Saint Michael the Archangel: The Champion Saint of Christians

The angels in Christianity were created through and for Jesus Christ. They protect human life from birth until death. These mysterious and powerful angels belong to Him. Michael the Archangel is a leader of the angels and the army of God. You will find his reference in the Old Testament and in various Christian teachings. Christians express their devotion to Saint Michael the Archangel in a variety of forms including hymns, prayers, a chaplet, and scapular.  

He is referred to as “Holy Michael, the Archangel” or “Saint Michael” by Catholics. He is viewed as the spiritual warrior with the conflict against evil. He is the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament and a patron saint of a number of cities and countries. At Catholic Connect, we have honored Saint Michael the Archangel through graphical prints of him on our catholic clothes. You can buy these from our online store.  

Hierarchy of archangels

Archangels are the chief angels of higher rank. They are powerful and are the guardian angels. As per Roman Catholics, Archangel Michael is one of the three important archangels, the other two being Archangel Raphael and Archangel Gabriel. The feast of these three archangels is celebrated on 29th September. According to the Bible, only Michael is the archangel. But the Eastern Catholic churches also consider Uriel, Jegudiel, Barachiel, Selaphiel, and Jerahmeel as the guardian angels in addition to the three archangels, and Saint Michael’s principal feast day is celebrated on 8th November. The Melkite Catholic Church adds one more archangel as Raguel.

In Roman Catholicism, the seven archangels stand before the Throne of God. There are nine choirs that represent the hierarchy of angels. Within this hierarchy, St. Michael is considered as the angel of supreme power and the leader of God’s army.     

What is the meaning of the name Archangel Michael?

The title of Archangel means the leader or the one who is above all other angels in rank. In Greek, the word ‘arche’ means prince and ‘angelos’ means messenger. Michael means “Who is like God” or “He who is God-like”.

Archangel Michael gives us power, strength, and courage. You can call upon him when you feel drained or surrounded by negative energies. At Catholic Connect Shop, we have a beautiful print of the triumphant Saint with a sword defeating Satan on t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies. Check out this beautiful St. Michael unisex t-shirt with quality print.

What are the main responsibilities of Saint Michael as per the Christian tradition?

From scriptures and ancient scripts, Michael the Archangel has four main responsibilities-

1.The defeat of Satan

The first duty of St. Michael is to combat Satan. He is the leader of God's army. He is invoked in the prayers as the leader of the heavenly forces in the victory over the powers in hell. As per the Roman Catholic scriptures, he is one of the chief princes and the enemy of Satan. He has defeated Satan, evicted him from Paradise, and is ready to achieve victory in the final battle. Many consider him as a spiritual warrior, the one who helps us win our battles from within.

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2.Hour of death

He escorts the faithful to heaven at the time of death. He descends from heaven and gives the person one chance to redeem oneself before death. This is the reason why Cemetery chapels are dedicated to him and Masses are offered in his honor on behalf of the departed.    

3. Guardian of the Church

His third responsibility is to be a guardian champion of all Christians, the Church, and the Blessed Sacrament. He is considered the guardian angel of the pope. He has been invoked as the patron of many countries as well as professions.     

4. Advocate at the hour of death

The fourth and final duty is to call men from life on Earth to their heavenly judgment. He weighs people’s merits and is hence often depicted as holding scales. He is present at the hour of death and is charged to assist the dying at their final judgment. In the depiction by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Saint Michael holds up two books: The smaller book has the names of the blessed while the larger book has a record of the damned.  

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

Pope Leo XIII had a highly troubling spiritual experience at Mass on October 1, 1884. He'd just completed celebrating in his private chapel when he found himself frozen in front of the altar. He stood there as though in a daze for perhaps ten minutes, his face devoid of color. He then proceeded to his office to write a prayer to St. Michael. He instructed his staff that the prayer be given throughout the Church.

He said that he had heard two voices that were of Satan and the Lord near the tabernacle. Satan boasted that in 75 or 100 years he could destroy the Church. The Lord gave him permission to try.

This conversation between Satan and the Lord prompted Pope Leo to quickly compose a prayer to St. Michael and he requested for people to use it at the end of Low Masses. For the pope, this prayer was necessary to obtain help in the battle to dispel the forces of darkness. The use of this prayer was discontinued in 1964. But thirty years later, Pope John Paul II revived the use of the prayer and asked everyone to not forget it and recite it to help win the battle against the evil spirits of the world.

Saint Michael the Archangel: The Champion Saint of Christians

Archangel Michael protects us from the bad forces and the negative vibes. He protects us from mishaps and accidents. He helps us follow our life purpose with courage. If you are feeling low you can wear any from our range of catholic religious clothing. For all ladies out there, try the women’s St. Michael premium t-shirt and get an instant dose of strength knowing that there is an angel up there protecting you all the time.