Wondering how God is calling you? Are you curious about how your job or set of relationships is really a vocation? Do you want some awesome discussions around faith in real-life and more? Think hanging out with Catholic sisters and a fun thoughtful, faith community is cool? Then you are in the right place! Welcome! Explore and be sure to visit with us every weekday at 6 pm CT in our chat room.
Feats and Feasts: Saint Michael
In the Catholic tradition, today we celebrate the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Michael, whose name means “who is like God?” is the chief archangel. The feat he is most known for is driving Lucifer out of heaven.
Michael the Archangel. A 13th-century Byzantine icon from the Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai.
Saint Michael is the archangel I’m most familiar with, because that’s the name of the grade school I attended. That was many years ago, but the song we sang in his honor is still lodged firmly in my memory: “Saint Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle, and lead us to our Lord.”
Back in 5th grade, the use of militaristic language in religious songs didn’t catch my attention the way it does now. Even so, it was the art work depicting Saint Michael that most boggled my religious imagination back then. In school, we had a giant statue of Saint Michael standing over Lucifer and holding a long spear to his head. It freaked me out. I couldn’t name it then, but now I understand that it was because of the association between religion and violence.
As an adult, I can look at things differently. Where I can find meaning in the feast of Saint Michael is in what the archangel symbolizes: that good is more powerful than evil. When I think of Saint Michael this way, he’s not an image of violence but a symbol of hope. Happy feast, Saint Michael!
What are some of the images and symbols of Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael that are meaningful to you?
Previous post: My soul magnifies our God
Next post: Mother Mary MacKillop – news about the soon-to-be-beatified Catholic sister
Get your nun schwag! -- We've got cool nunly items including this awesome mug at 
{ 7 comments }
Although all of them have meaning,I think Gabriel has the most for me,because he was “lucky” enough to be the one to give Our Lady,Mary the fantastivcally cool
message that she was to be the mother of God,Jesus,Our Lord,who is our Savior and see the wonderful reaction and happiness it gave to Our Lady a fantastically brave,women(girl) with perfect faith in God,and his son who she was carrying,Jesus the savior of mankind.
Sue, I love the many artistic renderings of the Annunciation, especially that by de Champaigne in the 1600s, where Mary looks startled to see Gabriel!
Sr. Max, I LOVE the archangels! One of my favorite writers, Flannery O’Conner had a devotion to St. Raphael and said this prayer often. I love it and say it often myself. Maybe that is why I found ANL! The only time we see St Raphael is in the Book of Tobit and what a lovely story that is! Enjoy the prayer… I can certainly see why Flannery loved it so.
O Raphael, lead us toward those we are waiting for, those who are waiting for us: Raphael, Angel of happy meeting, lead us by the hand toward those we are looking for. May all our movements be guided by your Light and transfigured with your joy.
Angel, guide of Tobias, lay the request we now address to you at the feet of Him on whose unveiled Face you are privileged to gaze. Lonely and tired, crushed by the separations and sorrows of life, we feel the need of calling you and of pleading for the protection of your wings, so that we may not be as strangers in the province of joy, all ignorant of the concerns of our country. Remember the weak, you who are strong, you whose home lies beyond the region of thunder, in a land that is always peaceful, always serene and bright with the resplendent glory of God.
I think this is a beautiful prayer and that last sentence gives me chills, as my Mom would say.
Ahhh, Flannery O’Conner! Thanks for the prayer.
Flannery O’Connor — one of my favs! Wonderful prayer — thank you!
Where I used to live in Sydney Australia had all three archangels as their parish names – I attended school at St Raphael’s, worked in the RCIA at St Michael’s and attended St Gabriel’s for mass
Michael the Archangel keeps popping up in my life; a life not entirely begun with religious discipline. St. Michael, St. Gabriel and their presence on Our Lady of Succour is an image of arresting dimensions for me, it being the Alpha and the Omega depicted with Our Lady as the carer and shielder. I have been to Le Mont St. Michel in Normandie now a few times – in true pilgrimage – and recognise the powerful earth-grounded imagery of the Archangel’s might. Therein, the Might, lies the clue behind the armour. “Fight the Good Fight with all thy Might, Lean and his mercy will provide..” is intrinsic. Armour and war are indeed related and, whether we like it or not, our ways of being affect the world and the manifestations of war. That soldiers and military have the protection of the Archangel – whichever side they are on – is profound in their own, single journeys; if I may learn not to judge the whys and wherefores of war, not to judge the individual combatants, that, in itself, may give peace to the world.