| Choir VIII | 29 September |
|---|---|
| Conqueror of Lucifer | St Michael |
He has laid aside shield and sword, and the broad mantle of victory that distinguishes him as the warrior and conqueror of Lucifer, and he kneels with bowed head upon the steps of God’s Throne. Everything about him is simple and clear and upright, and Mary’s humility surrounds him like a halo.
Saint Michael
has his feast day on earth today, and in Heaven, the distinction of being called before God’s Throne on this day as intercessor for all mankind. Once he was one of the twelve archangels, the guardian of the earth, before Lucifer brought about the decisive moment for all the angels. He too, Saint Michael, was shrouded in darkness at that time, just like all the angels. God was silent, and each angel had to decide for himself, consciously and of his own free will, whether he would remain faithful to God—Who was now so silent and hidden—or begin a new life “free” from God alongside Lucifer, the Light-bearer.
Then, in the midst of this perplexity among the angels, it was Saint Michael (no, God does not make it easy for His own!) who, with his cry, “Who is like God?” brought the others to their senses and so brought about the division: here God—there Lucifer. Now it was an open battle, and Saint Michael relied not on his own strength but on the strength of God. Indeed, he hurled the Love of God Itself, as the Divine Power, upon the adversary, and thereby changed him into the serpent, the dragon, who plunged into the abyss and dragged thousands and tens of thousands with him, and who is still falling and falling until the end of time. Only then will he come to a halt. Only then will he reach the deepest point of creation, farthest from God.
But it was not for nothing that Saint Michael, at the Lord’s command, passed through the Choir of the Virtues of Faith to take up the office of honour of a High Prince, Prince of the Heavenly Hosts. He has left his mark on the Choir of the Virtues of Faith through which he passed, and the Choir of Virtues continues to leave its mark upon him. Because Saint Michael, through his battle with Lucifer, stands at the beginning of time, so the Virtues of Faith also stand at the beginning, in the very foundation of every man.
And because Saint Michael is a warrior, so too are the Virtues of Faith. And because the Virtues of Faith stand for the entire existence of creation from beginning to end, Saint Michael stands not only at the beginning but also at the end, as the patron both of those who fight and of the dying, whom he protects with a strong hand against the final and most severe hellish attacks, and guides across to the new beginning of eternal beatitude, which mankind shares with the holy angels.
The archangels surely have the most numerous “kin,” if one may describe the direct relationships between the individual angels in this way. Directly above the Archangel Saint Michael stand the angel who bears the Creator’s covenant with mankind in faith, and the Cherub of Readiness. Through the Virtues, Saint Michael’s connection extends via the Dominions to the Seraphim; and as a Prince he has the Thrones above him. Yet he always remains the simple, humble servant of God, silent and full of the power of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Prayer: Saint Michael, teach us to fight through humility, teach us to conquer through obedience and silence, teach us to love and to be faithful like Mary. Amen.