St. Michael the Archangel
by Edward O'Shaughnessy
The Archangel Michael was a very great angel. Archangel means "Prince of all the other angels."
Satan is a fallen angel who was the highest of the angels, but Satan (also known as Lucifer) would not serve God.
St. Michael seeing this said, "Who is like God?" and drove Lucifer and all the other fallen angels out of Heaven
into Hell. The feast of St. Michael the Archangel is the
29th of September. It is said that St. Michael caused a
spring to spout at a place called Chairotopa which is near to Colossae, where if any of the sick people bathed there,
were cured of their illness. There are many more springs which St. Michael has drawn from some other rocks
in Colossae. Pagans once diverted a stream against a sanctuary to St. Michael, hoping that the stream would
destroy it. Michael split the rock near the diverted stream to make a new path for the flowing waters. In Normandy
St. Michael is the patron saint of mariners in his famous sanctuary at Mont.-Saint- Michael which is in the
Diocese of Coutances. He appeared to St. Aubert at that sanctuary in the year 708. There are also many mountain
chapels in Germany dedicated to St. Michael. As St. Michael is the head of the angels, he also is the head of God's
armies. He is the best warrior and the great conqueror of Lucifer. He is ever ready to force Lucifer down into the
great abyss of Hell, the eternal fire which will never end nor stop for any second. Truly the prayer to St. Michael
applies to him well. I encourage you to say it, and remember it and let it be one of your best prayers.
"St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle; be our safeguard against the
wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray: and do thou, Prince of the heavenly host, by
the power of God thrust down to hell Satan and all the wicked spirits, who wander through the world seeking
the ruin of souls. Amen."
There are many other prayers to St. Michael. He is one of the greatest angels in Heaven.
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