Fr. Fabian and Fr. Bruce Riebe celebrate the Feast of the Archangels — St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael — along with the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, unpacking Michaelmas traditions and the power of the St. Michael Prayer. The hosts also explore the Byzantine feast of the Protection of the Mother of God on October 1 and the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower and Doctor of the Church. The episode closes with a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, Matthew 21:33-43, the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, and a call to gratitude for God's daily blessings.
This week on Be Not Afraid, Fr. Fabian and Fr. Bruce Riebe walk through one of the richest weeks on the Catholic calendar.
The Archangels (September 29) — The hosts break open the identity and mission of each archangel: Michael, "who is like God," protector of humanity and champion against Satan, named four times in Scripture (twice in Daniel, once in Jude, once in Revelation); Gabriel, "strength of God," messenger of the Annunciation and announcer of St. John the Baptist's birth; and Raphael, "God has healed," the companion of Tobias in the Book of Tobit and traditionally the angel who stirred the healing waters at Bethesda. Fr. Fabian shares the worldwide customs of Michaelmas — a harvest and quarter day in England marked by hiring servants and opening legal and university terms, roast goose in the British Isles, waffles in France, St. Michael's Bannock in Scotland, and gnocchi in Italy.
The St. Michael Prayer — Both hosts encourage the growing practice of praying the St. Michael Prayer after every Mass and at the end of the Rosary, a recognition that the spiritual battle is real. Fr. Bruce also notes that in the Eastern Churches, the Synaxis of St. Michael and all the angels is celebrated November 8.
Protection of the Mother of God (October 1) — Fr. Bruce shares the history behind this Slavic Byzantine feast, dating to the 900s under Emperor Constantine VII, when St. Andrew the Fool-for-Christ and his disciple St. Epiphanius saw the Theotokos spread her veil over the faithful at the Blachernae church near Constantinople — and the city was delivered. A second appearance during the reign of Emperor Leo the Wise ended a deadly epidemic. On October 6, 1974, the bishops of the Byzantine Ruthenian Metropolitan Province of Pittsburgh dedicated a Byzantine chapel in honor of the Mother of God at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., consecrating the entire province under her Holy Protection.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux (October 1) — Born Marie Thérèse Martin in France on January 2, 1873, the youngest of five daughters, she entered Carmel at 15 and died of consumption on September 30, 1897, at just 24. No miracles or extraordinary exploits — only perfect fidelity in ordinary daily duties, childlike confidence in God's providence, and deep zeal for the conversion of souls and for priests. Canonized in 1925 and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope St. John Paul II in 1997, her autobiography Story of a Soul continues her promise: "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth."
Sunday Gospel — Matthew 21:33-43 — The Parable of the Wicked Tenants. The hosts explain why this story landed so sharply on the scribes and Pharisees, who knew Isaiah's image of Israel as the Lord's vineyard. The parable reveals God's generosity and trust, His patience and justice, and ultimately points to the rejection of the Son, the cornerstone the builders rejected. Fr. Fabian turns it toward gratitude: we are often indifferent to the blessings of sight, breath, speech, and hearing, and the Christian response is thanksgiving, not entitlement. Fr. Bruce closes the episode with a blessing.
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