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b'(Dn7:9-10,13-14 or Rv.12:7-12;\\xa0\\xa0 Ps.138:1-5;\\xa0\\xa0 Jn.1:47-51 I shall treat of both first readings) \\xa0 \\u201cYou shall see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.\\u201d \\xa0 And who shall see such visions?\\xa0 He whose own vision is pure, he who is as Nathanael \\u2013 he who has \\u201cno guile in him.\\u201d\\xa0 Such is the case both with Daniel and John the Evangelist, of whose visions we hear in either first reading.\\xa0 The angels are with them, indeed, and they lift them up to look upon the Most High God and His Anointed One. Both first readings reveal vision of Jesus the Son, whose \\u201cdominion is an everlasting dominion\\u201d and by whom \\u201csalvation and power have come.\\u201d\\xa0 In Daniel is shown the Ancient One, the Father, from whom all power comes as \\u201csurging streams of fire\\u201d from His throne; and in Revelation, John presents the defeat of Satan, who would presume to be like God but is \\u201cdriven out\\u201d and \\u201churled down to earth\\u201d by the archangel Michael (whose name tells us that none is like God) before \\u201cthe reign of our God\\u201d comes.\\xa0 In Revelation is included, too, our own participation in \\u201cthe blood of the Lamb,\\u201d that the Church, \\u201cby the word of their testimony,\\u201d will share in the Lord\\u2019s dominion. And David\\u2019s psalm sings today: \\u201cGreat is the glory of the Lord.\\u201d\\xa0 His voice joins with the \\u201cthousands upon thousands\\u2026 ministering to Him, and myriads upon myriads\\u201d attending Him.\\xa0 \\u201cIn the presence of the angels I will sing your praise,\\u201d he declares, and finds himself \\u201cworship[ing] at [His] holy temple\\u201d Him whose name is \\u201cgreat above all things.\\u201d\\xa0 Is not the vision promised Nathanael and witnessed to by Daniel and John shared here with David, too; does he not glimpse, and share with us who long for the presence of the Lord, the ladder which reaches to heaven made known to Jacob in dream?\\xa0 Is not Jesus, His Lord, with him even in this time before His coming?\\xa0 It is one Jesus the eyes of all the pure of heart see and shall see.\\xa0 And did not the Old Testament prophet see that which was to come?\\xa0 Was not the eternal vision of heaven revealed to his eyes, as well as John\\u2019s?\\xa0 And how can this be, that they see what we would call the future, except that it has always been? Brothers and sisters, we must declare with Nathanael, \\u201cYou are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel,\\u201d but we must do so as He does \\u2013 in absolute honesty and utter faith.\\xa0 We must believe without guile and declare without hesitation that Jesus is Lord.\\xa0 To do so and to see the angels ascending and descending upon Him, our hearts and our eyes must be pure.\\xa0 Let us pray that we shall come now to vision of heaven, where His angels and His saints do reign. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Roger Fortney. Music by Roger Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, give us eyes to see your angels ministering to you, and hearts to receive their blessed help. YHWH, like flames of fire your angels surround you and your holy throne.\\xa0 These myriads of spirits attend you, ministering to you day and night in the place where there is no night, where light shines seven times as brightly as the sun.\\xa0 O may we join them in singing your praises and in doing your will upon this earth!\\xa0 With eyes unveiled let us look upon your glory and unite with your angels in Heaven. If only we had hearts without guile, O LORD; if only we were your true sons and daughters.\\xa0 Then we would declare freely that Jesus is your Son and our King, He whose dominion is everlasting, whose glory is one with your own.\\xa0 Then would the devil be cast from our souls, driven out from among us by your power at work in your angels.\\xa0 Then would we worship in joy in your holy Temple all our days and become children of your blessed light.\\xa0 O may your angels be with us always!'