A Story of St. Michael - 3

In York, in England, during the time of the Protestant persecution, the police came down to make a search of a convent. The agents went first to the chapel with the purpose of profaning the Sacred Species. Guessing their sacrilegious aim, the superior ran there and seizing the ciborium concealed it under her cloak. Suddenly, a thought of hope shone in her soul. She seized a statue of Saint Michael and placed it at the entrance of the Oratory. “Mighty God,” she cried, “save yourself, we cannot save you!”  The mob rushed toward them, but in the presence of the statue of the Archangel, they remained as ones forbidden and were unable to advance. The cries stopped, the most audacious recoiled, and this satanic horde was driven back into the street. In an instant, the house was empty and the Sisters were saved.

Saint Michael showed himself the Defender of the Eucharist and the Protector of the Spouses of Christ.

Prayer :

O Saint Michael, who adores the hidden God and presents at the sublime altar the Holy Offering: awaken our faith, fortify our hope, arouse our love, so that with you and like you, we may adore Him who immolates Himself for us and that we may participate more efficaciously in the Holy Mysteries, so that they may apply to us more fully the merits of the Passion of Jesus Christ. Amen.

ST. MICHAEL – ANGEL OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST

Jesus Christ left us words that remain a consolation and strength to his disciples “I am with you even until the consummation of the world.” He resides among us; His house is the tabernacle. It is there that He is delighted to live among the children of men. It is there that we go to visit Him and pray to Him.

Why should the guardian angel of the mortal life of our Savior not now be the guardian angel of his Eucharist life? Without a doubt, he is standing at the entrance of the sanctuary with a flaming sword in hand like the cherubim stand at the entrance to Paradise.

When the Faithful approach to receive Communion: the Archangel smiles at the soul which presents itself to its God animated by faith, purity, and love. Is it not promised that he who would render Him worship of the nine greetings, would have, on his way to the Holy Table, a train of nine angels chosen from the nine choirs?

When the priest ascends to the altar, the Archangel is witness to the great action that is accomplished there. The Church tells us that he stands to the right of the altar. When, at the words of the priest, the Divine Victim descends upon the altar, the Churches recites by her minister profoundly bowing, this significant invocation: “Almighty God, command that these mysterious offerings be carried by the hands of your holy angel to your altar on high.”

This marvellous mission has been given to Saint Michael by unequivocal proof. Pope Saint Leo, in offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,  saw one day, at the moment of this invocation, Saint Michael descending to the altar, taking the Holy Host and carrying it to Heaven, he laid it upon the celestial altar where Jesus is constantly in immolation before His Father, and after a few moments, returning it to the altar and saying to him: “This that I have come to make manifest before your eyes, I have done every day so many times; Jesus, my Master, immolates Himself by the sword of the word that puts Him into the hands of his ministers.”

When we assist at the Holy Mass, let us consider the great role of Saint Michael and let us ask him to carry before the throne of God, at the same time as the holy Oblation, our wishes and prayers.  

Practice: Let us impress upon ourselves a holy respect when we enter into the church and let us assist at the Holy Mass with a steadfast devotion.

A Story of St. Michael – 2

The Church, around the 5th century, had a particular need for the protection of St. Michael: the barbarians arrived, the Roman Empire collapsed under their attacks and the new beginning was charged with thunderstorms. To guard Rome, the seat of the Papacy, St. Michael descended to a peninsula of Italy at the border of the Adriatic Sea, in front of the Orient— the cradle of heresies and the land of the Saracens who would be for a long time the terror of civilised Europe.

A rich man from Siponte noticed the disappearance of an ox from his herd while he was bringing them to graze on the sides of Mount Gargano. He sought it, and found it at the summit of the mountain, at the entrance of an inaccessible cavern. He shot an arrow at the ox, but, o the prodigy! The arrow returned and injured himself. The man consulted the Bishop who ordered prayers and fastings. Then the Prince of the Angels appeared and told him: “I am the Archangel Michael. I have chosen this place for my honour, I will be the Protector and Guardian forever.”  The Sipontians come in crowds to see this blessed place. “He who has built this shrine,” said the Archangel to the Bishop, “he himself consecrates it. You will see a sign of the miraculous consecration.”  On entering the grotto, the Bishop found a purple coat and recognized it as the place where the Archangel placed his foot.

The Church remembers this apparition on the 8th of May. 

Prayer :

We beg you, invincible Prince, help the people of God and give them victory! This people venerates you as their protector and their patron, the Church prides herself on having you to defend against the powers of Hell. To you, God has granted the care of conducting the armies of the Celestial Beatitude. Pray, therefore, the God of peace to put under our feet, Satan, defeated and downcast, that he may no longer restrain men in slavery nor cause harm to the Church. Amen.

(Taken from a prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII)

St. Michael – Protector of the Church

In the new law, St. Michael remains the strong arm of God, the worker of divine triumphs. He has lead the Hebrew people to the cradle of the Messiah. He takes, at this crib, the new people of God: he will protect them until the end of time.

The Church knows St. Michael as her guardian angel and special patron. She has declared this in her liturgy in these terms: “The Church of God, like the ancient Synagogue, honors in St. Michael, her Guardian and her Protector.”  This is just, because the protection of St. Michael has never failed her. The Archangel, in fact, delivered St. Peter from prison and stayed faithful to the Church in her long martyrdom over the first three centuries during frightful times of persecutions, where he has borne the terrible shock of riotous passions and hell conjured forth.

He shone before the delighted eyes of Constantine the sign of victory and stopped at the gates of Rome the hordes of savages lead by Attila, the scourge of God. This is why Pope St. Leo IV called him to his aid when the Saracens invaded Italy. Through diverse ages of history, when the enemies approach Rome, it is in the strength of this Holy Angel, that the Popes confidently take refuge. When the entirety of Christianity raised itself to deliver the tomb of Jesus Christ, the Archangel came to assist their armies. When Selim advanced across the world with a imposing fleet? It is, without a doubt, the Holy Virgin of the Rosary who, at Lepanto, gave victory to the Catholic armies; it is not reckless, however, to involve St. Michael: he was watching over Italy from the heights of Mount Gargano.

St. Michael assists the Church in peaceful conquests which call for the conversion of the people. St. Boniface invoked him in on the plains of Germany. Charlemagne, a true solder of the Church, walked the standard of the Archangel across Europe which he gained to the Faith. Pope John XXII gave him central Asia to protect. St. Francis Xavier confided Japan to him.

It is impossible to recall all of the marvelous facts attributed to the intercession of St. Michael. It will suffice us to say that in all his works, the Church is pleased to repeat the words of Daniel: “I have no other help in my adversities than St. Michael”.

The time where we live is, for the Church, a formidable period of crisis, there is good reason to tremble. However, let us not fear, under his protection, the Church will continue to enlighten the world and to save it!

Practice:   Let us often pray for the Holy Church so that God will deliver her from her enemies.

A Story of St. Michael

Saint Michael is seen as the angelic protector of the people of God. His first manifestation is related in the Holy Bible.

Abraham is seated at the door of his tent when three young men appear before him. They have an appearance so full of dignity and majesty that the Patriarch rising immediately, prostrates himself before them. He addresses himself to the one between the other two as this man seems the greater and more remarkable, and it is he who speaks in return. He announces to Abraham the birth of a son and the chastisement of Sodom whose crimes call to heaven for Divine vengeance.

It is permissible to think, that it is with Saint Michael that Abraham had this conversation so simple and so familiar, where Abraham asked for mercy, for the lives of the guilty.

God is a Father, He is always more disposed to pardon than to punish. May He find among us enough holy men to disarm his anger!

Prayer :

O glorious Saint Michael, you who, at the head of the faithful angels, bend your knee before our Lord Jesus, make your homages and adoration burst forth with new strength in exchange for the outrages and blasphemies whose object is this divine Savior. Take in hand this cause: to obtain for us to serve God better, that we may cooperate with you in humbling His enemies prostrate before the throne of His Divine Majesty!  Amen.

St Michael - God's Champion

At the dawn of time, God was alone with his angels. He had created a multitude to surround His throne, sing His glory, adore His majesty. But it pleased Him to put them under a test. He wished to reward their fidelity by confirming them in glory and happiness.

What was this test? Many theologians have thought that God, lifting before them a corner of the horizon  of times to come, showed them the Word Made Flesh: “Behold,” He said, “He whom I have chosen to inherit all things. His throne will be eternal, He will sit on my right.” And while they gazed astonished, a voice was heard “Let all adore Him”.

At this order, the head of the angelic cohorts, Lucifer, is angry and indignant: “To adore,” he said, “is to abase myself, I cannot accept this humiliation. God takes, to raise unto Himself, a creature of an inferior order, eh? Well, me as well, I will go up, I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mountain of alliance and I will be like the Most High.”  These proud thoughts inspire him to cry in revolt “I will not serve.” This cry finds an echo in the celestial armies, Lucifer rallies the revolutionaries and they fly to the heights.

As they were ascending, an angel standing in front of them, issued a call of fidelity, “Who, therefore, is like God?” This was the signal for a great battle.

The outcome could not be doubted. Soon there would remain none in the sky, but the champion of the rights of God and the army of faithful angels whom he lead to victory; an abyss of fire was opened and engulfed the rebels. The test had passed, the hour of recompense had come. The angel whose fidelity and valour had been so pointed, became the specially favoured of God. He is given his name, this name of Michael which is his glory, because it is the same expression in his call to battle “Quis ut Deus?”.  He is also established as the Chief of the Heavenly Armies, the prince of angels!

The time of life for all of us, is the time of testing. Let us remember, then, the fidelity of Saint Michael, his war cry and his triumph. Let our lips invoke his name, this name so terrible to hell since it is by this name tht the strength of Satan was broken, and let our hearts echo his cry of victory “Who is like God?” We will traverse without fail the days of our testing, and we will acquire the rights of reward promised to the valiant.

Following the example of Saint Michael, let us defend the rights of God when they are attacked before us.

THE INFILTRATION OF MODERNISM IN THE CHURCH (Part X, Final)

You ought to read the book "Moscow and the Vatican," by the Jesuit, Father Lepidi. It is extraordinary. It shows the influence that the Communists had in Rome, and how they were responsible for the nomination of Bishops and even of two Cardinals: Cardinal Lekai and Cardinal Tomaseck. Cardinal Lekai, was the successor of Cardinal Mindszenty, and Cardinal Tomaseck was the successor of Cardinal Beran. Both Cardinal Mindszenty and Cardinal Beran were heroes and martyrs for the Faith. They were replaced by peace priests who were determined above everything else to come to an understanding with the Communist government who persecuted traditional priests. These traditional priests went secretly to baptize in the countryside or to secretly catechize so as to continue their work as pastors in the Catholic Church, and yet they were persecuted by their Bishops, who said to them: "You do not have the right not to respect the rules of the Communist government. You do us a disfavor by acting against its laws.”

But these priests were ready to give their life so as to keep the Faith of children, so as to keep Faith in families, and so as to give sacraments to those who had need of them. Obviously in these countries one had always to ask for authorizations, if one wanted to carry the Blessed Sacrament to a hospital or to do anything at all. As soon as they left their sacristy these priests were obliged to ask the Communist party if it authorized them to do this or that. This was impossible. People died without the sacraments. Children were no longer educated in a Christian way. So the priests had to do these things in secret. If they were caught it was often because the Bishops themselves persecuted them. It's frightening.

Neither Cardinal Wyszynski nor Cardinal Slipyi nor Cardinal Mindszenty nor Cardinal Beran would have done such things as these. They, to the contrary, encouraged good priests, saying to them: "Go ahead, go ahead. If you are put into prison you will have done your duty as a priest. If you must die martyrs then you will be martyrs.”

This shows how much influence they had on Rome. We have great difficulty in imagining it. We cannot even believe it.

I have never been against the Pope. I have never said that the Pope is not the Pope. I am absolutely for the Pope, for the successor of Peter. I do not want to separate myself from Rome. But I am against modernism, progressivism, and all the bad and destructive influences, which Protestantism has had via the reforms. I am against all those reforms, which poison us and poison the life of the faithful.

Thus I am told: "You are against the Pope." No, I am not against the Pope To the contrary, I come to help the Pope. For the Pope cannot be modernist; he cannot be progressivist. Even if he allows himself to be pushed around, it is by weakness. This can happen. St. Peter also was weak with respect to the Jews. And St. Paul severely reproached him for: “You do not walk according to the Gospel," he said to St. Peter. St. Peter was the Pope and St. Paul reproached him. And he did it vigorously: “I reproached the head of the Church because he was not walking according to the law of the Gospel." It was a grave thing to say this to the Pope.

St. Catherine of Siena also vehemently reproached several Popes. We must have the same attitude. We say: “Holy Father, you are not doing your duty. You must return to Tradition to be persecuted by all those Cardinals and Bishops who are modernists you are going to bring about the ruin of the Church." 

I am sure that in his heart the Pope is profoundly concerned and that he seeks for a means to renew the Church. I hope that by our prayers and sacrifices and the prayers of those who love the Holy Church and who love the Pope we will succeed.

This will be especially by devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. If we pray to Our Lady, she who cannot abandon her Son, she who cannot abandon the Church that her Son founded, the mystical Spouse of her Son, we will be answered. It will be difficult and a miracle, but we will succeed.

As for myself, I do not want people to make me say that the New Mass is good, but that it is simply less good than the Traditional Mass. I cannot say that. I cannot say that these modern sacraments are good. They were made by Protestants. They were made by Bugnini. And Bugnini himself said on March 19, 1965, as can still be read in the “Osservatore Romano" and in “Documentation Catholique," which magazines published a translation of Bugnini's discourse:

“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren, that is for the Protestants."

This was on March 19, 1965, just before all the reforms. Can we go to the Protestants and ask them concerning the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, concerning our catechism? In what are you not in agreement? Do you not like this or do you not like that? ...Well we will suppress it. This is not possible. It would perhaps not be heretical to do so, but the Catholic Faith would be diminished. Thus it is that people no longer believe in Limbo, in Purgatory and in Hell. Original sin is no longer believed in, neither are the angels. Grace is not believed in. People no longer speak of that which is supernatural. Our Faith is being destroyed.

So we must absolutely maintain our Faith and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary. We desire to undertake a giant task, and without the help of the good Lord we will never be able to accomplish it. I am certainly aware of my weakness and of my isolation. What can I do by myself compared to the Pope or the Cardinals? I do not know. I go as a pilgrim, with my pilgrim's staff. I am going to say "keep the Faith." Keep the Faith. Be rather a martyr then abandon your Faith. You must keep the sacraments and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

You cannot say: "But it is all different now. It is not too bad after all. As for me, I have a solid Faith and I'm not likely to lose it." For it is clear that those who habitually attend the New Mass and the new sacraments undergo a gradual change of mentality. After a few years it will become apparent in questioning somebody who goes regularly to this new ecumenical Mass that he has adopted its ecumenical spirit. This means that he ends up by placing all religions on the same footing. If he is asked whether one can save oneself through Protestantism, through Buddhism, or through Islam he will reply: "But of course. All religions are good." And there you have it. He has become liberal and Protestant and is no longer Catholic.

There is only one religion. There are not two of them. If Our Lord is God and founded a religion, the Catholic Religion, there can be no other religion. It is not possible. The other religions are false. That is why Cardinal Ottaviani used the title: "Concerning Religious Tolerance.”

Errors can be tolerated when they cannot be prevented. But they cannot be placed on the same footing as the truth. There could then be no missionary spirit. The missionary spirit could not then be possible. If all the false religions save souls then why go out on mission? What is one going to do there? We have only to leave them in their religion and they are going to all save themselves. This is not possible. What, then, has the Church done for twenty centuries? Why all the martyrs? Why were they all massacred on the mission? Did the missionaries waste their time? Did the martyrs waste their blood and their lives? We cannot accept that.

We must remain Catholic. The slide into ecumenism is very dangerous. Easily one falls into a religion, which is no longer the Catholic religion.

I sincerely wish that all could be witnesses of Our Lord, of the Catholic Church of the Faith, and of Catholicism, even if we have to be despised and insulted in the newspapers, in the parishes and in the churches. What does it matter? We are witnesses of the Catholic Church. We are the true sons of the Catholic Church and true sons of the Blessed Virgin Mary