More for Michaelmas

Following on from my post yesterday for Michaelmas here are two pieces from websites which were published yesterday.

The New Liturgical Movement had republished another excellent article from 2018 by Gregory DiPippo about the history of the feast and with some fine illustrations, including Roger van der Weyden’s famous depiction of the Archangel from 1446-52. Unlike most later medieval images of St Michael, such as those by Crivelli I cited yesterday which show an armed figure with sword and scales, here the Archangel weighs souls dressed in cope, stole and alb.

The article can be seen at The Feast of St Michael and All Angels.

The Liturgical Arts Journal had a lavishly illustrated account by J.P. Sonnen of St Michael’s Abbey at Farnborough which was founded by the Empress Eugenie as a sepulchre and memorial for her husband the Emperor Napoleon III, for their only child the Prince Imperial, and for herself. The monastic church is a vision of late French Flamboyant architecture in rural - or suburban - Home Counties England. 

That article can be seen at St. Michael's Abbey in Farnborough, England

St Michael the Archangel

Today is Michaelmas, the principal feast of St Michael the Archangel.

The Catholic Online website says that St Michael has four main responsibilities or offices, as we know from scripture and Christian tradition.

The first is to combat Satan.

The second is to escort the faithful to heaven at their hour of death.

The third is to be a champion of all Christians, and of the Church itself.

The fourth is to call men from life on Earth to their heavenly judgment.

He is also the patron of banking, grocers, the police and the armed forces. I assume the first two came about through his attribute of the scales of judgement, and the third as being a heavenly defender of law and order, with the fourth as a further instance of his being a defender of the community of the faithful as leader of the Heavenly Host against the Enemy.

Wikipedia has a lengthy, and well illustrated account of his cult in Judaism as well as the different branches of Christianity and other faiths at Michael (archangel)

I wanted to include an image of the painting of St Michael the Archangel by Carlo Crivelli and dated to circa 1476 and now in the National Gallery. However none of the images of it on the internet would actually copy and paste. This is all part of an irritating trend in copyright over the last year or so - very frustrating. So I shall have to refer readers to the illustrated article about the panel, which comes from an altarpiece, and with expandable images, on the National Gallery website at Carlo Crivelli | Saint Michael | NG788.11 | National Gallery, London

The painting is also discussed on the Kultura website at Saint Michael - Carlo Crivelli

Crivelli produced several images of Saint Michael in his very distinctively detailed and meticulously posed style.

St Michael the Archangel Pray for us

St Michael the Archangel

Today is the Feast of St Michael the Archangel.

The New Liturgical Movement has an article on their website from 2018 about the observance of the day, and which can be seen at Liturgical Notes on the Feast of St Michael and All Angels

For the May feast which commemorates the Archangel’s Apparition at Monte Gargano they had an article earlier this year which is to be found at The Apparition of St Michael

The blog of A Clerk of Oxford has a beautifully illustrated article from 2013 about medieval devotional texts for both clerical and lay audiences addressing St Michael which can be seen at Four Medieval Texts for Michaelmas

St Michael killing the Dragon

Josse Leiferinxe fl.1493-1503/8

Musée de Petit Palais Avignon

Image: meisterdrucke.uk/Wikimedia

Holy Michael Archangel

Defend us in the day of battle.

Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil,

And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,

By the power of God

Thrust down into Hell Satan and all who wander through the world to the ruin of souls