Archangel Michael the Holy: history, prayers, cathedral and icons

The Lord placed the archistraturgus Michael chief over the nine angelic ranks. His name in Hebrew means "Who is like God." Michael the Holy (archangel) is revered by the Orthodox Church from the most ancient times of mankind, since it has an extraordinary, unprecedented spiritual power. Who is he - Archangel Michael? What feats did he commit?

St. Michael (archangel): the first feat

Archangel Michael made his first feat in heaven, when once the heavenly heavenly angel decided to rebel against God and to humiliate His glory. Evil created the first apostasy, carried away by many other angels.

Then the servant of God, Saint Michael (archangel), gathered all the angelic ranks and the heavenly host, who did not succumb to the disastrous example, and called upon them to fight with evil angels in order to cast them from heaven, singing a solemn song to the Lord.

Revelation

In the "Revelation of John the Theologian" these events are also described. There was a war in heaven. Michael the Saint and his angels entered the battle with the dragon and his servants. But the latter could not stand, and there was no place for them in heaven. The great dragon, called Satan, the serpent and the devil, deceiving the whole universe, was banished to earth with the angels of evil.

The "Revelation" gives comfort to the believers so that they will see that the eternal struggle of good and evil ends with the complete victory of the Lamb. Humanity in the struggle against the serpent has supreme celestial patrons and defenders, headed by St. Michael.

Jewish people

When the Jewish people became beloved and chosen by the Lord, here again the Holy Church indicates that the archangel Michael became the guardian of the people of God. In the "Old Testament" from the prophet Daniel, St. Michael also appears to be the patron of the Jewish people.

Prayers and icons

The Church in its prayers and chants calls the archangel Michael the voivode of the heavenly forces of the disembodied, the Angel the first, the leader of the regiments of the angels, the oldest instructor of the heavenly ranks.

On the icons, Michael the Saint is portrayed as a warrior with a sword and a shield in his hand, and sometimes with a spear or a palm branch. He tramples the serpent with his feet. The white banner (banner) on the top of the spear means the unshakable purity and faithfulness of the angels to his Heavenly King. And the cross with which the copy ends, means that any battle with the kingdom of darkness and evil and victory over them is accomplished in the name of the Cross of Christ through self-denial, humility and patience.

Bible stories

In the Holy Scriptures, we talk about how St. Michael (the archangel) argued with the devil about the Mosaic body. The archangel concealed the grave of the great prophet, so that the Jews, who fell into an idolatry from hour to hour, did not worship him as God.

The Bible also describes how the archangel Michael appeared to Joshua when he took Jericho. Jesus saw a man with a sword in his hand and asked him whether he was his or her stranger, he answered that he was the leader of the Lord's army, and ordered him to take off his shoes, for the place on which he stood was holy. Jesus did this, inspired by the appearance of the holy governor. And then the Lord himself spoke to Joshua, who taught him how to take the first powerful city on the Canaanite earth, which was eventually done.

Temple

In the authenticity of this phenomenon since ancient times, people were deeply convinced, therefore in this place a monastery was built in honor of the Holy Archangel Michael. He, the servant of the glory of the Divine and the commander of all-might, as described in the Holy Scriptures, helped the Israelites in battle and accompanied Moses all the way to the promised land.

On September 6 (19) all Orthodox people celebrate the feast "Memory of the Miracle of Archangel Michael, Perfect in Honeh".

This story began with the fact that not far from the city of Hierapolis, that in Phrygia, in the area called Herotope was the temple of St. Michael, and with it a sacred spring beat. The temple was built by one local resident - the father of a girl who was healed from the dumbness. The archangel himself appeared to this man in a dream and told him that the daughter will receive healing if he drinks water from the spring. In connection with this wonderful event, the whole family was baptized at once.

Once the discontented pagans decided to destroy this holy place. And then they tried to connect the two mountain rivers into one channel, and the current was sent directly to the church of St. Michael. Living in this temple, Saint Arkhip prayed, and to him was the appearance of Archangel Michael. He struck with his rod and opened a crack in the ground, which absorbed all the water, then this place became known as Khons (cleft, a hole).

Veneration in Kievan Rus

In the Kieskaya Rus, St. Michael began to read from the first decades of her Baptism. He was portrayed in the frescoes of church walls (on the example of St. Sophia Cathedral). In 1008 the first Mikhailovsky church was built on the territory of the Vydubitsky Monastery .

In the years 1108-1113. Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich (grandson of Yaroslav the Wise), baptized by Michael, built in St. Petersburg in honor of his heavenly patron St. Michael the Golden-domed Cathedral. Ever since, Archangel Michael has been considered the heavenly patron of Kiev.

Defender of Russia

In Russia, too, was the phenomenon of the archistratigue of Michael. In 1608, the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra was besieged by the Poles. Archimandrite Joseph, the abbot of the monastery, was shown by the shining holy governor Mikhail with a scepter and warned that he had little to wait for, since the Lord would soon return them vengeance. And the enemy soon retreated.

The Most Holy Theotokos became the defender of the Russian cities along with its host of heaven, led by the arch-stratigem Michael. The faith of Orthodox people in his help is very great, since he is the winner of adversaries, the deliverer of troubles and sorrows, a defender of evil spirits, enemies of the visible and invisible.

Archangel Michael is praying at the entrance to the new house, asking to patronize the throne in the management and salvation of the Russian state.

Cathedral of St. Archangel Michael

Celebrate the Feast of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael of God and other ethereal Heavenly Powers on November 8 (21). This date was established for several years at the beginning of the 4th century before the First Ecumenical Council at the Local Laodicean Cathedral. The 35th rule condemned the heretical worship of angels as creators of the world, affirming only their Orthodox veneration.

The holiday is celebrated in the ninth month of March (in ancient times it was the month that began this month) - in November, in accordance with the number of nine angelic ranks. The eighth day of the month says that the future Council of all the Powers of Heaven will be on the Day of Judgment, when the Son of Man and all the holy angels will come to earth again.

The Holy Church imprinted in itself a magnificent historical panorama of the godly deeds and deeds of the archistrategic of all the heavenly powers of the incorporeal Saint Michael. He is the very first in the rank of the whole angelic army, acting always for the Glory of God and for the salvation of mankind.