Prayer to St. Michael:
“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and the snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou,
O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God cast into hell,
Satan and all the other evil spirits,
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen”
(Pope Leo XIII, 1886).
Do you know the motto of the Archdiocese of Toronto? Every year on September 29, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Michael and the Archangels, Gabriel and Raphael. In the Archdiocese of Toronto, this Feast is of great importance to us because St. Michael is the patron saint of the Archdiocese.
The name Michael is mentioned and portrayed as a celestial being in the Bible (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9 and Revelation 12:7). In the Book of Revelation, Michael is explicitly described as leader of the heavenly host who fought a war in heaven. With the heavenly host Michael defeated the ancient serpent “who is called the Devil or Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” (Revelation 12: 7-9).
The name Michael means “Who is like God” or in Latin, Quis ut Deus. The expression “Who is like God” is the motto of the Archdiocese. St. Michael is usually depicted as a warrior with a sword vanquishing the Devil. In addition to St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, other institutions in the Archdiocese are named after the Archangel: University of St Michael’s College of the University of Toronto, St. Michael’s Choir School, St. Michael’s College and St Michael’s Hospital (affectionately known as the “Urban Angel”).
The celebration of the Feast Day of St. Michael recognizes the unique connection that the Archangel has to these institutions. At St. Michael’s Hospital, we joyfully come together to celebrate our mission: “Providing compassionate physical, emotional and spiritual care to all in need.” The hospital staff is made up of interdisciplinary teams that provide a wide range of care to the sick and their visitors. Our mission is based on a particular set of values that guide our mission--human dignity, compassion, excellence, community and inclusivity. On this special day we renew our call to embrace these values. This year because September 29 occurs on Sunday, the hospital community will celebrate the Feast Day on Friday September 27 to allow more staff to participate in the activities. All staff and volunteers receive a small token in appreciation of their dedication over the past year. At noon, I will preside at Mass in the hospital chapel, and St. Michael’s Choir School is usually in attendance.
A highlight of the day is presentation of the Shared Values Awards, which recognize staff members chosen by their peers for their outstanding work exemplifing the five values of our mission. The celebration encourages us to recognize that God’s healing power can be revealed in our compassion and caring within the hospital community.
Throughout the Archdiocese, the celebration of St. Michael’s Feast Day reminds us that God’s power of goodness continues to triumph over evil. The day can also be a time for us to reflect on the meaning of the Archdiocese’s motto and how it continues to serve as the guiding principle in its ministry. Because of the special role that St. Michael plays in the lives of the Archdiocesan communities of faith, we say the Prayer to St. Michael at Mass after the Dismissal. In this prayer, we invoke the name of St. Michael to “protect us against wickedness and the snares of the devil.” Therefore, whenever we say the Prayer to St. Michael, we should take to heart the different forms of evil in our own time: disrespect of human dignity, disrespect of freedom of religion, as well as war, disasters, injustice and greed.
The Bible describes St. Michael as the protector of God’s people. For people of faith, his Feast Day is a special time for us to recognize the spiritual significance of St. Michael in our own lives. Our own lives are reflected in God’s conquering power of goodness over evil when we embrace the values, the Gospel-based values taught by Jesus. It is through our loving actions which are guided by the Spirit, our actions which are based on our faith in God that God’s power of goodness is realized in our communities.
Fr. Yaw Acheampong is priest-chaplain at St. Michael’s Hospital