This ancient holiday is especially dear to all Orthodox Christians who venerate saints. It is fraught with many interesting stories and secrets. For example, it is believed that if you ask for forgiveness for all your sins and believe in it, some kind of guardian angel will definitely appear. It will protect you from troubles and help you find your way in life.
History of the holiday
In the era of the formation of Christianity, a lot of free interpretations of the Holy Letter were born. There were new cults, prophets and people following them. The first Orthodox churches constantly split into several currents.
In order to put in order all God's foundations, to separate the thoughts corresponding to Christianity from the traditions mixed with pagan beliefs, the Councils were established. This is a congress of the highest representatives of the church.
During each Council, important issues of religion and parishes were decided. In addition, holidays were appointed, which were to be observed by the parishioners. Other celebrations that people invented were not recognizedbiblical.
During one of these Councils, Laodicea, the fate of one of the important holidays of that period was decided.
Laodicean Council
According to church researchers, this happened in the year 360 from the Nativity of Christ. Its name comes from the place Laodicea, which is located in Asia Minor, where the venerable servants of the temples were called.
According to one version, this congress preceded the famous First Ecumenical Council, which forever established the main rules of the Christian religion.
Several significant decisions were made at the Laodicean Council, which are still honored and observed today.
On it, the clergy decided that after the ceremony a person should be chrismated. This means that the Holy Spirit descends to him at the moment of Baptism. In addition, the ministers of the temples expressed their condemnation to those people who, instead of praying to the Son of God, honored the angels more, considering them the creators of everything that exists.
This belief was forbidden by the church, and the ministers of the idea were proclaimed heretics and excommunicated from the parish. At that meeting, the feast of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael was created.
Angels
In the Christian religion, angels are only messengers of the will of God. They can only convey it to people, appearing to them in different forms or pushing them to the right and right decision.
Angels represent either creatures or souls with superpowers. They do not have a specific gender. Each of themhas wings.
According to the New Testament, the saints in heaven have a certain hierarchy of nine camps. For disobedience to the will of the elder, they can be exiled or lay down their wings, becoming fallen.
Angels are called to protect God and, if necessary, can become an army for protection. In honor of each of them there are holidays of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Almost every world religion has angels. In Islam, for example, they are one of the central actors.
The Archangel Michael is considered the leader of the army of God in Christianity.
Holiday
Faithful Christians after the meeting of the first fathers-priests in Laodicea were to celebrate on the ninth month, on its eighth day, a new event. It was the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly Forces.
Modern people are surprised that the holiday is November, and it is customary to celebrate in the church on the ninth month. The thing is that according to the old chronology, he was the ninth month, counting from March.
Symbols
The Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly Powers contains two references to divine Scripture at once, already in the very dates of its celebration.
So, the ninth month is a direct indication of how many angelic hierarchies exist in Christianity.
The eighth day is the heavenly judgment. According to legend, during the apocalypse there will be a meeting of all angels and spirits. According to the old calendar, the eighth day is equal to the 21st according to the new calendar. Official November 21- Orthodox holiday of Michael and angels.
Angel ranks
- Seraphim are saints with six wings. They carry a fiery and selfless love for God.
- Cherubim - with four wings, giving knowledge, wisdom and intelligence.
- Thrones are messengers that carry God. He, as if on a throne, sits during the judgment.
- Dominions are angels who should help with advice and guidance to monarchs and those in power.
- Powers are responsible for the miracles that happen to those who are pleasing to God.
- Authorities - serve to tame the power of the devil.
- Archons - control the entire Universe and the elements.
- Archangels are teachers who protect people by giving them the knowledge they need. They are elevated by the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael.
- Angels are the last ones on the list. Most often they interact with people. They appear on earth in order to push a person to the right deed.
The Revelations mention seven cherubs, each of which, as an indication of the messenger, holds a pipe.
Why did the church create a holiday
This holiday was established, first of all, not to honor the saints, but to distinguish between divine and angelic power.
According to the church, angels are more like people, have human likeness. According to the Old Testament, they could descend to earth and live with the living. From alliances with messengers, Nephilim appeared - half-humans, half-angels.
Seraphim, according to church ideas, just like people, pray to God, ask for his forgiveness and faithfully serve him. On the icon “Cathedral of the Archangel Michael”, the angels continue, kneeling, crying out to their Creator.
Legend of the holiday
According to the Holy Scripture, God, before creating everything visible to the human eye, as well as man himself, created another world. He populated it with incorporeal beings, spirits, angels. This place is several times the size of a human.
So, Moses spoke about how God created heaven and earth. The Church interprets this message as an indication of the heavenly world. They give two designations to providence: both a place visible to man and an invisible place inhabited by souls.
In that world live angels - spirits without flesh. All of them were created by God. It is them that the icon “Cathedral of the Archangel Michael of God” depicts.
In order to help unfortunate people, the descendants of Adam and Eve, once expelled from Paradise, a more ideal world, God sends cherubim to earth.
Archangels
- Archangel Michael became the leader of the army in heaven, ready to defend God's kingdom during the end of the world. The church believes that he, who once defeated Satan, is preparing for another battle. And the evil spirit had to force all the icon painters in the world not to depict that terrible battle in which she lost to Michael and lay at his feet. In honor of the Archangel Michael, an Orthodox holiday is celebrated on November 21.
- Archangel Gabriel, whose name means "God's husband", is called to bearhappy news. He guards the chosen people. Different days of Orthodox holidays are dedicated to Gabriel. So, he is honored on March 26 and July 13, as was customary under the old calendar style.
- Barachiel - aka "blessing from God". This archangel is not found in the Bible, it can only be found in legends. Barahiel gives gifts to righteous people for their faith in God. Often depicted with white roses on his chest, which he gives to people for their kindness.
- Salafiel - "prays to God". This archangel is not mentioned in the Bible, only in non-canonical writings. Salafiel should admonish and instruct people with the help of prayers. Even on the icons he is depicted in a prayer pose. The holidays of the Orthodox Church do not include the exact day of this archangel.
- Jehudiel - "God's praise". The name of the archangel exists in ancient legends. In the images of Yehudiel, he holds a wreath of gold in his hand as a gift from God for those people who, with their exemplary behavior, atoned for original sin and became saints.
- Raphael - this archangel is called to help God. People should follow the example of the saint and also try to help the Lord with their actions.
- Uriel - the name of the archangel is translated as "God's fire". According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, it was this saint who stood at the gates to Paradise, after the first people were expelled from it for their sins. This archangel enlightens the ignorant, grants them knowledge.
- Archangel Jeremiel - "God's height". It should be sent by the Almighty to those people who have lost hope or have begun to lead an unworthylife. The Saint must guide them to the high path that will lead them to Grace.
"Cathedral of the Archangel Michael" - icon
Traditionally, the image depicts all the archangels, who should gather at the moment when the decisive battle of good against evil takes place.
In the center of the icon is Archangel Michael himself. From this image, one can understand that the host of angels, along with Michael, does not claim a divine role. They eagerly glorify the Lord God, as well as the entire Trinity indivisible.
Patron icon and Michael
According to the Orthodox Christian tradition, every angel is someone's patron. Each icon can help those who pray to God and hope for a miracle.
This image began to be considered the patron of chiefs, commanders-in-chief, as well as the military. The icon was taken with them during the battle, put in their rooms by those who wanted to achieve a promotion.
The icon from Novgorod is the most popular. It was written at the end of the fifteenth century and is considered to be made according to the canon. Nevertheless, each church has its own icon glorifying the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and his Heavenly Army - the defenders of the people, the messengers of God's will.
Mikhail is the patron saint of many cities and countries. After Christianity appeared in Kyiv, a temple, huge at that time, of an unprecedented scale, was built for it. Cathedrals in honor of the archangel stand in Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Veliky Ustyug, Staritsa, Sviyazhsk.
In Moscow, the temple-tomb rises on the main square, in the Kremlin. This temple is dedicated to the saint. They celebrate the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael. The sermon at this time is read solemnly.
On icons, the saint is usually depicted standing over the defeated devil, holding a date branch in one hand as a sign of victory and peace, and in the other - a spear or sword. His weapon usually has a red cross painted on it.
The date branch also symbolizes the tree that grew in Paradise. He gave it to the Virgin Mary as a token of his love and faithful service.
