All the colours of life. God at heart.

ITENES

CHIARA! / SAINTS ALIVE!

SAINTS ALIVE!

ST MICHAEL: SWORD, WINGS AND A QUESTION FOR EVERYONE!

· Published · 2 minute read

A dragon, scales and a name that asks a question. Recognise the archangel beyond his armour.

Saint Michael defeats Satan, painting by Guido Reni.

First the sword catches your eye, then the dragon under his feet and sometimes the scales. Michael looks ready for an action film. His name points elsewhere: “Who is like God?” Christian tradition understands him as defending God’s primacy.

Three passages, three clues

In Daniel he protects the people in a story of visions, conflict and hope. Jude calls him an archangel. In Revelation he and his angels fight the dragon, identified as the devil. This scene inspired much of his familiar imagery.

Scales recall the traditional weighing of souls and God’s justice. Wings are art’s way of depicting beings the Catechism describes as spiritual. Every detail helps you read the painting.

Destination: Gargano

The shrine at Monte Sant’Angelo in Puglia grew around a cave. Its website dates the origins of devotion to the late fifth or early sixth century. Apparition accounts intertwine with buildings and pilgrims; entrance inscriptions record travellers even from northern Europe.

The shrine also describes Lombard connections. Tradition dates the second apparition to 492; historians link the military episode associated with it to a battle in 662–663. Religious memory and historical reconstruction don’t always share a timetable.

Different angels, different feast days

Michael is celebrated with Gabriel and Raphael on 29 September. Guardian angels have their own memorial on 2 October. Gabriel is linked with announcement, Raphael with healing and Michael with defence. Not every winged figure is the same person!

Look for the dragon, sword and scales, then read the label. Daniel 12 and Revelation 12 offer far more than a symbol on a little medal.

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

Photo credits

ONE MORE STORY?

Saint Jude Thaddeus, engraving by Hendrik Goltzius, probably 1589, National Gallery of Art.
TRUE STORIES

Jude Thaddeus: wait, which Judas? And who is Simon?

On 28 October, the Church remembers two apostles we may know less well. A name to distinguish, a question put to Jesus and a story inviting us to look beyond labels.

Historical portrait of Saint Charles Borromeo
TRUE STORIES

MILAN NEEDED HELP. SAINT CHARLES SOLD A PRINCIPALITY.

You have almost finished sorting your wardrobe. Things you no longer wear go into the donation bag. But when you reach a jumper you still love, your hand stops. That is understandable. An interesting question begins there: how much of what we call generosity actually asks us to let something go?

Statue of Saint Martin de Porres in St Anthony’s Church, Liverpool
TRUE STORIES

SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES, THE SAINT WHO LEARNED FROM A BARBER

A cape around your shoulders, a mirror in front of you, that question someone asks while dividing your hair into sections: how are you? Sometimes you answer quickly. Other times, unexpectedly, you talk about the job worrying you, a celebration you are looking forward to, your mother who no longer wants to go out. A place you enter to have your hair done can become surprisingly familiar.