Feast of St. Michael the Archangel –
Maronite Feast: September 6
The following homily was delivered by Fr. Herbert
Nicholls on September 6 at the Mother of Light Convent.
It cannot be disputed that apocryphal literature prevalent
in both Palestine and the communities of the Diaspora wrote of Michael, the
Archangel. We might start with the 12th and 13th chapters
of the Book of Daniel. Here he is described as the special protector of Israel,
who at the given time will rise up and stand for the children of God (cf. Dan
12:1).
In the Book of Henoch, considered the most important and
influential of Old Testament apocryphal, he is described as the chief of the
angels appointed to guard the chosen race who are the inheritors of the
promises. Michael is envisioned as ushering Henoch himself into the divine
presence. He is associated with three other great archangels.
There is Gabriel, messenger of the Lord, who in Daniel 8 is
sent to Daniel to assist in his interpretation of dreams. There is Raphael, who
appears in the Book of Tobit to grant healing of sight and of a curse. A fourth
archangel is mentioned, named Phanuel, meaning the face of God; or in the East
Uriel, the Light of God. Neither have any biblical reference.
Nonetheless Tradition tells us that these angels along with
a fifth named Lucifer, Bearer of Light, were created by God and they were good.
Lucifer ushered in rebellion and was swept from the heavens with a third of the
angelic hosts. Jesus said: I saw them cast down from the heavens and fall
from the sky to the earth like lightening.
Notice that with the exception of Lucifer, all of their
names end with the suffix el which is translated “of God”. Their
function is to cover the four compass points (NSEW) protecting humanity from
the invaders. They speak to us and remind us of what constitutes true being, of
what in our life is so often concealed and buried.
They bring man into himself, into his/her spirit, touching
him/her with the love of God, prompting us to always respond to that grace of
being “angels’ (messengers) to one another, messengers who turn people away
from their erroneous ways and direct them ever forward to God.
In the New Testament, Jesus first speaks of angels when
meeting the future disciple, Nathaniel (Jn 1: 45 – 51). Later, while praying
and fasting in the desert for 40 days. Once again during his final agony, Jesus
calls to mind the prayer of the psalmist: God will put His angels in charge
over you to protect you wherever you go. They will keep you from hurting your
feet against the stones (ps 91).
This is the famous quote which Satan quotes to Jesus in the
desert temptations. Prove that you are God’s Son, throw yourself down off
this mountain and see if the angels come and rescue you. Jesus responds: Do
not put the Lord God to the test.
As Jesus had to rebuke the temptations of Satan in the
desert against pride and self-exaltation, so too must we be on guard against
the trap of personal vanities and self-righteousness. In 1 Peter we read: Your
enemy the devil prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Be
alert! Be watchful! Be firm in your faith and resist!
In the seldom referenced Epistle of St. Jude we read: Remember
the angels who did not stay within the proper limits of their authority but
abandoned their heavenly dwelling places. They are bound with eternal chains in
the darkness below, where God is keeping them for the great day on which they
will be condemned.
When the last days come, people will make fun of you. People
who follow their own godless desires. There are people who cause divisions, who
are controlled by their own natural desires of the flesh. They do not have the
Spirit….but you must continue to build yourselves upon your utmost sacred
faith. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep yourself in the love of God.
Show mercy to those who have doubts. And save others by snatching them out of
the fire.
Now what may seem a total jump from religion to politics is
not as dichotomized as one would make it. Pope Leo XIII was elected in 1878. He
has become known in ecclestical and secular history as the advocate for social
reform. Of his many encyclicals the classic is Rerum Novarum, in which
he acknowledges the right of every person to inviolable dignity.
But there was in the beginning of the 20th
century, a strong assault upon the Church by Marxist ideology, not only in
Russia, but predominately in Mexico, which features prominently in my
assessment of the definition of catholic social teaching.
It was during this dark and difficult time that Pope Leo
experienced a vision of battle between St.Michael and Satan. Whether or not he
was actually dictated the words of this prayer, he ordered it circulated and
prayed it at the end of every Mass in the Roman Rite:
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the
Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the
heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil
spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.