October, Month of the Holy Angels

Protection and Joy for the shortening and darkening days.

October for the Angels, November for the Saints in Heaven. September 29: The Archangels, October 2: The Guardian Angels. November 1: All Saints, November 2: All Souls.

Little is now known on this ancient tradition of October for the Holy Angels.

What is well known among Catholics of today, is that the character and mood of Liturgical Time in Autumn does coincide with death, particularly in November. The short days, the long nights. The year is ending. The Feasts of the Saints & All the dead sanctifies Autumn as the resonances of graces carry throughout the month, culminating in the Feast of Christ the King our Judge.

Little is known, or perhaps lost is the tradition of October for the Holy Angels, for which the Guardian Angels is such a time honored tradition.¹ In the old Calendar (predating the Tridentine Calendar), each of the Archangels had a separate feast. Michael Archangel's feast was on September 29, and with the significance to be termed Michaelmas. This followed the Autumnal Equinox, when the dark of night seems to overpower the day. Likewise, it would be most appropriate for us to more intently rely on St. Michael, and our Guardian Angels whenever the darkness of temptation, sin and evil seems as if it will overpower us. Autumn exposes our vulnerability, but we are not alone, we are protected.

Still, the Angels reveal a very different mood in this melancholic time. As our modern age sees a sharp rise in reported cases of depression, anxiety, and suicide, we are in need of an alternative vision. Even the darkness of moral cynicism has often clouded the Church for decades of abuse, and this cynicism leaved many Catholics feeling Spiritually wounded. The season of Autumn, in the Northern Hemisphere, can be for the soul, a way to find peace and even abiding spiritual joy that looks past the darkness of our days, and the darkness of our lives. A spiritual joy that is more solid than simple comfort.

Angels live, not in the enjoyment of created things, but of the creator. The enjoyment of the creator is in what cannot be seen with the eyes of the body but only with the purified gaze of the mind. Blessed are the pure in heart. To see what are they blessed? For they shall see God. You must not suppose brothers, that the joy of angels springs from their seeing earth or heaven or anything in them. Their joy does not spring from their seeing heaven and earth, but from their seeing him who made heaven and earth.²

Accorded the same logic of the feasts that sanctify time & space, I think a revival of this ancient tradition is in Order. Although I do not believe this precludes, nor eliminates praying the Rosary, I think the mood of October is fortuitous for a greater deliberate devotion to the Holy Angels in addition to the Rosary.