Angels

 In the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation, part of which we read today, the Apostle number John sees the great fire dragon’s struggle with the Woman of the Sun. The object of his hatred is a woman and her child who wants to gobble up the dragon, Messiah, and his Mother. This fight took place first “in the sky” and was also involved in Michael – prince of heavenly multitudes and his angels. The dragon did not stand and was toppled to the ground – where the fight continues. She continues to fight against The Woman and her offspring. So, we are all involved in this fight against evil. And we could ask: And how are we supposed to fight? 

Pet’s look at archangel Michael as he fought and prevailed: Michael -who is like God? It was a battle cry and, meanwhile, an expression of the essence of the angel, which today we honor as archangel Michael. 

And they were the first creatures of God before all material beings. They were aware of their dignity and greatness, their status; they knew they came after God first. And then God showed them his plan to create man, and that He would become a man. Some angels disparaged with this plan of God. Their pride and inner rebellion brought them so far that there was no place in heaven for them. The Apostle John sees the fall of angels, as we read today: “In heaven, a struggle broke down: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. He fought the dragon and his angels, but they couldn’t stand it, and there was no place for them in heaven anymore.’ (J.B. 12,7) It was a struggle to accept a God who is so great that he becomes a small defenseless child and still to do so through the Woman who will be their queen. It was a struggle against God’s will, against God’s plan on earth. 

With his humility, Michael becomes the leader of those angels who, by all their being, celebrate God and his will. How did Michael and his angels fight? Humility. This is still a powerful means of spiritual struggle. It may also happen to us that sometimes we disagree with God’s plan to defy him. But let us not forget: Based on humility and trust in God’s power, Michael was promoted to the duke of the heavenly army. Whoever is small will elevate that God. And because he wants to defend God’s honor, he gets all the power to do so. 

Michael was a pretty humble angel. His name “Who is like God” could also be expressed as follows: “Who is as wise as God, who can raise himself above God?” A humble man is a tool in God’s hands. Angels are helping us do this. They teach us to love God, to accept his will humbly, to fight for his honor, and for the Virgin Mary. Archangel Michael is the guardian of the people of God (Dan 10, 13.21, 12.1), the protector of those who belong to Mary and who will be fully dedicated to it. 

In the holy scripture, the name Michael is mentioned for the first time in the book Daniel. “Michael, one of the princes, came to my aid.” (Dan 10.13) Daniel sees a time in which Michael will significantly help people on earth. “At that time, Michael, the great prince, will rise above the sons of your nation: It will be a time of anxiety that has never been since nations rose.” (Dan 12,1)

To that this time has come is not to be explained. We all see it. People threatened by natural disasters and wars look to the future with fear. Hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants are threatening peace in Europe. The Christian culture of the old continent is subverted not only by Muslims but also by us to destroy Christian Europe completely. Yes, we are during a gigantic spiritual struggle, so confusion and schism are becoming increasingly noticeable even among Christian Catholics. 

 October 13, 1884, exactly 33 years before the solar miracle in Fatima – he celebrated a Holy Mass in his private chapel. As of Thanksgiving, the Holy Father would remain at another holy Mass. In prayer, Father ours stopped and was completely immobile for a time, and with his arms trained, he observed some happening. His face betrayed horror and astonishment at the same time; suddenly fatally faded. Suddenly, he exclaimed aloud, “Is there no more rescue for the Church?” Then he went straight to his office and wrote in one breath a prayer to archangel Michael: “Saint Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle, be our protector against evil and the base of the devil. We humbly ask that God show him his power. And you, the prince of heavenly multitudes, God’s power, go to hell Satan and other evil spirits who roam the world to the destruction of souls.

Did the new saw? He saw the multitude of demons raced against the Church symbolized by St. Peter’s Basilica. The walls of the temple shook so hard that the time seemed to collapse. Was it during the vision that the holy father exclaimed, “Is there no more salvation for the Church?” And behold, here came down from heaven archangel Michael, began to fight demons and defeated them. The demons pulled back into a crack deep like a chasm, and it then closed. 

 The pope. Leo XIII had a vision of the hellish spirits who had gathered over the Eternal City. This experience created a prayer – and the pope wished to pray it all over the world on her knees after every holy Mass and begged in it for Russia’s conversion. He prayed for her with trimming and, simultaneously, a powerful voice. Unfortunately, the liturgical reform of 1969/70 did not take account of this powerful prayer. However, St. John Paul II wished to return to this prayer: “Although this prayer is no longer praying at the end of the Eucharistic celebration, I call on all of you not to forget and pray for it to help us fight the powers of darkness and the spirit of the world.” 

65 years before Pope Leo XIII blessed Anna Katarina Emmerich (1774–1824), a prominent German mystic, saw in her vision the spiritual struggle and ultimate victory of the Church. God also showed her how the Church – thanks mainly to the help of the holy archaeal Michael – would be saved from terrible hardship, suffering, and hardship. However, she saw not only the winning match of St. Peter’s. Michael, but also the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary: “I saw a red glowing heart floating in the sky, a white stream of rays coming out into the wound on the side, and another stream of rays spreads to the temple and many other places. These rays dragged very many souls into each other, passing through this heart and then further into Jesus’ wound on the side. I’ve been told this is the HEART OF OUR LADY.” And then this blessed German mystic understood something filled with great consolation: “I have come to know that the desire of many humble, loving, faithful Christians has attracted the kingdom of God.” 

These many humble, faithful Christians are you, dear believers. Virgin Mary is always with us, all the more so at a time when we need her most. In Fatima, the Book of Revelation’s words have fulfilled: An apocalyptic Woman descended to the earth, to her offspring, to teach us to lead us in the struggle we go through daily. We are all involved in this apocalyptic fight against the great dragon. He has great power because we, the people, gave it to him with his sins. We can’t beat him ourselves. God has chosen Fatima children to show us how this almost invincible dragon can be overwhelmed. Through these children, he offers us spiritual weapons: the prayer of the rosary, the dedication, the deity of the first reindeer, the atoning sacrifice for the sinners, and how satisfaction for the insults against God and Mary’s heart, the pity of sins, repentance. We can only defeat the great dragon if we are like the children of Fatima. As children, humble and obedient to what God asks of us, what the Virgin Mary begs us to do. She’s our general in this spiritual struggle.

Let us help each other to stay right at this challenging time. Let us pray an often mighty prayer to archangel Michael and hide under the protective mantle of the Virgin Mary into her Immaculate Heart through dedication. 

Apostle John, archangel Michael, Our Lady – they are united by the Book of Revelation, but also by the humble love that seeks and fulfills God’s will! The fight is brutal, but its result is promised to us: (For) “eventually my Immaculate Heart will come outfit.