Daily Meditation: Thursday, June 24, 2004

St. John - the Archangel Uriel and the Festival of St. John

06/24/2004

The Festival of St John takes place on 24 June under the guardianship of the Archangel Uriel, who presides over summer. The Church generally mentions only three Archangels: Gabriel, Raphaël and Mikhaël who preside over the three cardinal festivals of the winter solstice (Gabriel), the spring equinox (Raphaël) and the autumn equinox (Mikhaël). Why is Uriel not mentioned? Uriel is an Archangel of light, and his name signifies: ‘God is my light'. At the Festival of St John, which takes place when the sun enters the constellation of Cancer, we light fires in the countryside; for it is the celebration of fire, of the warmth that ripens the fruits and all things. During summer everything is on fire. This is also the fire of love, of physical and sensual love; it is the formidable energy which effervesces in creatures. The Festival of St John reminds disciples that they must learn to work with the fire of divine love in order to escape the fire of undesirable passions.