a b Grégoire Alessandri (2012), "La Place Saint-Michel: Une composition monumentale hiérarchisée du Paris haussmannien", Livraisons d'Histoire de l'Architecture, 23: 65-86 I am wrapped in the mantle of Our Lady; what can you do to me? I have St. Michael the Archangel on my side, try fighting with him. I have my guardian angel watching over me lest I be touched; you cannot do anything. – Fr. Gabriel Amorth, Daniel 10:21, "No one supports me against all these except Michael, your prince, standing as a reinforcement and a bulwark for me."

Through the centuries, Catholic devotions to Saint Michael have resulted in a number of poems and hymns. [39] [40] [41] Among those who have welcomed the statue are three Bishops and one Archbishop all of whom have attended services where the image was blessed and venerated. Thank you to all the student ambassadors at the McMullen Museum of Art who played a role in the process of writing and researching this article: Chris Rizzo, Ivana Wijedasa, Matthew DiBenedetto, Adrianna Zhao, Zoey Zheng, and Ethan Starr. Thank you also to Rachel Brody and Emily Coello for their guidance and editing. But David could not go into his presence to inquire of God, for he was fearful of the sword of the angel of the LORD. 1 Chronicles 21:30 The Book of DanielMichael and the Archangels [ edit ] Archangel Michael with archangels Raphael and Gabriel, as they accompany Tobias, by Francesco Botticini, 1470 In the 16th century, St. Michael the Archangel appeared on the coat of arms of Kyiv. But in 1969, during the regime of the Soviet Union, the authorities replaced his figure with chestnut leaves. This remained the case until after the fall of the USSR, when the archangel was returned to the coat of arms, in 1995. Saint Michael defeats Satan on two occasions, first when he ejects him from Paradise, and secondly in the final battle of the end times when the Antichrist will be defeated by him. Noted hagiographer Alban Butler, defined the role of Saint Michael: "Who is like God?" was the cry of Archangel Michael when he smote the rebel Lucifer in the conflict of the heavenly hosts. And when Antichrist shall have set up his kingdom on earth, it is St Michael who will unfurl once more the standard of the cross, sound the last trumpet, bind together the false prophet and the beast and hurl them for all eternity into the burning pool. [8] Alfred Darcel and Charles Blanc, "La fontaine Saint-Michel" Gazette des Beaux-Arts, October 1860, volume VIII, pg. 44 and 45. Cited in Beatrice Lamoitier, "Le règne de Davioud", in Paris et ses fontaines, pg. 184. Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 St. Michael with His Sword

Devotions to Saint Michael have a large Catholic following, and a number of churches are dedicated to him worldwide. Roman Catholic devotions to Saint Michael have been expressed in a variety of forms, including a chaplet and scapular. [29] A number of prayers, novenas, and hymns are directed to him. Not only is St. Michael a great protector of the people of God, but he can also help us to better understand the events that surround us in our own spiritual warfare, and St. Michael is known to present our petitions before the throne of God in heaven. All three verses below about angels with swords are from the Old Testament Bible. The Book of Joshua

St. Michael is venerated as a patron of soldiers, but in the first centuries of the Church, he was prayed to for healing. He was also considered the protector of dying Christians, protecting their souls from the final temptations of the devil. For many years a special prayer to St Michael was said after every weekday Mass. Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Revelation 4:5b Other Characteristics of Archangels Yet the archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil in a dispute over the body of Moses, did not venture to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!” Jude 1:9 Johnson, Richard Freeman. The Cult of Saint Michael the Archangel in Anglo-Saxon England, Northwestern University, 1998 Gabriel Davioud, architecte de Paris, exhibition catalog, Exhibits at the city halls of the 16h and 19th arrondissements, by the Delegation a l'Action Artistique de la Ville de Paris, 1981–1983.

In editions of the Roman Missal before 1970, Saint Michael was mentioned in the Confiteor as recited by the priest and again in the altar server's response at Mass. He was mentioned also in celebrations of Solemn Mass when the priest put incense in the thurible, reciting the prayer: Per intercessionem beati Michaelis Archangeli, stantis a dextris altaris incensi, et omnium electorum suorum, incensum istud dignetur Dominus benedicere, et in odorem suavitatis accipere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. (Through the intercession of Blessed Michael the Archangel, standing at the right hand of the altar of incense, and of all his elect, may the Lord kindly bless this incense and accept it as a savour of sweetness). [26] The iconography of St. Michael remains a constant in the Catholic tradition of statuary. It is, therefore, unsurprising that the statue’s creator, Scipione Tadolini, was commissioned to bring this favorite biblical story to life. Tadolini, a middle-class sculptor based in Rome, lived from 1822 until 1893 and came from a family of artists. His mother, Serafina Passamonti Tadolini, painted miniatures. His father, Adamo Tadolini, was also a sculptor and a favorite assistant of the great Neoclassical, Venetian-born artist Antonio Canova. Canova helped Adamo establish his own studio, where he trained his sons, and which Scipione took over upon Adamo’s death. Four generations of Tadolinis worked in this historic Rome street studio until it closed in the 1960s. The studio is now home to the Canova-Tadolini museum and café, where patrons can sip on chianti and dine on fresh-made pasta, all the while admiring beautiful marble sculptures. Rabanus' hymn, Christ, the fair glory of the holy angels ( Christe, sanctorum decus Angelorum), sung for the commemoration of Saint Michael and All Angels, and to include the archangels Gabriel and Raphael, is found in English translation in The Hymnal 1982 (of the Episcopal Church), and was harmonized by Ralph Vaughan Williams. [42]The success of the Scottish trip has resulted in an extension of the stay of the Statue for an indefinite period. Richard Redding Antiques Ltd. “Sold Objects.” A Classical Statue of The Greek Slave or La schiava greca by Scipione Tadolini, Rome, dated 1860,” see https://www.richardreddingantiques.com/sold/9527/. Accessed 2/1/2022. Pope Leo XIII added a Prayer to Saint Michael to the Leonine Prayers in 1886. [31] Although these prayers are no longer recited after Mass, as they were until 1964, Pope John PaulII encouraged the Catholic faithful to continue to pray it, saying: "I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness." [32] Like any other novena, the novenas to Saint Michael are prayed on nine consecutive days.