In the New Testament the term "archangel" is attributed to Michele. Only later was extended to Gabriel and Raphael, the only three archangels recognized by the Church, whose name is recorded in the Bible. St. Michael, "Who is like God?" Is the supreme head of the heavenly angels loyal to God the patron of the Old Synagogue is now patron of the Universal Church, which has always considered to help in the fight against the forces of evil.
Patronage: Police, Radiologists, Grocers
Etymology: Michael = Who is like God?, Hebrew
Martyrology: Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels. On the day of the dedication of the basilica dedicated to St. Michael ancient building in Rome in the sixth mile of the Via Salaria, we celebrate together the three archangels, of which the Bible reveals the special missions day and night they serve God, and contemplating his face , glorify him incessantly.
The name of the Archangel Michael, which means "Who is like God?" Is mentioned five times in Sacred Scripture, three times in the book of Daniel, once in the book Judas and the Apocalypse of St. John the Evangelist and all the five times he is considered the supreme head of the heavenly ", that the angels in the war against evil, that the Apocalypse is represented by a dragon with his angels; it defeated in the fight, was expelled from the heavens and the precipitate land.
In other records, the dragon is an angel who wanted to be as big as God and that God had cast out, he fell down from the top down, with his angels who followed him.
Michele has always been represented and revered as the warrior-angel of God, clad in golden armor perennial battle against the devil, the world continues to spread evil and rebellion
against God He is considered the same way in the Church of Christ, who has always given since ancient times, worship and devotion, especially considering it is always present in the fight that fight and fight to the end of the world against the forces of evil at work in humans.
Dante in his 'Divine Comedy' puts the devil (the angel Lucifer) in the bottom of hell, stuck upside down in the center of the earth, which had retreated to his fall, creating a large crater of Dante's Inferno . After the growth of Christianity, the cult of St. Michael, which is already in the pagan world was tantamount to a deity, he a huge spread in the East, it is shown by the many churches, shrines, monasteries dedicated to him, only in the ninth century in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine world, there were as many as 15 between shrines and monasteries, plus another 15 in the suburbs.
whole East was studded with famous shrines which went to thousands of pilgrims from every region of the vast Byzantine Empire and as there were many places of worship, so the celebration took place in many different days of the calendar.
Even the great River Nile was placed under his protection, we think that the church funeral of the Kremlin in Moscow in Russia, is dedicated to St. Michele. In short there is no State and Eastern North African, who does not have objects, stelae, documents, religious buildings, which bear witness to the great veneration for the holy leader of the angels, that especially in the early centuries of the Church, he was bestowed.
In the West there are signs of a cult, with its numerous churches dedicated to St. sometimes Angelo, sometimes in S. Michael, as well as resorts and mountains were called Monte Sant'Angelo Monte San Michele, as the famous church and monastery in Normandy in France, whose cult was probably brought by the Celts on the Normandy coast; certain is that it quickly spread to Longobardo world, in the State in the Roman Empire and Carolingian. Italy
In many places where there were healthy chapels, oratories, caves, churches, hills and mountains all entitled to the Archangel Michael, we can not mention all, we stop at only two: Tancia and Gargano.
Mountain Tancia in Sabina, there was a cave, already used for pagan worship, which to the seventh century, was dedicated by the Lombards in S. Michele was soon built a shrine which reached great fame, parallel to that of Monte Gargano, who was still older.
The religious ceremony was May 8, the date and then practiced in Sabina, in Rieti, in the Duchy was extended throughout the Roman Empire and the influence of the Benedictine abbey of Farfa, the Lombards of Spoleto, which had won that sanctuary.
But the most famous Italian shrine dedicated to St. Michael, is on Mount Gargano in Apulia, it has a history that began in 490, when Pope Gelasius I was, legend has it that a randomly Elvio Emanuele, lord of the Monte Gargano (Foggia) had lost the best bull of his herd, finding inside a cave inaccessible.
was no way to retrieve it, he decided to kill him with an arrow of his bow, but inexplicably, instead of the arrow hitting the bull turned on itself, hitting the shooter in one eye. Amazed and wounded warlord, he went to his bishop s. Lorenzo Maiorano, bishop of Siponto (Manfredonia today) and told the prodigious. The bishop
convoked three days of prayer and penance, after which s. Michael appeared at the entrance of the cave and revealed to the bishop: "I am the archangel Michael and I am always in the presence of God The cave is sacred to me, is my choice, I myself am watchful guardian. Where the rock is thrown open, can be forgiven the sins of men ... What is called for in prayer will be fulfilled. So the cave dedicated to Christian worship. "
But the holy bishop did not follow the request of the archangel, because the pagan cult persisted on the mountain, two years later, in 492 Siponto was besieged by hordes of barbarian king Odoacer (434-493); already collapsing, the bishop and the people gathered in prayer during a truce, and here the angel appeared to the bishop s. Lorenzo, promising them victory, in fact, during the battle got a sandstorm and hail that overthrew the barbarian invaders, who ran away scared.
whole city with the bishop, went up the mountain in a procession of thanksgiving, but once the bishop would not go into the cave. Because of this hesitation that was explained, s. Lorenzo Maiorano went to Rome by Pope Gelasius I (490-496), who ordered him to enter the cave together with the Bishops of Apulia, after fasting for repentance.
the three bishops who went to the cave for the dedication, they reappeared for the third time the Archangel, announcing that the ceremony was no longer necessary, because the consecration had already taken place with his presence. The legend says that when the bishops went into the cave, they found an altar covered with a red cloth over a crystal cross and inscribed on a stone the imprint of a foot child, which popular tradition attributes to s. Michele.
Bishop St. Lawrence was built at the entrance of the cave, a church dedicated to St. Michele and inaugurated on September 29 493; the Holy Cave is however always remained as a place of worship consecrated by bishops ever and for ever became famous with the title of "Celestial Basilica.
around the church and the cave has grown over time the town of Monte Sant'Angelo in the Gargano. The Lombards in the sixth century who founded the Duchy of Benevento, won the fierce enemies of the Italian coast, the Saracens, just off Siponto, 8 May 663, having attributed the victory to the heavenly protection of s. Michael, they began to spread as mentioned before, the cult of the archangel throughout Italy, erecting churches, depicted on flags and coins and setting up the festival May 8 everywhere.
Meanwhile, the Sacred Cave became for ever after, one of the most frequented by Christian pilgrims, getting together in Jerusalem, Rome, Loreto and S. Santiago de Compostela, the sacred areas in the High Middle Ages onwards.
Gargano came on pilgrimage to popes, kings, future saints. On top of the portal of the basilica, which is not possible to describe here, there is a Latin inscription that warns: "this is an awesome site. Here is the house of God and the gate of Heaven. "
The sanctuary and the Holy Cave are full of works of art, devotion and to vote, testifying to the passing of the millennium pilgrims and everything stands in the darkness the white marble statue of St. Michael, by Sansovino, dated 1507.
Archangel appeared along the centuries other times, though not as Gargano, which remains the center of his cult, and the Christian people everywhere celebrated with festivals, fairs, processions, pilgrimages, and there is no European country that does not have an abbey, church cathedral, etc.. remember that the veneration of the faithful. Appearing
a devout Portuguese Antonia de Astonac the Archangel promised its continued support, both in life and in purgatory, and also the accompaniment to the S. Communion from an angel to each of the nine celestial choirs, if they had acted before the Mass that revealed the angelic crown.
The choirs are: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels and Angels. Its main liturgical celebration in the West is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology on 29 September and the reform of the liturgical calendar in 1970, is united with the other two most popular archangels, Gabriel and Raphael in the same day, while the other archangel, sometimes named in the sacred texts, Uriel does not enjoy a cult really.
to its characteristic of "Heavenly Warrior" s. Michael is the patron of the swordsmen, the masters of arms, then the gilders, traders, all trades that use of the scale, chemists, confectioners, grocers, merchants, manufacturers of tubs, is also patron of the radiologists and the Police.
and patron Main Italian city of Cuneo, Caltanissetta, Monte Sant'Angelo, Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, co-patron of Caserta.
Defender of the Church, its image appears on the top of Castel S. Angelo in Rome, which became known as a fortress to defend the Pope, protector of the Christian people, as it was a time of medieval pilgrims, who were invoking the shrines and chapels dedicated to him, scattered along the roads leading to the places of pilgrimage, for protection against disease, discouragement and ambushes bandits.
Regarding its representation in art in general, is the largest and every school of painting East and West, almost always depicted in the act of armed fight the devil.
On Mount Athos in the monastery of Dionysius of 1547, the three main archangels are well represented, Raffaele in clerical garb, Michael and Gabriel in the peaceful warrior pose and represent the powers of religious, military and civilian.
from "Saints and Beati"
