Aaron Sutton

Mr. Campbell

Religion 10

15 December 2017

St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel is not a saint who lived a holy life here on Earth like the

thousands honored by the Church today. St. Michael is a divine being, created by God at the

beginning of time. His ultimate mission is to guide and defend us in our daily lives, and struggles

against sin and temptation.

First of all, it is important to understand the background and definition of what an angel

really is. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, angels are “purely spiritual

creatures that have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures”, and have

also been “present since creation and throughout the history of salvation” (CCC, The Profession

of Faith). Like God, angels transcend time. While humans possess body and soul, angels are pure

soul. Angels are free of the bindings and limitations we have on earth, such as mortality and sin.

Many of the angels mentioned in scripture have a dedicated purpose. For example, the Archangel

Gabriel, who was instructed tell Mary that she would become the mother of Jesus. In addition to

Michael, a few other prominent archangels mentioned in scripture are Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel.

Since Saint Michael is not a real person, he does not have a life story, nor do we know

anything other than what is told to us in scripture. Some of the first mentions of Saint Michael in

scripture are in Daniel. Michael aided Daniel, acting as his protector, much like he does for all of
God’s people. He is also mentioned in reference to the end of the world, where he will stand by

the people of God, presumably during the Final Judgement.

He is mentioned again in the Epistle of Saint Jude, where he is told to be the defender of

the tombs of Moses and Eve. Finally, in Revelation, he is said to do battle with a dragon, which

we interpret to represent Satan.

Saint Michael, our divine guardian, keep us

safe from the temptation of sin, and guide
us on the path to heaven. Protect us in
times of need, and aid us in any battles we
may face through out our lives, whether
those battles are physical, emotional, or
spiritual. Amen

Michael depicted as victorious over the

angel Lucifer. The sword and amour
symbolize him as our protector and
guardian.

Saint Michael has four main duties, sometimes called offices, in heaven. These are

known through scripture. The first of the duties is to be our defender against Satan and the

temptation of sin. The second is to guide the faithful to heaven at their hour of death. At the hour

of our death, Saint Michael will grant our souls safe passage to purgatory and then onto heaven.

This relates closely to the first office, as Michael protects us from Satan even after our earthly
lives have ended. The third is to be the champion of God’s people and the Church. This means

that Michael is the patron, representative, and protector of all God’s people. Michael’s final

office is bring souls to judgement. Tying into the scriptural reference from Daniel as well as the

second office, he will deliver us to God for our judgement at the end of time. Since the physical

appearance of angels is unknown, Michael is usually depicted as a man, holding a sword. He is

also often depicted in combat with Lucifer. The sword symbolizes Michael’s role as our

protector. The name Michael come’s loosely from Hebrew meaning “Who is like God?”. Pope

Leo XIII wrote the well known prayer to Saint Michael, which makes mention to his role as our

defender against Satan in the lines “defend us in battle […] cast into hell Satan and all the evil

spirits who prowl through this world seeking the ruin of souls” (Prayer to Saint Michael).
 Works Cited

Holweck, Frederick. "St. Michael the Archangel." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New

York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 16 Dec. 2017

www.newadvent.org/cathen/10275b.htm.

“Catechism of the Catholic Church.” Vatican: the Holy See,

www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM.