By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON, Jr.
Throughout the centuries the world has experienced many struggles that have included civil wars, two world wars, and wars on almost every continent. None, however, could compare to the most extraordinary and staggering war that has ever taken place, not between men, but in the heavens before the dawn of man on Earth.
Sacred Scripture gives us this history in Rev. 12:7-9: “Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in Heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to Earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.”
As St. Michael and the good angels fought the celestial battle raging in Heaven, St. Michael’s battle cry rang out: “Who is like unto God?” This heavenly battle was not the end of angelic or spiritual warfare, but rather, it was only the beginning. With St. Michael the Archangel as their celestial captain, our angelic protectors constantly fight to protect and behold the Beatific Vision, while defending and guarding the world and mankind from evil.
The heavenly hosts inspire, communicate, heal, and lead us to God in Heaven. At the front of the battle lines, leading this charge, is the glorious St. Michael, whose feast day is September 29.
The Chief Of The Lord’s Army
The need for St. Michael is more relevant today than it has ever been before. Do we know the symbolism presented in the statue of St. Michael the Archangel? As you gaze upon the statue of St. Michael, one sees a sword and shield, which were given to him by God to fight Lucifer. Such weaponry symbolizes the power given to the saint and his holy mission to protect those who trust the Lord in times of trouble.
Next we notice that St. Michael is wearing a crown and has banners on a trumpet. The crown on his head and banners on a trumpet are some other excellent symbols of St. Michael. These are signs of his power and privilege. Let’s not forget that he is the chief of the Lord’s army and thus has a superior status among other angels. Next we notice the colors of the skin, attire, and armor — usually golden, red, and blue. The golden armor signifies the perfection and finality of St. Michael’s figure as a commander. His blue attire expresses the feeling of protection, faith, and courage. His red skin indicates the presence of the fire of God and the dignity that fills his heart and body.
In mentioning the trumpet, we must refer to the sound of the trumpet. This sound of the trumpet denotes military strength. It was also used as a signaling instrument during battles. The Archangel is often depicted blowing the trumpet while thrusting the spear into the mouth of Satan. This action adds a taste of victory to the connotation and makes the trumpet one of the most interesting symbols of the Archangel Michael.
The battle has become extremely visible in our times, as was seen in Boston, Mass., on the weekend of April 22 to 23, with the Satan-Con being held at the Boston Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. During this sold-out conference, people were invited to worship the “father of demons” and encouraged to engage in a ceremony to “un-baptize” themselves from God, thus paying their homage to the “prince of demons.”
The Archdiocese of Boston responded as follows:
“In light of the upcoming ‘Satancon’ convention which will be held in Boston from April 28-30 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, the Archdiocese of Boston has communicated a plan to parishes, ministries, religious communities, and staff that is balanced and focused on prayer.
“The convention organizers are billing it as ‘the largest satanic gathering in history’ and state that the event is sold out. People across the Archdiocese of Boston are appropriately concerned by such an event taking place in Boston.
“We ask Catholics not to organize or encourage others to go to the event to protest. It will only make it more prominent and give the organizers the attention they seek.
“Rather than protesting in person, we hope to storm the Heavens with prayer from our shrines, monasteries, and parishes.”
Sadly, there was no direct statement from the local Church of Boston outright condemning the actions taking place within its jurisdiction. Why did not the Archdiocese of Boston outright condemn this conference? Even more, why were not the archbishop, and his auxiliary bishops, as the head exorcists in the archdiocese, there to admonish such evil taking place?
This is why we must do all we can to protect and secure the sanctity of the Eucharist. These “satanists” would love nothing more than to steal, desecrate, and perform sacrileges to our Eucharistic Lord. For “satanists” there is no doubt regarding the Real Presence of our Lord. For them, they believe 100 percent that Jesus is present in the consecrated Host. And yet, there is something very disturbing regarding the belief of the Catholic faithful in the True Presence of our Eucharistic Lord. It has been said, in a recent survey among Catholics, that 60 percent of the faithful who regularly attend Mass do not believe that it is Jesus whom they receive in Holy Communion. For many of these 60 percent of churchgoers, what they receive is just a symbol of Jesus and a piece of bread.
This is what Protestants believe, not Catholics. Unfortunately, we have failed in our duty to maintain the authentic reality that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. How have we done this? Simply put, we have allowed teachings of Protestantism and a lack or reverence for the sacred to infiltrate our teachings and confuse the faithful.
Things like allowing Communion in the hand, removing the tabernacle from the center of our churches and hiding Jesus in some corner or closet somewhere — all of these have eroded the authentic teaching regarding the Eucharist. So, when we ask the question of how this happened, all we have to do is look at ourselves in the mirror!
As the battle rages, and the Church tries to figure out what went wrong over the past 50 years, St. Michael continues to defend the Lord and men. Trusting in the power of St. Michael’s protection, Pope Leo XIII wrote the beloved St. Michael Prayer sometime between 1884 and 1886. His protection is absolutely necessary today, as the future evil witnessed over 100 years ago by Pope Leo XIII in a vision has become our own reality.
Our Lady Of Fatima
As the assaults of Satan on society, culture, the person, and the family are at their peak, the message of Our Lady at Fatima becomes very clear. As the trials and tribulations within the Church, and many other events of our age unfold before our eyes, we hear the rallying cry of St. Michael: “Who is like unto God?”
In the face of the destruction of the human race, St. Michael stands as the Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, guarding a world, right now, determined to dethrone and replace God. We can clearly see the efforts of Satan to overthrow what God has made. The St. Michael Prayer is an important part of the history of our Catholic faith, and an important prayer that we must pray daily. St. Michael will never give up battling his enemy and ours. He is God’s general and protector of Christians, the heavenly guardian of Purgatory, and the champion of the Church.
He is ever near to all who call upon him in the spiritual combat raging around us. When you need the armor of God, he is only a prayer away: “St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and 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, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”
Who is like unto God, indeed! Who can be elevated above the Creator of the Universe, or held superior to the Author of Life? This battle cry was not a question seeking an answer, but an affirmation of the power and authority of the Lord. It assures the listener that, indeed, no one is like unto God.
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