83 days left until Michaelmas (Sep 29).
Today is a Christian feast derived from the old pagan Autumn Equinox feasts. This Christian saint, Prince of All Angels, is an archangel who was the leader of the army of God during the Lucifer uprising, casting Satan out of Paradise. He is one of only two angels named in the Bible, the other being Gabriel. He is associated with the planet Mercury. Muslims, Christians and Jews all express devotion to him, and there are writings about him in all three religions. Considered the guardian angel of Israel, Michael’s name means in Hebrew, ‘Who is like God?’.
His name was the war-cry of the good angels in the battle fought in heaven against the enemy and his followers. Only four times is his name is to be found in Christian Scripture:
§ Daniel 10:13 ff; Daniel 12 (the Angel speaking of the end of the world with the Antichrist saying: “At that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people.”);
§ In the Catholic Epistle of St Jude: (“When Michael the Archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses …”);
§ Revelation 12:7 (“And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon”). St John speaks of the great conflict at the end of time, which reflects also the battle in heaven at the beginning of time.
When the Temple of Jerusalem was sacked in 70 CE, Michael’s loud voice of was heard from it, saying “let us depart hence!”, and then an invisible army was heard leaving. Or, so it is said.
The patron saint of warriors and police is also guardian of the souls of the dead, weighing their good and bad deeds in his scales, according to Christian tradition. Michael is also the patron of grocers, paratroopers and radiologists, among many others*. St Michael also guards the body of Eve, according to the apocryphal Revelation of Moses.
Churches on hilltops were often named after St Michael. The Prince of All Angels is the bringer of the gift of prudence. St Michael is represented in religious art as a handsome youth with wings and armour; he has a stern face and, like St George, bears a dragon-slaying sword and shield. He might carry scales as well, to weigh the good and bad deeds of the dead. He might be depicted as an angelic warrior, fully armed with helmet, sword, and shield (often the shield bears the Latin inscription: Quis ut Deus), standing over the dragon, whom he sometimes pierces with a lance. He also holds a pair of scales in which he weighs the souls of the deceased, or the book of life, to show that he takes part in the judgment.
