ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
The Feast Day of St. Michael is celebrated on September 29th.

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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