Sermon on the Miracle of Archangel Michael in Honeh.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

Russian Orthodox Church of Archangel Michail. Peno. AB. 1904.

I congratulate you with all my heart on the feast day, which our church is celebrating today, in honor of one of the many wonders of the Archangel Michael!
This miracle happened in the IV (fourth) century.
One citizen of Laodicea (a city in Asia Minor), grateful for his mute daughter’s complete recovery after drinking from a healing spring, built in Colossae a temple in honor of Archangel Michael – right beside the mentioned spring. A certain pious man Archippus served in that temple as an altarservant (or a sexton) and the church custodian. He had been executing his ministry for 60 years and many pagans were converted to the true faith due to the miraculous healing coming from the spring, and due to the example of Archippus’s righteous life and his preaching of Jesus Christ. The rest of the pagans’ community grew very angry with Archippus and with those who were newly converted to Christianity. Pagans conspired to kill the faithful servant of Christ as well as destroy the spring and the church itself. They tried to block two rapid mountain rivers and redirect the water toward the temple. Saint Archippus fervently prayed to God and to Archangel Michael to prevent disaster. Archangel Michael miraculously appeared at the church and struck at the side of the mountain with His fiery spear. It formed a chasm in the surface, and the water was diverted underground instead of flooding the Temple. After having seen this miracle, the pagans fled in fear. The place, where this miracle occurred, was called “hones”, which means “a crack.”
This miracle shows us that Archangel Michael protects every temple, and especially those holy places that are dedicated to his name. From the time of the consecration of a temple, an angel – the keeper of its throne and shrines – constantly abides in it. Even if the temple is closed for a night, and there are no people in it, it is always filled with angels, incessantly glorifying God. A famous preacher of the 20th century, Russian Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom), who lived in London, said in one of his sermons that at the Divine Liturgy “our guardian angels are praying with each of us in the church” and that “we also bring with us to the temple those saints whose names we bear”. But, probably, of even greater importance is that Holy Archangel Michael protects from sins the soul and the body of every Christian, because since the time of baptism a Christian becomes a living temple of the Holy Spirit.

Altarservant of Archangel Michael Church at Peno Nestor Kostuk.

Righteous altarservant Archippus, who witnessed the glorious miracle of St. Michael the Archangel, remained at the protected temple for the rest of his life and passed away peacefully at a very reverent age. He carried out his simple duties in the church with love and sacrifice, for which, definitely, God always heard his prayers and helped him. Thanks to Saint Archippus, God sent Archangel Michael to save the temple at the healing spring from destruction. This is an excellent example of how one person with strong faith and God’s help can perform overwhelming things for the benefit of Christianity and Orthodoxy! Today Reverend Archippus is the spiritual patron of all altarservants and subdeacons, who, similar to angels, worship God and assist priests at the altar.
Let us pray to God to let Archangel Michael always protect us, all of our churches and this particular one, dedicated to Him, and to let Him cover us with his radiant wings and guard us from all ills and misfortunes!
In the book of Revelation, Archangel Michael appears as the Chief leader of the angelic hosts, which stayed faithful to God, in the war against the “dragon”-devil. Let us pray to the Holy Chief Commander Archangel Michael for strengthening us in our earthly journey into the Heavenly Kingdom and for helping us to overcome our illnesses and all demonic attacks! Amen!
Peno. September 15, 2013