavenly guardian, a radiant angel, in the words of the
baptismal prayer. These unseen and bodiless powers guide and protect our
lives in this world, joining their efforts with those of our parents and
godparents, who are together committed to leading us towards the Kingdom of
God.
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