November 08, 2026; Synaxis of the Archangels

Fr. Solomon Longo · November 8, 2026 · homily

Every service we pray category by category for many people, for huge categories of people, and, on Tuesday, elections changed a good many of the names that are included in one of those categories which we pray for.

We pray for those in civil authority, and when we pray for them, my prayer—the one I’m saying personally within that overarching together prayer of “Lord have mercy”---my prayer is that they have virtue, that they have wisdom. It’s a prayer for what they do with their authority, how they do it, and what becomes of them as they do it.

I ask God’s mercy on them, that they reach for what is more holy, and more good, that they pursue a righteous end by righteous means.

And that they have a good account when they are evaluated in all their responsibility—evaluated by Christ their creator, and template, and Lord.

Authority should be a weighty and frightening thing. I pray they learn to bear it with a sober heart—with watchfulness that does not let them anywhere near the brink of gaining a county, city, or state, and losing their soul. Standing, status, and the political striving involved are easily enemies of the sincerity and humility of someone’s journey to God.

It’s providential that this, the Sunday following that election, is dedicated to the powers, the virtues, the principalities, the thrones, the powers, the vassals, the guardians, the rulers and patrons, to all the angelic hosts.

This is the synaxis— literally the feast “gathering together”---all the commemorations of angels among the saints.

What are angels?

They are the spirits of the stars, and the shepherds of the rivers.

They are the tutors of souls. They instigate thoughts and ideas.

Angels are observers and guides working alongside all earthly things.

They are wardens over places and also nations.

Deuteronomy 32 and other passages speak of each nation originally having an angel with custody of that nation. 70 angels specifically. This mirrors the 70 elders of Israel under Moses and the 70 apostles that we hear about casting out demons in the Gospel reading for today’s feast.

In the book of Daniel there is a fallen angelic prince of Persia mentioned, and a prince of Greece also. They are energizing and catalyzing thoughts and behaviors in those places, so they rule it by influence.

In various cultures there has been the idea of a spirit whispering in the ear of the king. In Rome, Christians were martyred for not offering sacrifice to this spirit behind the throne of the emperor.

Patron saints of places or whole countries, whether it’s St. George, or St. Demetrios, or whoever it may be—they are the opposers of the fallen spirits—they are asked to be guards against the deceptions that are offered by evil spirits.

As the apostles go out to exorcise demons—going out on this mission in the same numbers as those original 70 angelic rulers in Deuteronomy 32—the apostles are making a statement to the corrupted spirits—”the holy ones of Christ are coming to replace you, evil spirits.” “The saints are coming to replace you, fallen patrons of the nations.”

This is part of the Gospel—that by people being returned to unite to their creator in Christ—there will be the option of freedom from demonic delusions and the captivity of minds—both among citizens and their authorities.

When we pray for this country, its president, and those in civil authority, we are praying for human beings, and one thing that human beings have in common is that they are a will at war, a spirit under siege, a mind for which militant hosts contest.

We are praying for someone whose soul is a battlefield, and some of them do not even know it. We are praying for someone because they need that prayer. Not only for our sake who are affected by their choices, but for their sake as someone also meant to gain life eternal.

The Shepherd of Hermas says “There are two angels with a man--one of righteousness, and the other of iniquity.”

St. John Cassian, likewise, says “For Holy Scripture bears witness that two angels, a good and a bad one, cling to each one of us.”

And that’s just the ones that “cling to you.” That doesn’t count the free agents and the ones in supporting roles, and the pickup players. The passage in Daniel has that: Gabriel is held up on the way to Daniel by this other spirit, the Prince of Persia, and Michael comes to take that fight off Gabriel’s hands, and then Gabriel says he’s going back to that fight and mentions the spirit of Greece being on the way.

Spirits are just everywhere, like leaves on a windy day, and our thoughts jitter about because the human spirit touches the spiritual world, the thought world.

…

Now, Christians in this country and elsewhere have mused, discussed, argued, and then lived at cross purposes regarding attitudes toward politics and government. I won’t get into anything else on those subjects now, except this point:

That all politics and government happens within the story of creatures seeking God.

The people being represented and the representatives live, and move, and have their being in God. All their decisions are God-related as are ours.

Our civil authorities are also fighting, or should be, for a liberty that is not maintained outside of themselves, but inside.

St. Justin Martyr says “To yield and give way to our passions is the lowest slavery, even as to rule over them is the only liberty.”

Do not be captive to thoughts and impulses.

“Know ye not that we shall judge angels?”

You are meant to judge angels, to judge thoughts and thought makers invisible.

You are, in Christ, discerners of the spirits. Therefore, crown the virtues and overthrow enslaving vices that are usurpers. That will be the most important election you partake in day by day. Pray for your civil authorities to do the same in their lives.

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

And are they written in heaven for acquittal only? No they are written down for receiving inheritance and to rule with Christ…

For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

6 But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him?

7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands.

8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

So God has, “...made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

This is good news, and a great destiny. Pursue it. Discern the spirits and their thoughts.

Glory to our God.

Glory to Jesus Christ.