Saint Michael, our Patron Saint.
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jimenez
Our parish is celebrating our patron saint and a good question is: Who is Saint Michael? In this little reflection I will look for information from different web pages about angels and St. Michael specifically.
What are angels?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church in numbers: 328, 329 and 330 says: “The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls “angels” is a truth of faith”. It continues saying: “’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.'” With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they “always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven” they are the “mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word”. “As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness”.
Jesus says to Nathanael: “you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”. We can say that angels are spiritual beings and their mission is service to God. I dare say: angels are spiritual beings that God makes available to us his children, or who are at our service to take care of us (guardian angels). The book of Exodus says: “See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared” (Ex. 23: 20). Jesus says in the gospel: “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” (Mt. 18: 10). My brothers and my sisters don’t forget you are never alone in your life; an angel will always be with you.
Now we move on to Saint Michael the Archangel. He is depicted dressed as a warrior or centurion soldier, as the Prince of the Heavenly Militia that he is. Tradition recognizes 7 archangels but only three are known by their names from Sacred Scripture: Gabriel, Raphael and Michael. Saint Michael is given the highest honor of them all and for that reason his name is the Prince of the Heavenly Militia. The second reading that we hear from Revelation (12:7-12) tells us how Michael the Archangel begins his battle against the devil, in that way he demonstrates his fidelity to God. As with all the angels, God has given him power. Lucifer used his power poorly and became the devil, the prince of the evil forces. Michael, being faithful to God and his mission, wins the battle against evil and he hurls the devil out of heaven. For that reason honoring and venerating Saint Michael has been a special part of the life of the church from the beginning. Many spiritual and temporal benefits have been attributed to him, as tradition celebrates, and even the Jewish people invoke him at the end of their prayers.
An important point in the devotion to Saint Michael is the relationship between him and the celebration of the Eucharist. Tradition teaches us that Saint Michael presides over adoration offered to the Almighty and offers to God the prayers of the faithful symbolized by the incense that rises before the altar. The liturgy presents Saint Michael as the one who carries the incense and is at the foot of the altar as our intercessor and the bearer of the prayers of the Church before the Throne of God: “we humbly pray, Almighty God, that this offering be brought to your presence, to the heavenly altar by the hands of your angel…” (Eucharistic Prayer #1). In many Marian apparitions Saint Michael appears in adoration of the Eucharist and the Holy Trinity.
Finally, it is good to mention that Saint Michael is the defender of the dying. It is there, in the last battle of the human being, where one can fall into the temptation of desperation and of denying God or instead cling to the faith and offer oneself to God. Without a doubt Saint Michael has to be there to continue to defend the soul. Saint Michael helps in a special way at the time of death since his role is to receive the souls of the chosen at the moment of separation from their bodies. With Saint Michael we can win the last battle of this life.
Let us seek the intercession of Saint Miguel and the angels. God, who loves us so much, knows the battles of us his sons and daughters, and he not only gives us salvation through his Son, but also the help of the angels to be able to go to him always.