ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL From
Old Testament times until today, St. Michael the
Archangel has powerfully defended and assisted God's
people on earth. Based on Sacred Scripture, Church
history and Saintly traditions, it has been revealed
that St. Michael is the Chief and Commander of all
of the Angels in Heaven, the Guardian Angel of the
Catholic Church, defender of souls on earth in their
spiritual battles, vanquisher of rebel spirits,
Heavenly Physician, advocate of the dying, consoler
of the Holy Souls in Purgatory and Guardian of the
Blessed Sacrament and the Pope.
St. Michael is also the special patron of the
sick, police officers, paratroopers, mariners, and
grocers. In
Asia Minor many curative springs have been dedicated
to him. St.
Michael the Archangel is one of the three Angels
mentioned by name in the Sacred Scriptures.
The others are St. Raphael and St. Gabriel. Michael is spoken of twice in the Old Testament, and twice in
the New Testament. The first reference occurs in the
Book of Daniel (Chapter 10).
Here he comes to comfort Daniel after he has
had a vision, and promises to be his helper in all
things. In
Chapter 12 of Daniel, Michael is called "the
great prince who standeth for the children of Thy
people." In these references Michael is
represented as Israel's great support during the
seventy years of the Babylonian captivity.
Through the prophet Daniel the people of
Israel are made to understand that God had not
forgotten them, and that even though enslaved God
had provided a royal champion and protector for them
in St. Michael. In
the Book of Revelation Chapter 12 we find the most
dramatic reference to St. Michael.
Here John recounts the great battle in Heaven
when the wicked angels under lucifer revolt against
God, and how Michael, leading the faithful Angels,
defeats the hosts of evil and drives satan and his
legions out of Heaven forever and plunges them into
the depths of Hell.
In this role many artists have painted him.
Because of this victory, St. Michael is revered in
Catholic tradition and liturgy as the protector of
the Church, as once he was regarded as the protector
of the Israelites.
The
name “MI-CHA-EL” is a variation of name Micah,
meaning in Hebrew, "Who is like unto God?" This was his battle cry during the war waged in Heaven
against the rebel angels.
In reward for his zeal and fidelity, the Holy
Archangel Michael receives the highest honor among
the Angels in the Heavenly court as
Commander-in-Chief of all the Heavenly legions. As
a great ally and faithful friend to humans in their
time of need, St. Michael the Archangel is invoked
in sickness and most especially at the hour of
death, when his powerful help is so much needed.
For it is then that satan makes his last and
fiercest attack on the Christian soul, seeking with
craft and cunning, with fears and despair, to drag
it down to Hell. St.
Thomas says of him: “Michael is the breath of the
Redeemer’s spirit, who at the End of the World
will combat and destroy the Antichrist, as he did
lucifer in the beginning.” We know that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against
the Church, for our Lord has promised to be with her
until the End of Time, but we must do our part in
defending her cause.
God could have cast the rebel angels down
into Hell by a single act of His Will, but He chose
rather to send against them His armies of loyal
spirits under the leadership of the great St.
Michael. So
too, in the present critical times, He could
confound the enemies of the Church by merely willing
to do so. But
He Wills, rather, that we should cooperate in her
defense under the leadership of the Great Captain of
the Heavenly hosts. Surely,
it is time for Christians to “rise from sleep”
and to offer vigorous resistance to the enemies of
salvation. The
weapons in this conflict are not the arms of civil
warfare, but the spiritual weapons of prayer and
penance, increased fidelity to the Word and
Commandments of God, and frequent reception of the
Sacraments. And surely we can choose no better leader in this conflict
than the powerful Captain who led the faithful
Angels to victory. |
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