An Introduction to St. Michael the Archangel

Michael is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God. He is mentioned by name in the Book of Daniel,^[1] the Book of Jude,^[2] and the Book of Revelation, in which he leads God's armies against Satan's forces during his uprising.^[3] In the book of Daniel, Michael appears as "one of the chief princes"^[1] who in Daniel's vision comes to Gabriel's aid in his contest with the angel of Persia (Dobiel). Michael is also described there as the advocate of the Children of Israeland as a "great prince who stands up for the children of your [Daniel's] people".^[4]

St. Michael the Archangel

In Hebrew, Michael means "who is like God" (mi-who, ke-as or like, El-deity), which in Talmudic tradition is interpreted as a rhetorical question: "Who is like God?" (which expects an answer in the negative) to imply that no one is like God. In this way, Michael is reinterpreted as a symbol of humility before God.^[5][6]

In Roman Catholicism Saint Michael has four distinct roles. First, he is the supreme enemy of Satan and the fallen angels. He vanquished 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 soul the chance to redeem itself before passing, thus consternating the devil and his minions. Saint Michael's third role is weighing souls in his perfectly balanced scales (hence the saint is often depicted holding scales) on Judgment Day. And finally, Saint Michael is the Guardian of the Church.

In the Catholic tradition, Saint Michael symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and he has been widely represented in Catholic art through the ages. Devotions to Saint Michael have a large Catholic following, and a large number of churches are dedicated to him worldwide.

Saint Michael has specific roles within Roman Catholic teachings that range from acting as the chief opponent of Satan to the saving of souls at the hour of death. Roman Catholic literature and traditions continue to point to Saint Michael in contexts as varied as the protection of the Catholic Church to the Consecration of Russia by popes Pius XII and John Paul II regarding the messages reported at Our Lady of Fatima.

Source:  Wikipedia contributors, "Michael (archangel)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_(archangel)&oldid=428041974 (accessed May 9, 2011).

Wikipedia contributors, "Saint Michael (Roman Catholic)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saint_Michael_(Roman_Catholic)&oldid=426600109 (accessed May 9, 2011).

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