Posted on 07/02/2002 5:53:11 PM PDT by Lady In Blue
St. Michael is one of only three great Archangels mentioned in Christian scriptures.Michael's name means, "who is as God," which can be thought of as a question for us to answer. This Celestial General of the heavenly hosts is renowned in Christian, Islamic, and Jewish faiths.
Michael is the leader of the angels who remained faithful to God during the Great War of Heaven, when Lucifer strove against his Creator. As the leader of the angelic hosts, he overcame Lucifer and his followers and cast them out of heaven. "And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon." St. John speaks of the great conflict at the end of time, the Apocolypse, which is a reflection of that first great battle.
Tradition gives to St. Michael four offices:
Holy Scripture describes St. Michael as "one of the chief princes," and leader of the forces of heaven in their triumph over the powers of hell. As St. Michael is often depicted as taming (or slaying) an evil being, he is a wonderful Archangel to call upon when we need help taming the evils within our lives. He has been especially honored and invoked as patron and protector by the Church from the time of the Apostles. Although he is always called "the Archangel," the Greek Fathers and many others place him over all the angels - as Prince of the Seraphim. St. Michael is the patron of grocers, mariners, paratroopers, police and all who are ill.
Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special prayer to St. Michael throughout the Church. Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."
Pope Leo XIII, realizing by Divine enlightenment the present and future struggles of the Church against the powers of Hell, felt convinced that through the intervention of St. Michael, Hell would be conquered, and the Church restored to peace and liberty. He therefore composed a prayer in honor of the warrior archangel, and ordered it to be recited daily after Mass in all the churches throughout the world.
This is how this prayer came to be written: It is said that one day having celebrated the Holy Sacrifice, the aged Pontiff Leo XIII was in conference with the Cardinals. Suddenly he sank to the floor in a deep swoon. Physicians who hastened to his side feared that he had already expired, for they could find no trace of his pulse. However, after a short interval the Holy Father rallied, and opening his eyes exclaimed with great emotion: "Oh what a horrible picture I was permitted to see!" He had been shown in spirit the tremendous activities of the evil spirits and their ravings against the Church. But in the midst of this vision of horror he had also beheld consoling visions of the glorious Archangel Michael, who had appeared and cast Satan and his legions back into the abyss of hell. Soon afterward he composed the well-known prayer.
Michaelmas, or the Feast of St. Michael, is September 29, and as such, his presence ushers in Fall as a time of release and purification. In nature, the release is symbolized by the harvest being brought to the table: in the U.S. we have Thanksgiving - in the Jewish tradition, Sukkot - and in the Celtic and other traditions - Lammas, celebrated on or around August 1st. The purification is the process of preparing the ground for the winter's rest, or for another crop.
Reflecting on this in our own lives, we see that it is safe to let go of what no longer serves us, be it relationships, behavior patterns, negative thinking, material items, smoking, and or whatever you feel holds you back from becoming a whole, fulfilled individual. Calling upon St. Michael during this time empowers both the release and the purification process. Since fall is a time of releasing, you may want to consider your life and what you are ready to release.
Michael is said to have been the angel who spoke to Joan of Arc. He was also present in Camelot. It is said, the first Christian Church built in all of England was St. Michael's on the Tor. Only the bell tower is left.
Michaelmas is September 29, and the reason why it is important is that it is one of the four "quarter days" of the financial calendar. In Britain the financial year starts in April, so Michaelmas is about half-way through. Since, years ago, people rarely kept much cash around, quarterdays became the days to settle bills, pay rent, repay debts, give allowances, give "perks" to servants, and generally keep things straight with your neighbours.Even today, some bank dividends, household bills, etc. are calculated quarterly.Michaelmas also happens to tie in with harvest, fall fairs(agricultural fairs) etc, so hiring servants, signing leases, making contracts also involved the date of Michaelmas.
Act of Consecration to St. Michael I entreat you not to look at how little, I, as your servant have to offer, being only a wretched sinner, but to gaze, rather, with favorable eye at the heartfelt affection with which this offering is made, and remember that if from this day onward I am under your patronage, you must during all my life assist me, and procure for me the pardon of my many grievous offenses, and sins, the grace to love with all my heart my God, my dear Saviour Jesus, and my Sweet Mother Mary, and obtain for me all the help necessary to arrive to my crown of glory.
Defend me always from my spiritual enemies, particularly in the last moments of my life.
Come then oh Glorious Prince and succor me in my last struggle, and with your powerful weapon cast far from me into the infernal abyss that prevaricator and proud angel that one day you prostrated in the celestial battle.
Saint Michael defend us in our daily battle so that we may not perish in the last Judgment.
In early Persian legends Michael is identified with Beshter, "the one who provides sustenance for mankind". Muslim traditions have a beautiful, yet terrible description of the great archangel, "Wings the color of green emerald...covered with saffron hairs, each of them containing a million faces and mouths and as many tongues which, in a million dialects, implore the pardon of Allah"--and from his tears, the cherubim are formed.
Because Michael is given the task of leading the souls of the departed to heaven, then weighing the good and evil they have done, he is also associated with the ancient Egyptian god Anubis, the "weigher of souls"--Anubis is identified with the star Sirius, the most important star in the Egyptian sky. To the Romans, Michael is another form of Mercury, who guided souls to the underworld. He is Hermes to the ancient Greeks, who was also a Psychopomp, and many chapels throughout Europe & Britain were dedicated to him, called "Michael's Mounts". These sites were founded on the old places where the Earth Dragon's power was greatest, and so Michael's name is always connected with destroying the Dragon.
Now, I know this is going to be a shock to y'all, and I hate to be the one that has to do it, but ANGELS ARE NOT SAINTS.
That word pertains only to human beings, and only to that set of human beings that have called upon the name of Jesus Christ for salvation from their sins. Michael was neither a sinner or a saint.
So, if the very beginning of this thing is wrong, how can you expect any of it to be right?
Hank
Angels are created beings. They were created by God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
They were tested by God. Some fell with Lucifer, the rest still dwell in Heaven with God.
Those created who passed the one time test and stayed faithful to God dwell with Him forever in Heaven.
They were created, they were tested, they believed, and they serve Him.
They are indeed saints. Your definition is what is deficient, not Catholicism.
This is nothing more than your personal opinion. Thank you for sharing it. But your opinion is not the bottom line.
While it is true that not all angels are Saints, some Saints; St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael and St. Uriel are archangels. As Saint Augustine wrote in Enarrationes in Psalmos "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'"
You fail to note the distinction between saint and Saint. Which is one of the things Peter warned the faithful about in 2 Peter 3:15-16.
Polycarp said, Your definition is what is deficient, not Catholicism. Now, I went back to my post, read it several times, and cannot find the word Catholicism there even once. Then he said, This is nothing more than your personal opinion. Thank you for sharing it. But your opinion is not the bottom line. Well, of course its my opinion. Would I be posting somebody else's? Don't you post your own opinion? Isn't that the point of "discussion?" And what's with the shrill, "your opinion is not the bottom line?"
Then SMEDLEYBUTLER said You fail to note the distinction between saint and Saint. Which is one of the things Peter warned the faithful about in 2 Peter 3:15-16. Now my Greek New Testament never once capitalizes the word angel.
Oh yeah, here are the verses: (2 Pet 3:15-16) "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."
So, if you will, let me quote Paul:
Col 2:18-22 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Finally Catholicguy Said: You ought to be more truthful; "I hate to be the one.." Evidence abounds you do not hate doing this.
It's called rhetoric, a common device, in this case a mild sarcasm. Here's one I'm borrowing from Paul, forgive me this wrong. Look it up, (2 Cor. 12:13). Great sarcasm.
Then he said: Saint also refers to Holiness. Its Etymology is Latin, "Sanctus" which means "holy, sacred" True for the English word, not true for the Greek, of course, of which your Latin word is only a translation.
Then he said: Shouldn't a christian take the time to learn what it is he is attacking BEFORE attacking? So, you don't think 40 years is enough, but I was not "attacking" anyone or anything, anyway, simply stating my opinion, as I was invited to.
Please forgive me for not following the party line, falling all over myself to praise what I honestly and truly believe is mistaken. Now I do have a question. How come your religion makes you all so up-tight and thin-skinned?
Hank
When fault finders come on a thread and start this crap they detract and disrupted the rest of the story. Now kindly take you urgent felt message to your brand new thread and see who cares?You could even link your thread for those who care.
The rest of us can enjoy this one.
Lighten up Henry. No one has called you a heretic, yet. You've been treated firmly but politely. It's not very saintly of you to be bearing false witness, is it? Dominus vobiscum.
Well, I like this one. Everyone is so friendly and courteous. Don't you visit other threads with which you have some dissagreement? Seems to me I've seen your handle giving RnMomof7 some less than agreeable comments.
I will not do that however. I'm just suggesting a different point of view, not trying to offend anyone. Some people just seem bent on being offended.
I am a stranger here.
Heb. 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
God bless!
The Catholic has much of original source of certain thing and by the Spirit of Discernment one can learn a lot. If we start to fault find than we miss the bigger picture. It the same the gossips and faultfinder visit the LDS and start in with faultfinding and gossip and no one gets to discern and learn. Maybe its a bad habit that rub off on you for hanging out with that contentious crowd:)
Have a good 4th and don't take things serious, its too hot! Today we still are a free people!
Thank you! You and your also have a good 4th. Never know how many more we'll be allowed to celebrate.
Hank
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