St. Michael the Archangel

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• Publisher: TAN Books
• Year: 2006
• ISBN:
  9780895552693
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

This booklet includes Prayers to St. Michael. From the Old Testament times until today, St. Michael the Archangel has always powerfully defended and assisted God's people on earth. Based on Scripture, Church history and saintly traditions, this book explains St. Michael's name, his rank among the Angels, his victory over Satan, his role among the Israelites, his role as Guardian Angel of the Catholic Church, as defender of souls, Heavenly Physician, helper in battle, advocate of the dying, consoler of the Poor Souls in Purgatory and guardian of the Blessed Sacrament and the Pope. Also included are the apparition and victory at Monte Gargano, the huge shrine to the Archangel on Mont St. Michel, the vision of Pope Leo XIII and St. Michael's role to come at the End of Time. Here too is a treasury of prayers, including the famous Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel. A goldmine of traditional facts which will be an eye-opener and an encouragement to all Catholics in our daily spiritual battles!

   Chapter 1   

Devotion to St. Michael

Most Suitable for Our Times

LUCIFER has placed his stamp upon the present age. Open and secret revolt against God and His Church, the spirit of criticism, unbelief and immorality are spreading. The arrogant boast of Lucifer, “I will be like the Most High!” re-echoes everywhere. Puffed up with their discoveries and the progress in material science, men loudly proclaim their self-sufficiency and deny the existence of a Supreme Being. Governments and secret societies, plotting against God and striving to blot out from homes and schools, from offices and factories, all traces of Christianity, show plainly whose standard they follow. Never before in the world’s history were God’s rights so blasphemously mocked and denied, or the rights of man so arrogantly asserted, as they are today.

These frightful evils must convince us that we must turn to St. Michael, the Archangel, that glorious prince of Heaven who rendered all glory to God, conquering Lucifer and casting him into the abyss.

Already three centuries ago, St. Francis de Sales wrote: “Veneration of St. Michael is the great remedy against despising the rights of God, against insubordination, skepticism and infidelity”—vices which are perhaps more prevalent now than ever before.

Surely, it is time for Christians to “rise from sleep” and to offer vigorous resistance to the enemies of salvation. The weapons in this conflict are not the arms of civil warfare, but the spiritual weapons of prayer and penance, increased fidelity to the Commandments of God, and frequent reception of the Sacraments. And surely we can choose no better leader in this conflict than the powerful captain who led the faithful Angels to victory.

Let us, then, with confident trust invoke the aid and the protection of this mighty Archangel whose shield bears the inscription: “MI-CHA-EL”—“Quis ut Deus”—“Who is like unto God?”

Chapter 2

Offices of St. Michael

Prince of the Heavenly Hosts

THEOLOGIANS are of the opinion that St. Michael surpasses in glory and power all the other Angels in Heaven and possesses in the highest and most perfect degree the zeal and the love peculiar to the highest Seraphim. The title Archangel does not, in accord with the words of St. Peter and St. Jude Thaddeus, signify that St. Michael belongs to the choir of angels designated by that name, but that he is an angel of superior rank. The Church also invokes him as the prince of the Angels, who has supreme command over all the heavenly hierarchies.

This position of honor was merited by St. Michael in the battle which he waged against Lucifer and the rebellious angels before the creation of the world. When God created the Angels as magnificent spirits of light and love, which in countless hosts surround His heavenly throne, He bestowed upon them most eminent gifts of nature and grace. But before admitting them to the unveiled vision of His glory in Heaven, He placed them under probation, just as later He subjected mankind to a trial of obedience in the persons of Adam and Eve. The nature of the trial is not known with certainty. Learned and saintly theologians hold that the Heavenly Father revealed to the Angels the future Incarnation of His Divine Son, whom they were to adore in His Sacred Humanity. At the same time He revealed to them the surpassing dignity and glory of Mary, whom, as the Mother of God, they were to venerate as their Queen.

Lucifer, one of the most glorious and exalted princes of the heavenly court, dazzled by the splendor of his own gifts, rebelled at the thought that human nature should be preferred to his own angelic nature. He would not acknowledge that a woman, inferior to him in nature, should at some future time be made his Queen, and that the seed of that woman should be preferred to himself for the honor of the hypostatic union. Desiring for himself the prerogatives of the God-man, he raised his great battle-cry of rebellion: “I will be like the Most High!” (Is. 14:14).

Some have held that, in their pride, a third of the angels took up Lucifer’s rebellious cry. At the same instant another great Archangel, equal in beauty and grace to the proud Lucifer, prostrated himself before the throne of God. With an act of profound adoration, he opposed the cry of the rebellious angels with his own battle-cry of love and loyalty: “Mi-cha-el”—“Who is like unto God?”

The fearlessness and fidelity of this mighty champion roused the faithful Angels, who rallied to his standard, repeating with one accord: “Who is like unto God?” Then followed that tremendous battle between the good and the bad angels which St. John describes in the Apocalypse: “And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world.” (Apoc. 12:7-9).

Thus, St. Michael and his faithful followers won a glorious victory. With the swiftness of lightning, Lucifer and his companions were transformed into hideous demons and cast into the abyss of eternal torment and darkness, which God created for them. In reward for his zeal and fidelity, the holy Archangel Michael was made prince and commander-in-chief of all the heavenly legions. The Angels most willingly and gratefully recognize his supremacy, for after God, they owe to him their perseverance in grace and their eternal happiness. With loving submission they receive from him their various offices. They are attentive to his slightest wish, seeing in his commands and regulations the will of God, the sovereign Lord and King of all. Thus St. Michael receives highest honor among the Angels in the heavenly court.

On our part, also, he deserves highest honor among the Angels. Since he was the first to recognize and adore the Word-made-flesh, and the first to be illumined by His grace, he is the “first Christian.” He is also the “first Apostle,” because he was the first to announce the ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• 1. Devotion to St. Michael, Most Suitable for Our Times
• 2. Offices of St. Michael
• 3. Veneration of St. Michael
• 4. Prayers