THE DEDICATION OF ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH
[Or, the Festival of St Michael and All the Holy Angels.] This festival has been kept with great solemnity on September 29 ever since the fifth age, and was certainly celebrated in Apulia in 493.
The dedication of the famous church of St Michael on Mount Gargano, in Italy, gave occasion to the institution of this feast in the West, which is hence called in the Martyrologies of St Jerome, Bede, and others.
The dedication of St Michael’s church in Rome, upon Adrian’s Mole, which was performed by Pope Boniface IV in 610, and that of several other churches in the West, in honour of this archangel, were performed on this same day. Churches were likewise erected in the East, in honour of St Michael and other holy angels, from the time when the Christian worship was publicly established by the conversion of Constantine, doubtless upon the model of little oratories and churches, which had been formerly raised in the intervals of the general persecutions, in which storms they were again thrown down.
Sozomen informs us, that Constantine the Great built a famous church in honour of this glorious archangel, called Michaelion, and that in it the sick were often cured, and other wonders wrought through the intercession of St Michael.
This historian assures us, that he had often experienced such relief here himself; and he mentions the miraculous cures of Aquilin, an eminent lawyer, and of Probian, a celebrated physician, wrought in the same place. This church stood about four miles from Constantinople; a monastery was afterwards built contiguous to it. Four churches in honour of St Michael stood in the city of Constantinople itself; their number was afterwards increased to fifteen, which were built by several emperors.
Though only St Michael be mentioned in the title of this festival, it appears from the prayers of the church that all the good angels are its object, together with this glorious prince and tutelar angel of the church.
• On it we are called upon, in a particular manner, to give thanks to God for the glory which the angels enjoy, and to rejoice in their happiness.
• Secondly, to thank him for his mercy to us in constituting such glorious beings to minister to our salvation, by aiding and assisting us.
• Thirdly, to join them in adoring and praising God with all possible ardour, desiring and praying that we may do his will on earth with the utmost fidelity, fervour, and purity of affection, as it is done by these blessed spirits in heaven; and that we may study to sanctify our souls in imitation of the spotless angels to whom we are associated.
• Lastly, we are invited to honour, and implore the intercession and succour of the holy angels.
[...] The church has always invoked, and paid a religious honour to the holy angels. Origen teaches, that they assist us in our devotions, and join their supplications to ours. "The angel of the Christian," says he, "offers his prayers to God through the only high priest; himself also praying for him who is committed to his charge." He tells us, that the angels carry up our prayers to God, and bring back his blessings and gifts to us; but that Christians do not invoke or adore them as they do God. He addresses a prayer to the angel of a person who is going to be baptised, that he would instruct him.
The martyr Nemesian and his companions, writing to St Cyprian, say: "Let us assist one another by our prayers, and beg that we may have God and Christ and the angels favourers in all our actions." St Gregory Nazianzen writes: "The angelical powers are a succour to us in all good." He prays the good angels to receive his soul at the hour of death; and threatens the devil with the sign of the cross, if he should approach him. St Ephrem says of heaven: "Where all the angels and saints of God reign, praying the Lord for us." He repeats, that the angels with joy offer our prayers to God. The English Protestants have retained in their book of Common Prayer the collect of this day, in which we desire Almighty God "to grant that, as his holy angels always do him service in heaven, so, by his appointment, they may defend and succour us upon earth."
REFLECTION
If we desire to live for ever in the company of the holy angels, we must lead on earth the life of angels.
We must learn here to converse with God by assiduous prayer and holy contemplation, and to walk in his presence by frequent aspirations, withdrawing our minds, as much as we can, from a vain distracting world; adoring and loving God, rejoicing in him, bending our wills cheerfully under all his appointments, and studying with our whole strength to obey his law, and fulfil his holy will in all things.
We must also work our minds into the holy temper and dispositions of the blessed angels, putting on the same perfect humility, the same uninterrupted tranquillity, constancy, meekness, patience, pure and vehement love of God, and zeal for his glory, with all other virtues.
Neither do certain transient acts suffice to denominate a person meek, humble, or virtuous; these dispositions must be wrought into his very frame, and be the firm, habitual, permanent, reigning affections of his soul. They must, as far as our state will allow, be pure without allay, or mixture of anything inordinate or irregular.
No one can be admitted into the society of the spotless angels, or stand in the presence of a God of infinite purity and sanctity; no one can find a place in the region of the blessed, who is not perfectly without spot or blemish: There shall not enter into it any thing defiled.
All infection of inordinate passions or vicious self-love, must be purged away.
How great a task have we upon our hands! but how noble and happy is the pursuit! Perfectly to subdue all our passions, to counteract and reform all our vicious inclinations, and to acquire, cherish, and constantly improve all virtues. This is not done by broken and interrupted essays and attempts, but by a vigorous and constant application of the means, and repeated fervent acts of all virtues.
(From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints - 📷 Apparition of St Michael on Mount Gargano)
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