We know the St. Michael Prayer. But do you know the battle cry traditionally associated with the great Archangel?
“Who is like unto God?”
It is more than a battle cry. It is the meaning of Michael’s name.
Sacred Scripture describes the great battle in heaven:
“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated.”
Revelation 12:7-8, RSV-CE
Christian tradition associates St. Michael’s very name with his response to Satan’s rebellion: Quis ut Deus? “Who is like God?”
It sounds like a question, but it isn't really asking for an answer.
No one is like God.
Satan’s rebellion was rooted in pride, the desire to reject God's authority. Michael's name proclaims the opposite. God alone is God. No creature, however powerful, can take His place.
That makes St. Michael's battle cry surprisingly relevant to our own spiritual battles.
Every time we place our own will above God's, allow something created to become more important than its Creator, or begin believing that we can manage perfectly well without Him, Michael's question brings us back to the truth:
Who is like God? No one.
Centuries later, Pope Leo XIII composed the prayer Catholics still know so well:
“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil…”
Although the St. Michael Prayer ceased to be universally required after Low Mass in the 1960s, St. John Paul II urged Catholics in 1994 not to forget it and encouraged the faithful to continue praying it.
September 29, the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, is a good day to bring it back into your own daily prayers.
Because St. Michael's ancient battle cry still gives us the right answer whenever pride, temptation, or fear tries to convince us otherwise:
Quis ut Deus? Who is like God?
Catholics have long called upon St. Michael for protection, but he is not the only heavenly protector whose intercession the Church has treasured. The St. Benedict Medal is another beloved Catholic sacramental traditionally associated with protection against evil.
Our Black St. Benedict Passport Cover features the St. Benedict Jubilee Medal, making it a particularly fitting companion when you travel. Keep this reminder of faith and St. Benedict’s intercession with you wherever your journey takes you. Find yours today at The Catholic Company!
