Who is St. Michael defending?

I am often asked about the meaning behind the painting of St. Michael, the Defender. This piece is a powerful one, full of symbolic reminders of the promises of faith. In this work, St Mike comes to our aid with all the power of heaven. It is an image of the theological truth behind the words we pray in the Prayer to St. Michael. But who is the woman? You may wonder:

This woman represents the church, as female. As the Archangel Michael stands alongside the Church to defend her against all the iniquities of the age, he helps believers to resist the devil, who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).” Essentially, we are that woman! While we often see St Mike in the big epic battle, I wondered what is it like when we personally ask him for his intercession? As I prayed into this painting, I felt the power of this Arch Angel come to assist us each individually just as much as he assists the entire church.

Take a moment to imagine it while you prayer the St Michael prayer, which I am sure you have prayed many times. But this time, place yourself in the place of this woman. See yourself being truly protected and fought for by God’s defender.

The St. Michael Prayer

A Prayer in Paint

The evil one is in a darker corner in this image, hiding from the light. Sometimes we forget that there’s a battle going on between good and evil. That battle is for our very hearts, and for the church as a whole. 

Shout in hope and thanksgiving, remembering that Christ has already won. He is Risen. All is being made new and we are being protected. We are being defended by the powers of heaven.

We have Big News to Share!

This original painting is being claimed and will be going to it’s new home in Iowa very soon!! I am so excited and grateful for this! If you’ve long hoped for Defender in your home, classroom, or sanctuary, that means, you are in luck! Pre-sales of this original painting of St. Michael are now available in the print shop! Keep an eye on the shop for museum-quality prints of this powerful sacred artwork.

Why is this such a special devotion?

In recent years, the church has encouraged making a collective prayer for the intercession of St. Michael to protect us in our personal lives and in our church as a whole. In fact, every Pope in the 21st century has something to say about the seriousness of evil, and the power of prayer against it.

Pope Leo XVIII’s complete prayer illustrates what’s happening:

“St. Michael, come to the aid of men created by God in his image and likeness and redeemed at great cost from the tyranny of the devil. Fight the battles of the Lord today with the whole army of the blessed angels, as you have already fought against the prince of pride Lucifer and his apostate angels; and the latter failed to triumph, and now there is no place for them in Heaven.”

Pope St. John Paul II shares:

“This battle against the devil which characterizes the Archangel Michael is still going on, because the devil is still alive and at work in the world. In fact, the evil that is in it, the disorder we see in society, the infidelity of man, the interior fragmentation of which he is a victim, are not merely the consequences of original sin, but also the effect of the dark and infesting activity of Satan, of this saboteur of man’s moral equilibrium.” (Papal Address, 1987)

Pope Benedict XVII teaches:

“But what is an Angel? …. God’s messengers. They bring God to men, they open heaven and thus open earth. Precisely because they are with God, they can also be very close to man. Indeed, God is closer to each one of us than we ourselves are. The Angels speak to man of what constitutes his true being, of what in his life is so often concealed and buried. They bring him back to himself, touching him on God’s behalf.” (Homily during the Ordination of New Bishops, 2007)

and Pope Francis reminds us:

“Michael fights to reestablish divine justice; he defends the People of God from their enemies and above all from the arch-enemy par excellence, the devil. And St. Michael triumphs because in him it is God who acts… Even if the devil is always trying to scratch the face of the Archangel and the face of man, God is stronger; his is the victory and his salvation is offered to every human being. On the journey and in the trials of life we are not alone, we are accompanied and sustained by the Angels of God, who offer, so to speak, their wings to help us overcome the many dangers, to be able to fly above those realities that can make our lives difficult or drag us down.” (Consecration of the Vatican to St. Michael, 2013)

So get ready to snag your very own copy of this painting and continue asking for his intercession!