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Devotion to St. Michael
St. Michael the Archangel is a well-known figure in the Catholic religion. He is important and the veneration shown to him is earned.
His name means “Who is like God?” or “What is God like?” (Abarim Publications). His name is his lifestyle and his weapon of war.
To better understand Michael, I am going to define what an angel is and what an archangel is.
An angel is defined in the glossary of the Catechism of the Church as “A spiritual, personal and immortal creature with intelligence and free will, who glorifies God without ceasing and who serves God as a messenger of his saving plan”.
We know Michael cooperates freely with the will of God and is a reliable friend in our journey to heaven.
An archangel is defined as a “chief or ruling angel” (“Catholic Dictionary”, pg. 31).
Arch as a prefix means chief or principal (Merriam-Webster).
We know that Michael has authority from God over the devil and the world. We can see the extent of that authority in Revelation. This will be elaborated upon later.
The popular St. Michael Prayer refers to Michael as “Prince of the Heavenly Host”. “O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.”
I prefer host to hosts. And Host to host. Since I want to connect it to the Eucharist and Jesus in a simple and direct way. That is why I capitalize Prince of the Heavenly Host. You can see two versions of the prayer at one and two.
Michael is one of three angels named in scripture (I am excluding Lucifer and any fallen angels). The other two are Gabriel and Rapheal.
The Lives of the Saints and other sources such as Catholic News Agency refer to Gabriel and Rapheal as archangels, although Michael is the only one labeled as such in scripture (Jude).
The Church has deduced that there are 7 archangels in all (“Angelic Hierarchy”, EWTN). This comes from the book of Tobit.
“I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand and serve before the Glory of the Lord.” (Tobit 12:15.)
“Veneration of the Seven Archangels is permitted, however, and in Rome's Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels and the Jesuit church Gesu there are chapels dedicated to the 7 archangels.” (“Angelic Hierarchy”, EWTN.)
Gabriel is also mentioned in the Bible as standing before God in the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist.
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.” (Luke 1:19.)
My acceptance of Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel as archangels relates to the previous information and also my own sense of what is true. I think Tradition, Scripture, and the Magisterium lead to this conclusion.
I believe Michael led the war against the dragon and its angels. (You still have to wait for the elaboration!) As for now, the important point is that Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel all stand together before God in agreement with his will in regard to Jesus and humanity.
Scripture makes known to us these three angelic names and their unity.
My opinion is that Michael is the Prince of All Angels.
“St. Basil and other Greek Fathers ranked St. Michael as the Prince of all the Angels.” (Rev. William P. Saunders in Catholic Straight Answers.)
My opinion is that Michael is a Seraphic angel.
“With the rise of scholasticism and the exposition of the ‘nine choirs of angels,’ some said St. Michael was the prince of the Seraphim, the first of the choirs.” (Rev. William P. Saunders in Catholic Straight Answers.)
A Seraphic angel reigns “at the top of this spectrum, existing in the realm closest to God … characterized by their fiery love, which is said to reflect onto the lesser ranks of angels.” (“A Celestial Hierarchy”, EWTN.)
The Chaplet of St. Michael is also relevant.
“The history of this Chaplet goes back to a devout Servant of God, Antonia d'Astonac, who had a vision of St. Michael.” (“The Chaplet of St. Michael”, EWTN.)
In the chaplet, the intercession of Michael is asked for along with each choir of angels.
My opinion is that Michael is a spiritual being who exists in some form in each choir. He is perfectly ordered according to God’s will and the existence of each choir.
Michael’s name appears in Daniel (three times), Jude (once), and the book of Revelation (once).
I am going to call attention to one of these five appearances in scripture (Revelation 12:7-8).
“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.”
This battle takes place in the context of the woman and the dragon. The section ends with the dragon becoming angry with the woman, waging war against her offspring, and taking its position (Rev 12: 17-18).
Satan is our adversary. The one who is a liar and a deceiver. The one who must be defeated. There is no morning star without victory.
Michael is a prayer warrior. Michael is the one who will help us become prayer warriors. Michael is the one who will help us achieve victory and live in the light of day.
He is patron of police officers and the military. I also view him as a patron of the Eucharist and patron of the New Jerusalem.
It is safe to view him also as patron of the Church militant or the Remnant.
We know Michael, Mary, Jesus, and the children of God are bound together.
If you are interested in his other appearances in scripture, you can look at the following:
· Daniel 10: 5, 11-14. (USCCB, New American Bible, Revised Edition.)
· Daniel 10: 5, 20-21 and Daniel 11:1. (USCCB, New American Bible, Revised Edition.)
· Daniel 12: 1-3. (USCCB, New American Bible, Revised Edition.)
· Jude 1: 9-10. (USCCB, New American Bible, Revised Edition.)
Prayer to St. Michael
I thought a good way to get closer to St. Michael was to write a prayer to him. I admire him and believe he can help me live a better life.
I spent some time thinking about him and searching through scripture.
When all was done, I ended with the following prayer. I invite you to pray it as you read or after you read it.
St. Michael, you are God’s mighty angelic warrior. Help me be a mighty warrior like you.
Please equip me with truth, the Good News, and righteousness.
Always cover me with your shield.
Let me wear your helmet for my salvation, wear your breastplate for my sanctification, and use your sword to defeat my enemies.
Always intercede for me. Always pray that I be a blessing to God and all of God’s people.
Amen.
My routine is to pray this prayer every evening. I also pray the popular St. Michael prayer—just not every evening!
If interested, I recommend writing a prayer to a saint you admire if you want to deepen your relationship and grow closer to God.
Print References
Catholic Dictionary. John A. Hardon. Abridged and updated edition. 1980, copyright. 2013, new material copyright. Image: New York.
Lives of the Saints. Illustrated. Revision of the original edition of Rev. Hugo Hoever. 2005 copyright. Catholic Book Publishing Corp.: New Jersey.
Stephen Steiniger is a Catholic who is alive in the love of Christ. He desires all who read his writings to benefit in their relationship with Christ. He enjoys religion, politics, and comedy. Stephen possesses an undergraduate and graduate degree from Bowling Green State University. He lives on planet earth with the rest of the human race. Stephen believes this is a good About the Author profile.
