Archangel Saint Michael: history, prayers, cathedral and icons

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The Lord placed Archangel Michael in charge of the nine angelic ranks. His name means "Who is like God" in Hebrew. Saint Michael (archangel) has been revered by the Orthodox Church since the most ancient times of mankind, as he possesses an extraordinary, unparalleled spiritual power. Who is Archangel Michael? What feats did he perform?

St. Michael (archangel): the first labor

Archangel Michael accomplished his first feat in heaven, when the once brightest heavenly angel decided to rebel against God and humiliate His glory. Evil created the first apostasy, which drew away many other angels.

Then the servant of God, Saint Michael (archangel), gathered all the angelic ranks and the heavenly host who did not succumb to the pernicious example, and called them to fight the evil angels in order to cast them out of heaven, singing a solemn song to the Lord.

Revelation

The "Revelation of John the Theologian" also describes these events. There was a war in heaven. Saint Michael and his angels entered into battle with the dragon and his minions. But the latter did not stand, and it was no longer found fortheir places are in heaven. The great dragon called Satan, the serpent and the devil, who deceives the entire universe, was banished to earth along with the angels of evil.

In "Revelation" comfort is given for believers to see that the eternal struggle between good and evil will end in the perfect victory of the Lamb. Mankind in the fight against the serpent has the highest heavenly patrons and defenders, headed by St. Michael.

Jewish people

When the Jewish people became beloved and chosen by the Lord, here the Holy Church indicates that the Archangel Michael became the guardian of the people of God. In the "Old Testament" by the prophet Daniel, Michael the Saint also appears as the patron of the Jewish people.

Prayers and icons

The Church, in its prayers and hymns, calls the Archangel Michael the governor of the incorporeal heavenly forces, the first angel, the leader of the angelic regiments, the oldest mentor of the heavenly ranks.

On icons Saint Michael is depicted as a warrior with a sword and shield in his hand, and sometimes with a spear or a palm branch. With his feet he tramples the serpent. The white banner (banner) on the top of the spear means the unshakable purity and fidelity of the angels to their Heavenly King. And the cross that ends the copy means that any battle with the kingdom of darkness and evil and victory over them will be done in the name of the Cross of Christ through selflessness, humility and patience.

Bible stories

The Holy Scripture tells how St. Michael (the archangel) argued with the devil about the body of Moses. The archangel hid the grave of the great prophet so that the Jews, who fell hour by hour intoidolatry, did not worship him as God.

The Bible also describes how the Archangel Michael appeared to Joshua when he took Jericho. Jesus saw a man with a sword in his hand and asked him if he was his own or a stranger, he replied that he was the leader of the army of the Lord, and ordered him to take off his shoes, for the place on which he stood was holy. Jesus did this, he was inspired by the appearance of the holy governor. And then the Lord himself began to speak with Joshua, who taught him how to take the first powerful city on Canaanite land, which was eventually done.

Temple

Since ancient times, people were deeply confident in the authenticity of this phenomenon, so a monastery was erected on this place in honor of the Holy Archangel Michael. He, a servant of the glory of God and a commander of all praise, as described in the Holy Scriptures, helped the Israelites in battles and accompanied Moses all the way to the promised land.

6 (19) September, all Orthodox people celebrate the holiday "Memory of the miracle of the Archangel Michael, performed in Khonekh."

This story began with the fact that not far from the city of Hierapolis, in Phrygia, in an area called Herotopa, there was a temple of St. Michael, and a sacred spring beat with him. The temple was built by one local resident - the father of a girl who was healed of dumbness. The archangel himself appeared to this man in a dream and told him that his daughter would be healed if she drank water from the source. In connection with this miraculous event, the whole family was baptized at once.

Once, dissatisfied pagans decided to destroy this holy place. And then they triedto connect two mountain rivers into one channel, and their course was directed directly to the church of St. Michael. Saint Archippus, who lived at this temple, prayed, and the Archangel Michael appeared to him. He struck with his rod and opened a crack in the ground, which swallowed up all the water, then this place became known as Khony (cleft, hole).

Veneration in Kievan Rus

In Kivesk Rus, they began to venerate St. Michael from the first decades of her Baptism. He was depicted on the frescoes of church walls (using the example of St. Sophia Cathedral). In 1008, the first St. Michael's Church was built on the territory of the Vydubitsky Monastery.

In 1108-1113. Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich (grandson of Yaroslav the Wise), named Michael at baptism, built in Kyiv in honor of his heavenly patron St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral. Since then, Archangel Michael has been considered the heavenly patron of Kyiv.

Defender of Russia

In Russia, too, there was the appearance of Archangel Michael. In 1608, the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra was besieged by the Poles. To Archimandrite Joseph, the rector of the Lavra, the radiant holy governor Michael appeared with a scepter and warned that they had little time left to endure, since the Lord would soon reward them with vengeance. And the enemy soon retreated.

The Most Holy Theotokos became the protector of Russian cities along with her heavenly host led by Archangel Michael. The faith of Orthodox people in his help is very great, since he is the winner of adversaries, the deliverer from troubles and sorrows, the protector from evil spirits, enemies visible and invisible.

Pray to Archangel Michaelupon entering a new house, they ask for patronage on the throne in the management and salvation of the Russian state.

Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Michael

Celebrate the feast of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael of God and other disembodied Forces of Heaven on November 8 (21). This date was established several years at the beginning of the 4th century before the First Ecumenical Council at the Local Council of Laodicea. The 35th rule condemned the heretical worship of angels as the creators of the world, approving only their Orthodox veneration.

The holiday is celebrated in the ninth month of March (in ancient times it was from this month that the year began) - in November, in accordance with the number of nine angelic ranks. The eighth day of the month says that the future Council of all the Powers of Heaven will be on the day of the Last Judgment, when the Son of Man and all the holy angels with him will come to earth again.

The Holy Church imprinted in itself a majestic historical panorama of God-illumined deeds and deeds of the archangel of all heavenly powers of the incorporeal Saint Michael. He is the very first in the rank of the entire angelic host, always acting for the Glory of God and for the salvation of mankind.