Commemoration of the Miracle Performed at Colossus in Chone by the Archangel Michael; The Holy Martyr Eudoxius and his companions; Our Venerable Father Archipus.
1 Corinthians 2:6-9; Matthew 22:15-22.
Read Matthew 22:15-22
The commemoration of the Miracle at Chonae reminds us that the Church’s memory is not simply about events long ago, but about a living reality: the protection of the holy angels. When the Archangel Michael preserved the sanctuary and Christians at Colossus from destruction, the people saw with their eyes what we are called to perceive with faith: that the angelic hosts are not distant beings but our friends and guardians set over us.
Scripture teaches that “the Angel of the Lord shall encamp around those who fear Him, And He will deliver them.” (Ps 33:8 LXX). To speak of the angels is to confess God’s providence: His love is so attentive that He assigns heavenly protectors to guide the faithful. This is not a pious decoration of our lives, but part of the very economy of salvation.
St. Basil the Great instructs: “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life”(Homily on Psalm 33). The miracle at Chonae manifests this pastoral guardianship on a grand scale. Yet the same reality unfolds in silence whenever our guardian angel shields us from sin, distraction, or despair.
St. John Climacus reminds us that the angels rejoice whenever a soul rises from negligence: “The angels hasten to the aid of those who are striving, as if God Himself were present” (Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 4). Their ministry is an icon of God’s nearness.
To remember this feast, then, is to renew our trust: we are not left to ourselves. In the struggle of prayer, in the battle against temptation, the angelic hosts surround us, urging us toward the Kingdom.