“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” — Hebrews 13:2
Today, 29 September, is Michaelmas: the feast of St Michael and All Angels. For centuries it marked a turning point in the English year, the end of harvest and the start of a new season of work.
Angels can feel like the most distant part of faith, all gold leaf and stained glass. But the Bible’s angels are rarely grand. Mostly they turn up as messengers, often looking like ordinary people, often saying the same two words: fear not.
The writer of Hebrews takes that seriously enough to make it practical. Be kind to strangers, he says, because you never quite know who is in front of you. The newcomer at the back of church. The neighbour who has gone quiet. The person who sits alone at the Friday Diner. Any of them might be the way God chooses to meet you this week, and you might be the way God chooses to meet them.
And for anyone carrying something heavy, the Psalmist offers a quieter promise: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 91:11). You are watched over, even on the days you feel entirely on your own.
A prayer for the week
Loving God,
on this feast of St Michael and All Angels,
thank you for your care that surrounds us,
seen and unseen.
Open our eyes to the strangers you send our way,
and open our doors to welcome them.
Where we are afraid, speak your word to us:
fear not.
Amen.
This Sunday, 4 October, is Harvest at St Mary’s: coffee from 9.45am, Harvest Service at 10.30am, then a bring-and-share Harvest Lunch from 12 noon. Full Harvest details. Strangers especially welcome.
