Mosaic of the Archangel Michael on the northern entrance of the Church of Saint Spyridon, Trieste, Italy, Shutterstock
CV NEWS FEED // Catholic apologist Mike Aquilina explained the importance of St. Michael in the Church’s traditions, tracing devotion to the archangel back to ancient Judaism.
In an article posted on Angelus News, Aquilina said that although St. Michael is only named in the Hebrew Bible three times, ancient rabbis thought that “he lurked in many books, working anonymously or hiding between the lines.”
These rabbis thought that St. Michael “was there from the first moment of creation,” and he “prov[ed] himself faithful when the angels underwent their test.”
Aquilina continued, “Shown the figure of Adam as the “image of God” (Genesis 1:26–27), Michael bowed down in worship, while Satan refused and rebelled.”
Aquilina stated that ancient rabbis also taught that St. Michael taught Adam farming and blacksmithing after he was cast from the Garden of Eden, and later taught Cain farming as well.
The rabbis identified many other Old Testament reports of angels as St. Michael: they thought that he saved Lot from Sodom, prevented Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, and wrestled with Jacob before blessing him.
They also thought that St. Michael was the fire igniting Moses’ burning bush and the pillars of fire and cloud leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
In the early Christian Church, especially the Coptic Church, martyrs invoked St. Michael for protection against danger. Aquilina stated, “In the accounts of the martyrs we sometimes see Michael delivering them from torture — and other times delivering their souls to heaven.”
The Coptic Church, writes Aquilina, has a monthly feast of St. Michael, so there are twelve days dedicated to him per year.
Western monasticism was also deeply devoted to St. Michael. Aquilina explains,
Devotion to Michael continued into the Middle Ages, as many of the great monasteries in Europe were named for him. In modern times, geographers have noted that 12 major shrines to Michael appear on the world map — and they compose a straight line stretching from Ireland to Israel. (Is there an echo here of the 12 feasts of Michael on the Coptic calendar?)
Aquilina commented, “There is no way medieval monks could have plotted that linear course over hundreds of years and thousands of miles.”
He concluded by mentioning Pope Leo XIII’s three prayers to St. Michael, the shortest of which is known and recited by Catholics around the world.
To join CatholicVote’s novena to St. Michael, which started on September 20 and ends on the feast of St. Michael, click here.
