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St. Michael and All Angels

Lutherans observe St. Michael and All Angels in our liturgical calendar because it is a feast day that points directly to Christ. Throughout Scripture angels are warriors and messengers, appearing on God’s command to deliver either judgment or His Gospel message. They announced Jesus’ birth, ministered to Him after Satan tempted him in the wilderness, and were present at His resurrection and ascension. We celebrate Michaelmas (an old name for the day) because it points to Jesus.

Philipp Melanchthon, a colleague of Martin Luther, wrote a hymn commemorating the day. You can find “Lord God, to Thee We Give All Praise” in the Lutheran Service Book, number 522.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, 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. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Revelation 12:7-12

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St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

Before Jesus called Matthew as one of His twelve disciples, he was a tax collector, in his time seen as the worst of sinners. But through God’s great love and mercy, this sinner also became a saint, the author of the first book of the New Testament, and a gift from the Lord to His Church.

St. Matthew’s shield can be viewed on the upper level of Wyneken Hall. The three bags remind us of the apostle’s former occupation.

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.

“And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.'” Matthew 9:9-13

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Holy Cross Day

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.