St Michael, St Gabriel and St Raphael, Archangels

At night, during a vision,
I, Daniel, was watching:
thrones were set in place,
and an Ancient One took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was made of flames of fire,
with wheels of blazing fire.
A river of fire was flowing, coming out before him.
Thousands upon thousands served him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

    I watched, during the visions of the night,
and I saw coming, with the clouds of heaven,
someone like a Son of Man;
he came before the Ancient One,
and was presented to him.
And to him was given
dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages
served him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
that shall not pass away,
and his kingship,
one that shall not be destroyed.

     – The word of the Lord.

 

OR

There was a war in heaven:
Michael and his angels had to fight against the Dragon.
The Dragon also fought with his angels,
but he was not strong enough;
for them, there was no longer any place in heaven.
Yes, the great Dragon was cast out,
the ancient Serpent,
the one who is called the Devil and Satan,
the deceiver of the whole world.
He was thrown down to the earth,
and his angels were thrown down with him.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven,
proclaiming:
“Now have come salvation,
power and the kingdom of our God,
here is the authority of his Christ!
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
the one who accused them day and night,
before our God.
They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb,
by the word to which they bore witness;
detached from their own lives,
they went so far as to die.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them!”

    – The word of the Lord.

With all my heart, Lord, I give you thanks:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
I sing your praise in the presence of the angels,
and bow down toward your holy temple.

I give thanks to your name for your love and your truth,
for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
On the day I called you answered me,
you increased the strength of my soul.

All the kings of the earth give you thanks
when they hear the words of your mouth.
They sing of the ways of the Lord:
“How great is the glory of the Lord!”

At that time,
when Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him,
he said about him:
“Here is truly an Israelite;
there is no deceit in him.”
Nathanael asked him:
“How do you know me?”
Jesus answered him:
“Before Philip called you,
when you were under the fig tree,
I saw you.”
Nathanael replied:
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God!
You are the King of Israel!”
Jesus replied:
“I told you I saw you under the fig tree,
and this is why you believe!
You will see greater things than these.”
And he added:
“Amen, amen, I say to you:
you will see the heaven opened,
and the angels of God ascending and descending
upon the Son of Man.”

     – Let us acclaim the word of God.