The Feast of Saint Michael & All Angels

Join us Monday, September 30th at 6:30 pm for the celebration of Michaelmas, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels. The Parish Choir will provide music for the liturgy.

Music for the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels:

• Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena ~ Willan

• Psalm 103 ~ Chant by Adam Cobb

• Anthems: Lord here am I, Beck | Let all mortal flesh keep silence, Holst

• Hymns: 284, 432, 342, 625

Michael the Archangel, "Captain of the Heavenly Host," is that fearless messenger of God who vanquished the angel Lucifer, "the Star of the Morning." Michael is often depicted as a winged angel robed in white, and often as the armed warrior, adorned with halo, crushing underfoot a feeble demon. Very early on Jewish tradition honored Michael, who later became the champion of Christian warriors and commended as the protector of the sick.

Below is a poem on the glory of Saint Michael and All Angels by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894).

"Ye that excel in strength"

Service and strength, God’s Angels and Archangels;
    His Seraphs fires, and lamps His Cherubim:
Glory to God from the highest and from the lowest,
    Glory to God in everlasting hymn
        From all His creatures.

Princes that serve, and Powers that work His pleasure,
    Heights that soar to’ard Him, Depths that sink to’ard Him:
Flames fire out-flaming, chill beside His Essence;
    Insight all-probing, save where scant and dim
        To’ard its Creator.

Sacred and free exultant in God’s pleasure,
    His will their solace, thus they wait on Him;
And shout their shout of ecstasy eternal,
    And trim their splendours that they burn not dim
        To’ard their Creator.

Wherefore with Angels, wherefore with Archangels,
    With lofty Cherubs, loftier Seraphim,
We laud and magnify our God Almighty,
    And veil our faces rendering love to Him
        With all His creatures.