Angels are not like the other saints on the Church's calendar who were all human beings. Angels are celestial beings created on a higher order than man. Angels are the messengers of God. Several different kinds (or ranks) of angels are mentioned in the Bible: angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim, thrones, choirs, dominions, principalities, and powers.

Michelmas

The feast of St. Michael, one of the seven archangels of scripture, originated in the sixth century. It was known, in English, as "Michaelmas", and this name lives on in a wildflower, a white aster with many small star-like flowers, that bloom in late September, known as the Michaelmas daisy.

Recently two other of the archangels named in scripture, Gabriel and Raphael, are also honored on this day.

Michael the archangel, whose name in Hebrew means "Who is like God?", is revered as the leader of the angelic army who will conquer Satan and his armies of demons, and is considered the defender of the Church.

The archangel Gabriel, whose name in Hebrew means "Strength of God", announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zachariah, and soon after, announced to Mary that she was to become the mother of Our Lord. His address to her, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee" (the "angelic salutation") is familiar to all who say the Rosary.

The archangel Raphael, whose name means medic or ointment of God, is mentioned by name in the Old Testament book of Tobit (Tobias), whom the angel aided by healing him of blindness and guiding him on his travels.

The angels that appear in scripture are never described as having wings. In fact, in several passages, the people who are visited by angels only realize these messengers from On High are not ordinary men when it is revealed later.

In the Book of Revelation, winged beings who otherwise look like men are described as surrounding the throne of God. Thus, in early paintings angels are shown with wings -- sometimes very colourfully feathered. In medieval paintings, angels are often shown wearing liturgical vestments of deacons. The idea that angels wear white robes comes from the white albs worn by deacons that appear in these paintings. In some paintings, expecially of the Nativity of Christ, the angels who adore the infant are clad in elaborate liturgical vestments, including embroidered copes (large capes). But the worshipping angels are never dressed as priests -- Christ alone is the High Priest. The infant Jesus in these paintings is shown with no clothing at all: he is "clothed in his own flesh".

Following is the traditional prayer to St. Michael, as well as prayers for the intercession of the other two angels. The prayer to St. Michael is customarily prayed in times of danger.

In May 1994, during the International Year of the Family, Pope John Paul II asked all Catholics to pray this prayer daily. He warned that the fate of humanity was in great peril, in particular because of the U.N. Population Conference to be held Cairo that year. He urged all to pray together to overcome the forces of darkness and evil in the world.