Feast day: September 29
St. Michael
Patron saint of: grocers, soldiers, doctors, mariners, paratroopers, police, and sickness
St. Gabriel
Patron saint of: messengers, telecommunication workers, postal workers
St. Raphael
Patron saint of: travelers, the blind, and bodily ills, happy meetings, nurses, physicians, medical workers, matchmakers, Christian marriage, and Catholic studies
HOW To celebrate the feast of the archangels
simple + easy ways to live liturgically
Eat blackberries
Legend has it that when St. Michael threw Satan out of Heaven (Revelation 12), the devil landed on a blackberry bush, which he then spit on and cursed.
Traditionally, the feast of the Archangels (aka Michaelmas) is the last day to pick blackberries "before the devil has the chance to spit on them" and they turn sour.
Treat yourself and/or your family to some blackberries today.
Bake a cobbler or pie, eat some fresh, or top your angel food cake with them.
Pray to the archangels
Heavenly King,You have given us archangels to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth.
Saint Michael is our protector;
I ask him to come to my aid, fight for all my loved ones, and protect us from danger.
Saint Gabriel is a messenger of the Good News;
I ask him to help me clearly hear Your voice and to teach me the truth.
Saint Raphael is the healing angel;
I ask him to take my need for healing and that of everyone I know, lift it up to Your throne of grace and deliver us back to the gift of recovery.
Help us, O Lord, to realize more fully the reality of archangels and their desire to serve us.
Holy angels, pray for us.
Amen.
Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash
Photo by Anshu A on Unsplash
Have a feast!
The traditional Michaelmas dinner consisted of roasted goose and carrots (typical for the season in Britain).Unless you’ve got a goose on hand, consider roasting a chicken with carrots instead!
Or, even simpler, buy a pre-made rotisserie chicken at the store. And cook up some frozen carrots.
For extra fun, you can even add in some fresh baked traditional St. Michael’s Bannock bread. (Basically regular bread with some sugar and raisins/currants)
Go to mass for Michaelmas
For centuries this holy day celebrating the archangels was called Michaelmas, the day the faithful went to Saint Michael’s Mass.
Go to mass today in celebration!
If mass isn't possible, try tuning into a virtual mass and/or listening to Gregorian Chant throughout your day.
Fun fact: Michaelmas is pronounced
“mick-el-mess.”
Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash