Catholic Heroes . . . St. Michael

By DEB PIROCH

At the end of the month (September 29) we celebrate the feast of some of the greatest angels honored by the Church: Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. St. Michael is an archangel, biblically referred to as a “prince” and, one of seven archangels, ordered in the second highest choir of the angels. Theologians still debate his exact position in the angelic hierarchy. It is enough to know that he is a powerful intercessor, chosen for us by God in the fight against evil. As we approach his feast, we should honor all the angels who stood with God. But here in this article, we attempt to explain what we do know of St. Michael and urge all to continue to pray the “St. Michael Prayer” daily.
There is no “biography” as such of St. Michael. The Bible mentions him four times, and as Catholics, we also rely on Catholic Tradition. It is in the Book of Revelation that we hear of the famous routing of Lucifer and the fallen angels led by Michael, as he drove them down to Hell.
“And there was a great battle in Heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in Heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” (Rev. 12:7-9).
There was previously a second feast day in the Church calendar, now removed, which also honored the saint on May 8. During the fifth century, in the reign of Pope Gelasius, St. Michael appeared in visions atop Mount Gargano, asking that a grotto be dedicated to him. When no one responded, he wasted no time and appeared again but to the Pope himself, who was praying for protection from foreign invaders. St. Michael said these would be answered, provided he honored the archangel’s request. It is also said St. Michael didn’t wait for the bishop to consecrate this now ancient mountainous grotto, but consecrated it himself!
For centuries this was a famous pilgrimage spot of Europe. In fact, St. Michael’s grotto is located not far from the home of Padre Pio, who had a great devotion to St. Michael and his shrine. He often advised penitents to visit there and place their prayers and protection at the feet of St. Michael. Countless Popes visited, from Gelasius I to Pope St. John Paul II. Saints who visited included St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Tradition relates that St. Francis of Assisi also visited but, feeling unworthy to enter, carved a cross on a stone outside the grotto. In May of 1987, John Paul II spoke about his visit:
“I am delighted to find myself in your midst, in the shadow of this Sanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel which for fifteen centuries has been the goal of pilgrimages and reference point for those who seek God and wish to follow Christ. . . . I have come to venerate and invoke St. Michael the Archangel, that he may protect and defend the Holy Church at a time when it is difficult to give authentic Christian witness without compromise and accommodation.”
The Catechism clearly states that at each and every Mass angels join us in honoring the triune God. It specifically mentions the honor accorded Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael (CCC, n. 335). In the Extraordinary Mass Rite, St. Michael has been included among the saints invoked in the Confiteor for centuries.
And, for nearly a century, the Mass from 1884-1965 also ended with so-called Leonine prayers, named for Pope Leo XIII. These prayers — three Hail Marys, one Hail Holy Queen, and the St. Michael Prayer — were said at the conclusion of every Mass. Sadly, these were suppressed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that the prayers are generally still recited after the 1962 Latin Rite Mass today.
The St. Michael Prayer was inspired by a frightening vision Pope Leo had while saying Mass. We are told he turned pale as he was permitted to hear the following conversation:
Satan says to Jesus: “I can destroy your Church.”
Jesus replies: “You can? Then go ahead and do so.”
Satan: “To do so, I need more time and more power.”
Jesus: “How much time? How much power?”
Satan: “75 to 100 years, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service.”
Jesus: “You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will.”
Half an hour afterward Pope Leo handed the newly written prayer to Fr. Domenico Pechenino, a priest who worked at the Vatican. The priest was told to immediately disseminate it to all the world’s bishops, with directions it be said kneeling after Mass.
No account of St. Michael would be complete without mentioning his prominence in the exorcism prayer. Pope Leo also wrote a longer exorcism prayer for priests three years later, which laity are not to say.
Many know the name of famed Fr. Gabriele Amorth, who was chief exorcist at the Vatican (1925-2016). Naturally, the name of St. Michael figures prominently in the exorcism ceremony, and he reportedly performed tens of thousands of them. He used the old Rite and we end with some of his observations.
“The angelic creatures who chose to remain faithful to their nature and to the goal for which they were created — that is, to praise God eternally — did a very simple thing: They remained obedient. They accepted being submissive to God the Creator, and they made their choice in the just view, not the diabolical view of feeling humiliated by this act of submission. To the contrary, in choosing to remain faithful to God, the angels were true to their nature and their end. It was an act of fidelity to the truth for which they were created by God, which is to love Him. This attitude does not humiliate them, because it does not infer a lack of something; rather, it reflects a fullness. The angels have continued to be faithful to their nature, which refers them directly to God the Creator, the one who has inscribed in creation the laws that He considers best for the good of the creature. Thus, the way we read it in the Book of Revelation (12:7 and further on) is the way it occurred.
“There was a giant war between the angels who remained faithful to God and those who rebelled against Him; in other words, the [good] angels against the demons. In those passages, the Bible tells us that the Archangel Michael led the angels into battle, and the rebel angels were guided by the dragon (the devil) and at the end were defeated. As a result, and I cite from memory, ‘for them there was no longer a place in heaven’” (Source: Credo).