Michaelmas Eve (is there such a thing?)

Tomorrow is Michaelmas, or as we know it today, the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. Here are some of my thoughts.

I find it interesting that this year, Michaelmas falls on the same day as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. St. Michael is a figure that is revered by Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions and appears in the scriptures of all three traditions. Beyond God and the patriarchs, this is rare.

In scripture, Michael is an archangel and appears as one of the "chief princes" and the "chief leader of the army of God" He is mentioned by name in the book of Daniel (in chapters 10 and 12), in the book of Jude (1:9) and in Revelation (chapter 12). He also appears in the Koran in Sura 2 (verse 98). In all of these references, Michael appears as a military leader who is constantly engaged in a battle as the protector of God's people (it is only in Christian scripture that the Devil or Satan are named explicitly). Rabbinic tradition takes Michael's role a step further, placing him as the rescuer of Abraham from the furnace, the messenger who tells Sarah that she will have a baby boy, an advocate for Israel before the Exodus...these are all different ways in which the Rabbis have identified the work of the angel, Michael, within the story of the people of God.

But this is what I like most about the archangel Michael...his name says a lot about his identity. Michael is from the Hebrew "Mikha'el" which means "who is like God?" In the Talmud, this is considered a rhetorical question and connotes a humility before God. And we see that in the scriptural references to Michael. In Revelation, Michael and the angels win victory over the devil, but it is God who gets the glory, not Michael.

In an age of awards and achievements and people yearning to be known famously throughout the world, we have an example from biblical history of the leader of God's army, whose victory caused praise and glory to be given to God. What a world we would live in if that happened more often...if everything that we accomplished ended with praise and credit being given to God. The world would be an incredible place!

One of my closest friends is a crew member for a professional racing team. I have had the privilege of getting to go see them race on a few occasions, and though I haven't been there for an overall win, I've been there for round wins and I have seen overall wins broadcast on television. What does an archangel have to do with racing, you ask? The driver (who, ironically, is named Michael) always gives glory to God first after they have succeeded on the race track. Mike's humility has made him well known at events as one of the classiest drivers in that particular pro circuit...and I believe that it's all because his perspective is based upon a focus on what God has blessed him and his crew with. And it makes sense, because in the end, everything we have comes from God. And when we hit hard times, God sends us a protector to help us get out of the mess into something better.

Thanks be to God for St. Michael.