05/09/2026
MEDITATION ON THE FEAST OF
SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
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Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 18, 1-5, 10
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“WHO IS THE GREATEST
IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN?”
(Mt 18, 1)
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1 At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a child over, placed it in their midst,
3 and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
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On your feast, O Archangel of God, Michael, we contemplate your spiritual person in the Bible and Church’ tradition!
We implore your intercession!
You are a "mighty cry" that rises from the kingdom and terrorizes the demons and their sultans, and it is, as your name suggests in Hebrew: "Who has power like God"! Your zeal for the glory of God is incomparable!
You stand before God! Intercede for us for our deliverance from the evils of the world!
You have a divine power that crushes Satan and puts him to death wherever he is! He is afraid of your face!
God sends you to come to the aid of the faithful believer when the followers of the demons and their leaders persecute him! Your sword is a spiritual symbol of the power of God, which defends man against evil and a symbol of the truth, and sublime wisdom, which is God!
You are the angel who was the first to announce the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the Son of the living God!
Even today, you sow in our souls, faith in the resurrection and hope in the eternity of the heavenly Kingdom!
You are the angel of the general resurrection at the end of time and of the last judgment!
With a signal from your trumpet, the world will end and God will come to bring judgment to humankind!
Who but you is the best intercessor for us, O Almighty Angel of God!
You are present before him and for us! You know His mercy and His love for us, and you are well aware of our sins and the desire of our heart, which tends to unite us to his divinity and to join the joy and peace of the Communion of his saints and angels in his Eternal Kingdom!
Before the throne of the Holy Trinity, intercede for our salvation, we who are sinners, and for the salvation of the whole world, so that we may repent effectively and return to the arms of His divine and merciful love, that the true peace reigns in our homelands and may the values of heaven and of life triumph over the laws of the culture of sin and death!
The grace of having recourse to your intercession, Archangel Michael, always present in the heavens of God and in our world, is enough for us to experience true repentance, and a sublime sanctification of our hearts and of the whole world! In full communion with the saints, we glorify God the Father, his only begotten Son by the almightiness of the Holy Spirit now and forever! Amen!
Father Fadi El-Mir, Maronite Lebanese missionary.
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PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL ARCHANGEL OF POPE LEON XIII 1884:
“St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defence against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”
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SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL IN THE BIBLICAL AND ECCLESIAL TRADITION:
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IN SCRIPTURE:
Michael is mentioned by name five times in the Bible.
• Daniel 10, 13, Gabriel says, «...but the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood in my way for twenty-one days, until finally Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.»
• Daniel 10, 21, «No one supports me against all these except Michael, your prince, standing as a reinforcement and a bulwark for me.»
• Daniel 12, 1, «At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time.»
• Jude 1, 9, «Yet the archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil in a dispute over the body of Moses, did not venture to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him but said, ‘May the Lord rebuke you!’»
• Revelation 12, 7-9, «Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.»
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MICHAEL AND THE ARCHANGELS
Catholic tradition calls Michael, Gabriel and Raphael archangels. The word archangel comes from the Greek words arche (prince) and angelos (messenger). Michael means «Who is like God?» (a rhetorical question), Gabriel means «Power of God» or «Strong One of God» and Raphael means «God has healed». Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are named in the Bible as angels. (Roman Catholics accept as canonical the Book of Tobit, in which Raphael is named.) Only Michael is called an archangel in the Bible. The feast of these angels is celebrated on September 29. In addition to these three Archangels, the Eastern Catholic Churches also venerate Uriel, Selaphiel, Jegudiel, Barachiel and Jerahmeel. The Synaxis of the Holy Archangels is on November 8.
Traditionally, seven Angels were considered to be of special significance, who stand before the Throne of God.[3] Within the hierarchy of the angels, at the highest level, St. Michael is a princely seraph,[4] an angel of supreme power and the leader of God’s army.
Christian art often portrays archangels together. Archangels Michael and Gabriel are jointly depicted on Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a Byzantine icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary that has been the subject of widespread Catholic devotions for centuries.
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ROLE AND MISSION:
In Roman Catholicism, Saint Michael has four distinct roles. First, he is the Enemy of Satan and the fallen angels. He defeated Satan and ejected him from Paradise and will achieve victory at the hour of the final battle with Satan. Secondly, he is the Christian angel of death: at the hour of death, Saint Michael descends and gives each person the chance to redeem oneself before passing. Saint Michael’s third role is weighing peoples’ merits (hence the saint is often depicted holding scales) on Judgment Day. And finally, Saint Michael is the Guardian of the Church.[5]
1. DEFEAT OF SATAN AND THE FALLEN ANGELS
Saint Michael is viewed as the commander of the Army of God. From the time of the apostles, he has been invoked and honoured as the protector of the Church. Scripture describes him as «one of the chief princes» and the leader of heaven’s forces in their triumph over the powers of hell.
Saint Michael defeats Satan on two occasions, first when he ejects him from Paradise, and secondly in the final battle of the end times when the Antichrist will be defeated by him. Noted hagiographer Alban Butler, defined the role of Saint Michael: «Who is like God?» was the cry of Archangel Michael when he smote the rebel Lucifer in the conflict of the heavenly hosts. In addition, when Antichrist shall have set up his kingdom on earth, it is St. Michael who will unfurl once more the standard of the cross, sound the last trumpet, bind together the false prophet and the beast and hurl them for all eternity into the burning pool.
Saint Michael is the traditional prototype of the spiritual warrior, a paradigm extended to other warrior saints. This conflict against evil may at times be viewed as an interior battle. The concept of the warrior saint has extended to other Catholic saints, beginning with examples such as Saint George and Saint Theodore of Amasea.
2. AT THE HOUR OF DEATH
Saint Michael is one of the angels presumed present at the hour of death. Traditionally, he is charged to assist the dying and accompany them to their particular judgment, where he serves as an advocate. Cemetery chapels are often dedicated to him, where Masses are offered in his honour on behalf of the departed.
3. WEIGHING SOULS ON JUDGMENT DAY
In Catholic tradition, on Judgment Day Saint Michael weighs souls based on their deeds during their life on earth. Saint Michael is often portrayed in art with scales. This role of Saint Michael was depicted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In this depiction, angels hold up two books: the smaller book held by Saint Michael records the names of the blessed, while the larger book is a list of the damned.
4. GUARDIAN OF THE CHURCH
The tradition of Michael as prince-protector of the Jewish people was adopted by the Christian Church. Saint Michael has long been recognized as the protector and guardian of the Church itself and the angel of the Blessed Sacrament. In a 2007 address Pope Benedict XVI urged the bishops he was ordaining to take Michael as a model in making room in the world for God, countering denials of him and thus defending humankind’s greatness, and in acting as «true guardian angels» of the Church. Saint Michael is also the guardian angel of the pope and has been invoked as the patron and guardian angel of many countries as well as specific professions.
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CULTUS
“Of all the angels, Michael was by far the most important in the Middle Ages.” The earliest indications of a cult of St. Michael occur in the Near East. The emperor Constantine built the Michaelion at Chalcedon on the site of an earlier temple. Other sanctuaries were located at healing springs in Anatolia, Antioch, and Egypt. Identification of St Michael with the gift of healing can be seen in Gregory the Great leading a devotional procession in 590 when the city of Rome was afflicted with a plague that killed his predecessor. Gregory reportedly saw a vision of Saint Michael atop the Mausoleum of Hadrian. The archangel sheathed his sword, suggesting to the pope that the peril was ended. He subsequently renamed the Mausoleum Castel Sant’Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel) in honour of St. Michael.
The Visio Sancti Pauli, written in the late fourth or early fifth century, presents St Michael as an advocate for sinners, guarantor of rain, and thus a patron of agriculture. The Greek, Syrian, and Coptic Churches had venerated St. Michael since at least the early sixth century. The cult of St. Michael was widespread in the British Isles during the Middle Ages.
Legends include a number of reported appearances of Saint Michael, where sanctuaries or churches were later built or dedicated to him. These include Monte Gargano in Italy early in the 6th century where the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo, the oldest shrine in Western Europe, is dedicated to Saint Michael. Early in the 8th century, Saint Michael reportedly appeared three times to Saint Aubert, the bishop of Avranches in Normandy, France, and instructed him to build a church on the small island now known as Mont Saint-Michel. Several healings were reported when the church was being built and Mont Saint-Michel still remains a Catholic pilgrimage site.
The role of Saint Michael as protector and guardian has also led to the design of statues that depict him, and the construction of Churches and monasteries at specific locations. Because most monastic islands lie close to land, they were viewed as forts holding demons at a distance against attacks on the Church. Monasteries such as Mont Saint-Michel off the coast of Normandy, France, and Skellig Michael, off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland, dedicated to the Archangel are examples of these. Another notable structure is that of St Michael’s Mount, located in Mounts Bay, near Penzance, Cornwall – a stunning island castle that resembles Mont Saint-Michel, and can only be reached on foot at low tide.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux recommended the invocation of Saint Michael at times of temptation and sorrow: «Whenever any grievous temptation or vehement sorrow oppresses thee, invoke thy guardian, thy leader, cry out to him, and say, ‘Lord, save us, lest we perish’!”
St. Francis of Assisi was especially devoted to Saint Michael and would fast for about forty days from the feast of the Assumption (August 15) to Saint Michael’s feast day on September 29. Some Franciscan communities continue to observe the period from August 15 to September 29 as «St. Michael’s Lent», a time of fasting and prayer.
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MENTIONS IN THE TRIDENTINE LITURGY
In editions of the Roman Missal before 1970, Saint Michael was mentioned in the Confiteor as recited by the priest and again in the altar server’s response at Mass. He was mentioned also in celebrations of Solemn Mass when the priest put incense in the thurible, reciting the prayer: Per intercessionem beati Michaelis Archangeli, stantis a dextris altaris incensi, et omnium electorum suorum, incensum istud dignetur Dominus benedicere, et in odorem suavitatis accipere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. (Through the intercession of Blessed Michael the Archangel, standing at the right hand of the altar of incense, and of all his elect, may the Lord kindly bless this incense and accept it as a savour of sweetness).
Until Pope John XXIII revised it in 1960, the General Roman Calendar had not one but two feasts of Saint Michael, one on 29 September, the other on 8 May.
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PATRONAGE
Michael the Archangel is the patron saint of grocers, paramedics, mariners, paratroopers, police officers, and military personnel.
A large number of Roman Catholic churches around the globe are dedicated to Saint Michael, from Hammerfest, Norway, to Oeste Catarinense in Brazil. Saint Michael’s feast day of September 29 has been solemnly celebrated in many locations since the fifth century. And many churches that honor Saint Michael are dedicated on the 29th of September, e.g., Pope Boniface IV dedicated Saint Michael’s Church in Rome on that day in 610.
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DEVOTIONS
Devotions to Saint Michael have a large Catholic following, and a number of churches are dedicated to him worldwide. Roman Catholic devotions to Saint Michael have been expressed in a variety of forms, including a chaplet and scapular. A number of prayers, novenas, and hymns are directed to him.
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7 BIBLICAL FACTS ABOUT THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL:
1. Michael is the only one the Bible calls an archangel
We are told Michael’s title in Jude 9. The Greek word for “archangel” (archággelos) means “chief angel” or “chief messenger.” The word “archangel” is not use to describe him in the Old Testament, but another angel calls him one of the chief princes (Dan 10, 13).
Calling Michael “one of the chief princes” implies that Michael has peers. However, if there are any other archangels, the Bible does not tell us who they are.
2. Michael stands guard over Israel
In Daniel’s last vision, an angel describes how the last days will play out for the Jews. It is at this time that Michael, “the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will arise” (Dan 12, 1). The angel also refers to Michael as Daniel’s prince (Dan 10, 21). The Bible does not say what “standing guard” entails, but it is very clear that Michael has special responsibilities for Israel.
3. Michael directly opposes Satan
Jude mentions that Michael argues with Satan about the body of Moses (a nod to a Jewish tradition). Unfortunately, we are not given any more information on what that argument was about. Jude does tell us that Michael was not as bold as to pronounce a “railing judgment” (the Greek word for “railing” is often translated “blasphemous” or “defaming”) against the devil. What he does say is interesting enough to merit a fact to itself . . .
4. Michael only says four words in the Bible
Well, three Greek words that are often translated into four English words. In Jude 9, Michael says to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you!”
5. Michael is a military commander of some angels
In John’s apocalypse, he sees a great war in heaven: Michael and his angels vs. the dragon (Satan) and his angels. The devil and his forces are too weak to remain in heaven, however, and so they are all thrown down to earth (Rev 12, 7–9).
6. Michael battles the patron angels of other nations
In Daniel chapter 10, the prophet fasts, humbling himself before God and praying for understanding regarding the Jews’ future. An angel finally appears to him 21 days later, and explains the delay: the “prince of Persia” had been opposing him the whole time, and it was not until Michael relieved the angel that he could continue his trip to Daniel. The angel stays with Daniel long enough to give an outline of future events for the Jews, but must return to fighting the prince of Persia (and the prince of Greece will soon join the fight, too). Only Michael supports this angel against these forces (Dan 10, 21).
As it turns out, the Bible does not say very much about Michael the archangel. Most of what we have heard is probably derived from extra biblical sources. That might frustrate our curiosity - then again; God did not have to reveal anything about Michael, the existence of archangels, etc. However, God has graciously given us a glimpse at behind-the-scenes actions and personalities in the spiritual realm.
Still, angels are fascinating, and the mystery of Michael the archangel will probably give my imagination a lot of exercise for years to come.
