The Littlest Christmas Angel by Michael Spoula - HTML preview

The Littlest Christmas Angel By Michael J. Spoula

 

The Archangel Michael, chief of all the Angels had summoned him. When Michael

 

called, you listened. Of course being an angel obeying was the natural thing to do, you

 

could think of nothing else to do. Yet, Michael never summoned an angel to his presence

 

without some serious purpose. Miguel, known to the others as “Little Mike” trembled a

 

bit. Yet he was happy in spirit at the summons. He knew that he was about to be given a

 

very important assignment. Over the last two thousand years (as humans counted time)

 

the angels had been preparing for some very important event. He had been told that he

 

would play some part in it, as would all of the heavenly host. Gabriel, the Father’s special

 

messenger, had even gone to earth and spoke in person to one of the humans, her name

 

was Mary. Now Miguel did not know what the conversation was about, but because of

 

all the activity he knew The Father was going to do a wonderful, marvelous, miraculous

 

work and he, Little Mike, was going to play a major role in it. He thought that maybe he

 

would be set among the choir of angels that had been practicing singing triumphs and

 

glory songs over the last hundred years or so. Perhaps his exceptional musical gift had

 

been finally recognized and he would be placed as director of the heavenly choir! He felt

 

unworthy but he knew he would accept the assignment humbly. As he traveled to the

 

place where Michael awaited he passed the huge hall where the Angelic Choir was in

 

rehearsal. He heard the words, “Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of

 

goodwill.” He took up the song and even embellished the counterpoint a bit. Once he was in charge, the choir would sound even better then it does now! One of the choir

 

angels, just slightly older then Miguel, floated over and smiled lovingly at Little Mike.

 

The angel, not unkindly, told him to be off, that he was singing flat. Humph! Miguel

 

thought, what does he know, he obviously does not know good music when he hears it.

 

But he realized he was keeping Michael the Archangel waiting, this was not a good thing.

 

He scurried along and soon he arrived outside of what humans might call the Great Hall,

 

the place where the Father was. At the ornate golden door stood Michael, his shining

 

golden spear in his hand. This was the very spear he had used to defeat the disobedient

 

angels so many eons ago. The Archangel caught site of Miguel and he smiled warmly at

 

the young angel. Miguel immediately felt at ease in the presence of Michael. Michael

 

spoke.

 

“Well, Little Mike, are you ready to do your duty?”

 

Miguel swallowed, stood to attention and said, “The Father commands, I obey.”

 

“Good. I had to really do some talking to get you this job. Some say that you are too

 

young to do it properly. After all two thousand earth years is but a moment in the

 

presence of God. I said anyone named after me has to be strong and tough enough to do

 

this job to the glory of God. So, reluctantly at my urging, the committee approved you to

 

be the one. I hope you appreciate the assignment.” Michael stopped talking for a

 

moment. Miguel took this as his cue.

 

“Yes sir, I will be happy to take over the lead of the Heavenly Choir. I knew my talent

 

would be recognized eventually. I will work hard and the choir will sing better and

 

better each day. Thank you for the chance and for such an important assignment.”

 

Michael roared with laughter. “You, lead the heavenly choir! I think not young one. Your musical talents are minimal, your singing voice is squeaky at best. No, the choir is not the

 

place for you. The assignment I have for you is much more important then that. When

 

you hear the triumph played you will go to point 205 in the heavens. There you will hold

 

a small insignificant star steady in the heavens. You will remain there until summoned

 

back. Understood?”

 

Miguel was crushed. He hung his head and softly said, “I don’t understand. That star is as

 

far from heaven and the Joy of the being with the Father as you can get, and it is so small

 

that it hardly needs anyone to hold it up, a gentle breeze could blow it out. Am I being

 

exiled?”

 

Michael was close to anger now as he said, “Perhaps you are too young to do this task. If

 

you are not up to it, Little Mike, I can find another. I only ask why are you questioning

 

the Father’s wisdom?”

 

Miguel was brought up short. “Oh, Michael, perish the thought of me questioning the

 

Father or even you. Of course I shall gladly do what you order. I will be the best star

 

steadier of all time.”

 

Michael smiled again and said, “I knew you would see it that way. Now off with you

 

young one.”

 

He left Michael’s side and spent the next nine months practicing holding stars steady.

 

Then one night he heard the sound he had been waiting for, the sound of the heavenly

 

choir beginning to play the Glory Song. Without another thought, whoosh, he went to

 

the appointed star and with great love, he wrapped his little arms around it and with great

 

love held it very steady. Heaven was but a distant dot on the horizon of the universe but

 

the place where the humans dwelt was in plain view. He could faintly hear the heavenly choir singing their song of joy and triumph. He gazed toward the Earth and saw the light

 

from his star was illuminating a small cave. There the woman he recognized as Mary was

 

cradling a child as the man Joseph looked on. There were common shepherds there and

 

they were kneeling in front of Mary and the Baby, and now Miguel realized that the

 

Father had indeed wrought a marvelous, wonderful work as he recognized the Babe in the

 

manger, it was the Son, sent to earth. He was seeing the promise of the Father being

 

fulfilled. What Love for the Father and for the humans filled his heart. In his squeaky flat

 

voice, Miguel, still holding the star steady and the beams of light focused on the head of

 

the Child, he sang with the choir he could just hear in the distance, “Glory to God in the

 

Highest, Peace to men of Good Will.” And so it came to pass that the smallest job

 

brought the greatest reward for both Miguel, the Littlest Christmas angel and for the

 

humans upon the earth.