Michaelmas Day is upon us, and Holy Mother Church honors her celestial Guardian with a very solemn and devout reverence, as the following liturgical texts show.
The Invitatory in the Carmelite Breviary differs from that which is found in the Roman Breviary, and gives us a sublime depiction of the adoration Our Blessed Savior receives from the Angels, especially from St. Michael:
All the hosts of Angels adore the King of the heavens, * And amongst them the illustrious Archangel Michael: come ye, let us adore.
Despite our unworthiness, we are given the inexpressible privilege of participating in the Angelic praises even whilst still sojourning here upon earth through holy prayer, especially at Holy Mass and the recitation of the Divine Office. That is why we are bidden to come and adore the Lord whom St. Michael together with all the Angels praise in the empyreal precincts. As in the Carmelite Breviary, the Invitatory in the Præmonstratensian Breviary also mentions St. Michael, the Warrior-Chieftain of the heavenly hosts, the title of his mentioned in one of the Leonine Prayers:
Let us together rejoice unto God, the King of Angels, * Let us solemnly venerate the Chieftain Michael.
The Invitatory at Matins serves to remind us of the ultimate purpose of the Office and Mass of the Angels and Saints: to adore Our Blessed Lord for the predestination to glory and grace wherewith He has deigned to bestow upon His elect. Thus, the Roman Breviary hails Him as the King of Archangels, not only because He is their King by right by reason that He is their Creator but also by conquest because His human nature hypostatically united to the Eternal Word has triumphed over Satan and sits at the right hand of the Father [cf. Ps. cix], and He has gratuitously vouchsafed the now-beatified Angels during their trial the grace requisite to humbly submit to the Divine Majesty and reject the deceits of Satan. It was for His honor and glory that St. Michael fought and overcame the infernal serpent, and his humble subjection and ardent love for the Incarnate Word elevated him to the peerless and sublime rank he now enjoys.
Though in his angelic nature in its proper natural order St. Michael is a member of the Choir of Archangels and therefore inferior to the higher Angelic Choirs, he has been given greater grace and glory than all the Angelic worlds combined and has been enthroned above the Seraphim and the Cherubim for his immense contemplation, and set above the Thrones and Dominions, Principalities, Virtues and Powers, by reason of his exercise of the infused theological virtues and his jealous and ardent love for the glory of the only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father during the period of probation. It is important to remember that a single movement of divine charity is greater than all created natures combined, whether material or immaterial, whether Angelic or otherwise.
In this did his victory over the apostate Lucifer and his infernal cohorts consist: in a charity and zeal so great that it was as a might sword whose fulminating swing thrust them forthwith into the bottomless pit. The fallen seraph was humiliated at the sight of Michael, this relatively lowly Angelic warrior, now crowned by the Trinity as Prince of the celestial Choirs and Chieftain of the heavenly armies. Such is the prodigy that holy grace alone can work.
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The following Responsories from the Carmelite Breviary illustrate the role St. Michael has in the economy of our salvation: he leads the souls of the faithful departed before the beatific vision of the Trinity; his patronage and tutelage is paramount to the welfare of the Christendom; and he is the conqueror of the devil and ceaselessly works to destroy his machinations and plots against Holy Mother Church.
℟. The Archangel Michael cometh with a multitude of Angels, to whom God hath delivered the souls of the Saints, * That he may lead them unto the Paradise of exultation. ℣. Power hath been given to Michael the Archangel over the souls of the Saints * That he may lead them unto the Paradise of exultation. (Fifth Responsory)
℟. This is Michael the Archangel, Price of the hosts of the Angels, * Whose honor doth grant the favors of the peoples, and whose prayer doth lead them unto the heavenly kingdoms. ℣. O Archangel of Christ, by Whom thou hast merited grace, we pray thee, that thou mayest liberate us from the snare of death, * Whose honor doth grant the favors of the peoples, and whose prayer doth lead them unto the heavenly kingdoms. (Sixth Responsory)
℟. A faithful word and all worthy of acceptance: the Archangel Michael hath fought with the devil: as conqueror hath he arisen in the heavens by the grace of God: * And by him hath the ancient enemy suffered great ruin. ℣. Let the Angels rejoice, and may the Archangels exult upon Michael, the herald of God. * And by him hath the ancient enemy suffered great ruin. (Eighth Responsory)
Let us ever remember that it was for the glory of Jesus and Mary that St. Michael fought against the devils and continually protects us throughout our mortal sojourn from their assaults. Let us have recourse to him, that we may worthily serve Jesus and Mary and be saved from the wiles and temptations of the devil. Let us also pray to him for Holy Mother Church, that he may protect the Priests and Bishops, as well as Religious and Seminarians, from the deceit and machinations of the apostate angels.[/size]
Topic: St. Michael the Archangel (Read 3302 times)