September 29th – Feast of St. Michael and the Holy Angels

caelidomum
Sep 28
4 min read

September 29^th – Additional Meditation. Feast of St. Michael and the Holy Angels.

Summary of the Morrow’s Meditation

We will consider tomorrow in our meditation St. Michael: 1st, as our protector ; 2d, as our model, and all the holy angels partaking with him the double title of protector and model. Our resolution shall be: 1st, to renew to-morrow our devotion to St. Michael and to the holy angels ; 2d, often to recall to mind the words with which St. Michael overthrew the rebel angels and cast them out of heaven : “Who is like to God ?” that is to say, who is great, who is amiable, who is terrible, who is just like God? These words will serve as our spiritual nosegay.

Meditation for the Morning.

Let us honor St. Michael as the chief angel in paradise and the prince of the holy city, always faithful to his God, whose greatness he proclaims by the words which have become his name, “Mi-ca-el” that is to say, “Who is like to God ?” Let us at the same time honor all the holy angels imitating St. Michael, and like him fulfilling towards us the double mission which they have received of being our protectors and our models. Let us thank God for having given them such a mission.

St. Michael and all the Holy Angels are our Protectors.

Two qualities are required for properly fulfilling the mission of protector : power and kindness. Now, St. Michael and all the holy angels possess this double quality in a very high degree, 1st. Who does not admire the power of St. Michael ? He casts Lucifer and all the bad angels out of heaven, and when the devil wants to tempt the people of Israel to idolatry under the pretext of honoring the body of Moses, he hinders them by hiding the body in an unknown place. When Pharao pursues the people of God, he drowns the infidel king and all his army in the Red Sea. Lastly, it is to him that is committed the mission of exterminating Antichrist, in the last days that will come upon the earth. For, according to St. Thomas, he is the spirit of Jesus Christ by whom this great enemy of the Saviour of men is to be exterminated (II. Thess. ii. 8 et seq.). 2d. Kindness in St. Michael is equal to his power. First minister of Providence, he is the protector of all the faithful. Under his orders, the angels, sharing; his power and kindness, labor for the salvation of men, and together combat the enemy of the human race (Apoc. xii. 7). Under his lofty direction, the angels each fulfil the mission attached to the name given him by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures ; the angels assist each one of us in particular ; the archangels lend us a higher kind of assistance, and in extraordinary cases ; the virtues perform prodigies by entering into the designs of God in regard to our salvation ; the powers sustain us in the strifes and combats of life ; the principalities rule kingdoms in the interests of religion ; the dominations defend the supreme dominion of God upon earth ; the thrones watch over the reign of God in souls ; the seraphim and cherubim labor to make lively flames of charity enter into the heart of man. What happiness for us to have such protectors ! How do we correspond to their zeal ? Have we our salvation at heart even as they have themselves ? Are we docile to their inspirations ?

St. Michael and all the Holy Angels are our Models.

Models of recollection and of union with God, these celestial intelligences in the midst of the different missions confided to them never lose sight of the presence of God (Matt, xviii. 10). They adore Him unceasingly, they love Him, they pray to Him, they thank Him; they enjoy a holy intercourse with God which nothing can interrupt. Models of purity and innocence, they have nothing but holy thoughts and holy desires. Models of humility, they confess that God alone is all, and that every creature ought to tread under foot pride, ambition, vanity. Models of zeal, they aspire after nothing but to make God and Jesus Christ loved. Models of religion, they abase themselves before the greatness of God, and with one voice cry out, "Who is like to God?" that is to say, who is just like God, with the justice which does not excuse an act, or a word, or even a thought which is not right? Who is good like God, with the ineffable goodness which dispenses all the graces we receive upon earth ? Who is excellent like God, with the excellence which includes all perfection, all that can ravish love, admiration, and praise? " Who is like to God?" Who could dispute His holding the first place in a heart? Models of charity, they devote themselves, day and night, to what is best for men. Models of gentleness, they perform all their acts with perfect calmness ; and, in his disputes with the devil respecting the body of Moses, St. Michael does not allow a word of malediction to escape his lips ; he contents himself with saying, "The Lord command thee" (Jude i. 9), showing us thereby that modesty, gentleness, patience, are the best kind of weapons to use against our enemies. It is thus that St. Michael and all the angels offer us the model of all virtues.

Resolutions and spiritual nosegay as above.

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