By Fr. Jojo Zerrudo - 24 September 2001 - "Ala-Ala Walang Hanggan" Radio Veritas

On Sept. 29, the whole Church will be celebrating the feast of the angels St. Michael, St. Raphael, and St. Gabriel. These three chosen angels were named in the Holy Book. And out of the multitudes of angels in heaven, they are the only ones we know by name.

The name ‘Michael’ is from the Hebrew ‘Mikhael’, which means ‘who is like God’. This name is a war cry, a shield and a spear in battle, and the never-ending memory of the victory of God. Being an unusual name for an archangel, the name ‘Michael’ first appeared in the book of the Prophet Daniel where he was called ‘Michael’, one of the leading princes (Daniel 10:13). And again on the following verse "At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people" (Daniel 12:1). In the letter of St. Jude, Michael became known as an archangel. He wrote: "Even the Archangel Michael, when he fought the devil over the body of Moses, did not dare blaspheme. He said: ‘You will be punished by God’."

St. Michael gained greatness and power over and above that possessed by any other heavenly spirit because of his zeal for the glory of God and the safety of the other angels when Lucifer rebelled against God. St. Michael is truly the prince of the heavenly army. He is known as a warrior angel. He fought Satan and all the rebel angels from the very beginning up to the present against all the enemies of the people of God. He was the defender of Israel in the Old Testament. He is also the defender of the Catholic Church today.

St. Michael, the Archangel

In the book of Revelations, St. John had a vision in heaven of a pregnant woman clothed by the sun who later gave birth to a baby boy who would be king of the universe. A red dragon lurked nearby waiting to devour the child to be born of the woman. As Catholics we understand this to be the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, this woman also represents Israel and the Catholic Church, the new people of God. The woman saved the child and the woman was taken to a remote place where she remained hidden. According to the book of Revelations: "Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. Although the dragon and his angels fought back, they were overpowered and lost their place in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent known as the devil or satan, the seducer of the whole world, was driven out; he was hurled down to earth and his minions with him." (Apocalypse 12:7-9)

St. Michael is not just a warrior angel. In the liturgy of the Church, he accompanies the souls of the departed into the kingdom of light. The old song in the Christian burial mass states:

"O Lord, Jesus Christ, King of Glory, deliver the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the deep pit. Deliver them from the lion’s mouth that hell may not swallow them up; and may they not fall into darkness, but may the holy standard bearer, Michael, lead them into the holy light which You promised Abraham and to his seed of old."

At that moment of our greatest need, at the hour of our last warfare, the hour of our last breath, the great archangel will come to our rescue. He will take along his angels who will fight for the safety of our souls. He will defend us through his shield and he will save us from damnation at the hands of the enemies of our souls. It is good to call on St. Michael at the hour of our death because many have experienced his help at that hour.

From the writings of St. Alphonsus Ligouri one finds the story of how St. Michael helps at the hour of death. A man from Poland lived a life of sin over a span of many years. When the hour of his death came, fear and hopelessness over his sinful ways overwhelmed him. However, there was a time when he was still strong, he had a devotion to St. Michael and, at the mercy of God, St. Michael was given permission to give succor to this man at the hour of his last battle. St. Michael persuaded him to have a change of heart because he requested that this man be given enough time to straighten up the state of his soul. Thereafter, two Dominican priests arrived at his house. They said an unknown gentleman sent them there. The dying man knew it was St. Michael so he confessed his sins, received holy communion, and died reconciled with the Lord. As Cardinal Newman’s prayer goes:

The Church places the souls of her faithful children in the hands of St. Michael to accompany them into the kingdom of eternal light. If St. Michael cares for the salvation of the souls of the living and at the hour of death, we can be sure St. Michael is a good friend of the souls in purgatory. In the book of Revelations, it is written: "Another angel carrying an incense of gold came in. He took his place at the altar of incense and was given large amounts of incense to deposit on the altar of gold in front of the throne, together with the prayers of all God’s holy ones. (Apocalypse 8:3-4)

In the prayers of the Church, this angel is none other than St. Michael. In the old way of saying mass while the priest is preparing the chalice, he recites this prayer: "May the Lord be pleased to bless this incense and to receive its sweet fragrance through the intercession of the Blessed Archangel Michael who stands at the right hand of the altar of incense and of His chosen ones, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This is where St. Michael becomes a good friend of the holy souls. Through his hands pass all our supplications for the release of the souls from purgatory. He brings virtue to the holy sacrifices to set free the souls from imprisonment from that place of suffering and purification.

A monk appeared before his priest friend after his death. He told the priest that he can be released from purgatory if during mass the priest will call on St. Michael for his intercession. The priest acceded to the request of the soul and, at that hour, he saw the Archangel escorting his friend into heaven. For this reason we should not ignore the important role that St. Michael plays. Let us call on him in life and in death. Let us always ask for his help, especially for the souls in purgatory. At the moment of our battle against the forces of evil, let us pray that he fights for us.

"St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle, be our safeguard against the wickedness and the snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all wicked spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."

-o0o-

CLOSING PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, King of Glory, release all the souls from purgatory, relieve them of their suffering, defend them from the lion’s mouth so that they will not be swallowed in hell, so they don’t fall into darkness. Send St. Michael, Your archangel, to accompany them to the holy light that You promised Abraham and his seeds. We offer You, Lord, all the sacrifices and prayers. Receive these for the souls that we are remembering. Grant them, Lord, to cross from death to life eternal, the life that You promised Abraham and all generations after him forever. Amen.

(Transcribed and translated by Edna Agustin, PWHS Core Group Member)