| A great war
shakes the heavens. "Michael and his angels fought
the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but
they were defeated." (Rev 12, 7-8) Michael, the
Archangel, is God's commander in battle, the powerful
messenger of His truth, who fights against evil and its
deceptions. He is a symbol of God's victory over the
forces of darkness; a pledge that God and the forces of
good will prevail no matter how hard the struggle.
And so, over the centuries,
St. Michael has been chosen by soldiers and armies, by
cities and places as their strong patron. He is invoked by
those who must fight hard against powerful forces of evil,
even at the cost of life. Those engaged in law
enforcement, those who must combat crime and strongly
entrenched networks of evil, call upon St. Michael.
St. Michael is also called
upon at the time of death, when one must struggle against
fear and darkness. Like the angel who came to strengthen
Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, St. Michael is a patron
to call when death draws near.
Christians have always
recognized that life is a battle against evil in many
forms. Powerful forces we can hardly describe go about the
world intent on destroying all that is good. They can
appear overwhelming and cause great fear.
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