Publications

21 NOVEMBER – SYNAXIS OF THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL

Augustine Sokolovski

In the Creed, the Church, as a Society of Believers, professes its faith in the One God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. By Heaven, the Fathers of the Church understood the angelic forces, whose memory the Church celebrates on this November day.

Under “earth” the words of the Symbol designate our visible world - the place of man’s wandering and salvation. A world in which, to the amazement of the Angels, the Lord Himself lived among us in Christ Jesus. Therefore, there is no salvation outside the world.

In the original Greek, the word “creator” from the Creed is literally translated as artist or poet. Created in the image of God, man is called to cultivate within himself the likeness of God. To be a poet, creator, artist, like God the Creator Himself.

Everyone is called and obliged to create a work of art. And this work of art is our human life. Called to be beautiful and unique, spiritual, in everything like the Most Beautiful of the sons of men - the Lord Jesus Christ and His Angels. This is how life should go.

A Christian has no right to stand still, he must create every day, in the language of modern times, he must come up with an improved copy of himself. The ability to change oneself for the better by the power of God is one of the dimensions of the image of God, according to which, according to Scripture, the Lord created man.

Angelic nature lacks the ability to create. For Angels are God's bureaucrats. They do His will. Or they resist it, as the demon world does. Angels cannot fall away from God, but demons cannot repent and return to the Creator. For repentance is creativity. Angelic powers are deprived of creative ability. If this creativity on the part of a person does not occur, the path of meaninglessness is very close, it is not far.

Finally, in this very date, which according to the Church calendar falls on the 8th day, there is a special symbolism of eternity, to which, according to Scripture and the ideas of metaphysics, angelic powers belong. And if we remember that the church year begins in September, then it becomes obvious that November, this third month of the church calendar, by its very number indicates the calling of the angels to glorify the Triune God with the words: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord.”