Cathedral of the Archangel Michael. Cathedral of the Archangel Michael

This ancient holiday is especially dear to all Orthodox Christians who venerate the saints. It is fraught with many interesting stories and secrets. For example, it is believed that if you ask for forgiveness for all your sins and believe in it, some kind of guardian angel will definitely appear. It will protect you from troubles and help you find your path in life.

The history of the holiday

During the era of the formation of Christianity, many free interpretations of the Holy Letter arose. New cults appeared, prophets and the Orthodox churches that followed them constantly split into several movements.

In order to put all God's foundations in order, to separate thoughts corresponding to Christianity from traditions mixed with pagan beliefs, Councils were established. This is a congress of the highest representatives of the church.

During each Council, important issues of religion and parishes were resolved. In addition, holidays were appointed that had to be observed by the parishioners. Other celebrations that people invented were not recognized as biblical.

During one of these Councils, the Council of Laodicea, the fate of one of the important holidays of that period was decided.

Council of Laodicea

According to church researchers, this happened in 360 AD. Its name comes from the place Laodicea, which is located in Asia Minor, where the venerable ministers of the temples were called.

According to one version, this congress preceded the famous First Congress, which forever established the main rules of the Christian religion.

At the Council of Laodicea, several significant decisions were made, which are still honored and respected today.

At it, the clergy decided that after the ceremony a person should be anointed. This means that the Holy Spirit descends upon him at the moment of Baptism. In addition, the ministers of the temples expressed their condemnation of those people who, instead of praying to the Son of God, honored the angels more, considering them the creators of everything that exists.

This belief was prohibited by the church, and the ministers of the idea were proclaimed heretics and excommunicated from the parish. At that meeting the feast of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael was created.

Angels

In the Christian religion, angels are only messengers of the will of God. They can only convey it to people, appearing to them in different forms or pushing them to the necessary and correct decision.

Angels represent either beings or souls with superpowers. They do not have a specific gender. Each of them has wings.

According to the New Testament, the saints in heaven have a specific hierarchy of nine stations. For disobedience to the will of their elders, they can be exiled or fold their wings, becoming fallen.

Angels are called to protect God and, if necessary, can become an army for protection. In honor of each of them there are holidays of the Russian Orthodox Church.

There are angels in almost every world religion. In Islam, for example, these are one of the central characters.

The leader of the army of God in Christianity is considered to be Archangel Michael.

Holiday

Faithful Christians, after the meeting of the first abbot fathers in Laodicea, had to celebrate a new event on the ninth month, on its eighth day. It became the Council and other ethereal Heavenly Powers.

Modern people are surprised that the holiday is in November, and it is customary to celebrate in church on the ninth month. The thing is that according to the old calendar, it was the ninth month, counting from March.

Symbols

The Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers contains two references to divine scripture, already in the very dates of its celebration.

So, the ninth month is a direct indication of how many angelic hierarchies exist in Christianity.

The eighth day is heavenly judgment. According to legend, during the apocalypse there will be a meeting of all angels and spirits. According to the old calendar, the eighth day is equivalent to 21 according to the new calendar. Officially, November 21 is the Orthodox holiday of Michael and the Angels.

Angelic ranks

• Seraphim are saints with six wings. They carry within themselves a fiery and selfless love for God.
• Cherubim - with four wings, giving knowledge, wisdom and intelligence.
• Thrones are messengers that carry God. He, as if on a throne, sits during the execution of judgment.
• Dominions are angels who are supposed to help with advice and guidance to monarchs and those in power.

• Powers are responsible for miracles that happen to those who please God.
• Powers - serve to tame the devil's power.
• Archons control the entire Universe and the elements.
• Archangels are teachers who protect people by giving them the knowledge they need for this. They are elevated by the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael.
• Angels are last on the list. Most often they come into contact with people. They appear on earth in order to push a person to the right action.

Revelations mentions seven cherubim, each of which, as an indication of a messenger, holds a trumpet.

Why did the church create the holiday?

This holiday was established, first of all, not in order to honor the saints, but in order to distinguish between divine power and angelic power.

According to the church, angels are more like people, have human likenesses. According to them, they could descend to earth and live with the living. From alliances with messengers, Nephilim appeared - half-humans, half-angels.

Seraphim, according to church beliefs, just like people, pray to God, ask him for forgiveness and faithfully serve him. On the icon “The Cathedral of the Archangel Michael,” the angels continue, kneeling, to cry out to their Creator.

Legend about the holiday

According to the Holy Letter, God, before creating everything visible to the human eye, as well as man himself, created another world. He populated it with ethereal creatures, spirits, angels. This place is several times larger than a human one.

So, Moses said that God created the heavens and the earth. The Church interprets this message as an indication of the heavenly world. They give two designations to providence: both visible to man and an invisible place inhabited by souls.

In that world live angels - spirits without flesh. They were all created by God. It is they who are depicted by the icon “The Cathedral of the Archangel Michael”.

In order to help unfortunate people, the descendants of Adam and Eve, who were once expelled from Paradise, a more ideal world, God sends cherubim to earth.

Archangels

• Archangel Michael became the leader of the army in heaven, ready to defend God's kingdom during the end of the world. The Church believes that he, who once defeated Satan, is preparing for another battle. And they had to force all the icon painters in the world not to depict that terrible battle in which she lost to Michael and lay at his feet. In honor of the Archangel Michael, an Orthodox holiday is celebrated on November 21.
• whose name means “man of God,” is called to bear good news. He protects the chosen people. Various days of Orthodox holidays are dedicated to Gabriel. So, he is celebrated on both March 26 and July 13, as was customary under the old calendar style.
• Barachiel - aka “blessing from God.” This archangel is not found in the Bible, he can only be found in legends. Barachiel gives gifts to righteous people for their faith in God. Often depicted with white roses on his chest, which he gives to people for their kindness.
• Salaphiel - “prays to God.” This archangel is not mentioned in the Bible, only in non-canonical writings. Salafiel must admonish and instruct people through prayers. Even on the icons he is depicted in a prayer pose. The holidays of the Orthodox Church do not include the exact day of this archangel.
• Jehudiel - "God's praise." The name of the archangel exists in ancient legends. In images of Jehudiel, he holds in his hand a wreath of gold as a gift from God for those people who, by their exemplary behavior, atoned for the original sin and became saints.
• Raphael - this archangel is called to help God. People should follow the example of the saint and also try to help the Lord with their actions.
• Uriel - the name of the archangel translates as "God's fire." According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, it was this saint who stood at the gates to Paradise after the first people were expelled from it for their sins. This archangel enlightens the ignorant and gives them knowledge.
• Archangel Jeremiel - "God's height." It must be sent by the Almighty to those people who have lost hope or have begun to lead an unworthy life. The saint must guide them on the high path that will lead them to Grace.

“Cathedral of the Archangel Michael” - icon

Traditionally, the image depicts all the archangels, who must gather at the moment when the decisive battle of good against evil takes place.

In the center of the icon is the Archangel Michael himself. From this image it can be understood that the host of angels along with Michael does not claim a divine role. They willingly glorify the Lord God, as well as the entire indivisible Trinity.

Patron Icon and Michael

According to the Orthodox Christian tradition, every angel is someone's patron. Each icon can help those who pray to God and hope for a miracle.

The most popular icon is from Novgorod. It was written at the end of the fifteenth century and is considered to be made according to the canon. However, each church has its own icon glorifying the Council of the Archangel Michael and his Heavenly Army - protectors of people, messengers of God's will.

Michael is the patron saint of many cities and countries. After Christianity appeared in Kyiv, a huge temple of unprecedented proportions was built for it at that time. Cathedrals in honor of the archangel stand in Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Veliky Ustyug, Staritsa, Sviyazhsk.

In Moscow there is a temple-tomb on the main square, in the Kremlin. This temple is dedicated to the saint. The Council of the Archangel Michael is celebrated there. The sermon at this time is read solemnly.

In icons, the saint is usually depicted standing over a defeated devil, holding a date branch in one hand as a sign of victory and peace, and a spear or sword in the other. His weapon usually has a red cross on it.

The date branch also symbolizes the tree that grew in Paradise. He gave it to the Virgin Mary as a sign of his love and faithful service.

The cathedral is the collection of all the holy angels headed by the Archangel Michael. They glorify the Holy Trinity and serve God.

History of the celebration The Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers.

Even in apostolic times, the false teaching about Angels was widespread.
Among the Christians there were heretics who worshiped Angels as gods and taught that the visible world was created not by God, but by Angels, and they should be revered above Christ. At the beginning of the 4th century, the worship of angels as creators and rulers of the world was condemned and their Orthodox veneration was established. At the same time, a decision was made to celebrate the Council of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly Powers. This holiday is the main of all holidays in honor of the holy angels. In common parlance, it is called Michaelmas Day.

Archangel Michael. What do we know?

From the history:

Long ago, even before the creation of man and the entire visible world, the entire angelic world was endowed with great perfections and gifts. Angels, like people, had free will. They could abuse this free will and fall into sin. This is what happened to one of the supreme angels, Dennitsa, who discovered the source of evil and pride in himself and rebelled against his Creator. The spiritual world shook and some of the angels followed Dennitsa.

At that moment, the Archangel Michael stepped out from the angelic environment and said: “No one like God!”, addressing all the angels with this appeal. With these words, he showed that he recognizes only one One God, the Creator and Ruler of the entire universe.

The struggle was difficult, for Dennitsa was endowed with great perfections. But the forces of good won, and Dennitsa was cast out of heaven with all his followers. And Archangel Michael established himself as the leader of the entire angelic world, faithful to God. Since then, the archangel has had a sword in his hands, because Satan, cast out from heaven, does not calm down.

The fallen angels were prevented from penetrating into the higher regions of the universe and, therefore, they directed all their anger at people.

• In Orthodoxy, Archangel Michael is the most famous angel mentioned in the biblical books. He is also called Archangel Michael. He is the most important angel among the holy army of all Archangels and Angels.
• Archangel Michael is credited with the most important role in the battle between good and evil. It was he who defeated Satan and all his evil spirits.
• Archangel Michael acts as a guard at the gates of heaven and meets the souls of dead people.
• Archangel Michael acts as a judge at the Last Judgment and calls all souls to account. People have long considered Archangel Michael the patron saint of all the dead and pray to him that he would protect them and not punish them at that Judgment.
• The Church reveres Archangel Michael as a defender of the faith and a fighter against heresies and all evil. On icons he is depicted with a fiery sword in his hand, or a spear, overthrowing the Devil.

What archangels do we know?

On this holiday, we remember all the miraculous appearances of the Archangel Michael and other Archangels - Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selafiel, Yehudiel, Barachiel, Jerimiel.

On the icons he tramples the Devil underfoot. In his left hand he holds a green date branch. In the right hand is a spear with a white banner (sometimes a flaming sword), on which a scarlet cross is inscribed.

The following Archangels are known from Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition:

Gabriel- the fortress (power) of God, the herald and servant of Divine omnipotence. On the icons he is depicted with a branch of paradise, which he brought to the Blessed Virgin, or with a luminous lantern in his right hand and a jasper mirror in his left.

Raphael- healing of God, healer of human ailments. On the icons he holds a vessel with healing potions in his left hand, and with his right he leads Tobias carrying a fish.

Uriel- fire or light of God, enlightener. On the icons, he holds a naked sword at chest level in his raised right hand, and a “flame of fire” in his lowered left hand.

Selaphiel- God's prayer book, encouraging prayer. On the icons he is depicted in a prayer position, looking down, with his hands folded on his chest.

Yehudiel- glorifying God, strengthening those who work for the glory of the Lord and interceding for reward for their exploits. On the icons, the right hand holds a golden crown, and the shuitz holds a scourge of three red (or black) ropes.

Barachiel- a dispenser of God’s blessing for good deeds, asking people for God’s mercy. The icons on his clothing feature a lot of pink flowers.

Jeremiel- elevation to God. On icons he holds scales or Scripture in his hand.

Heavenly powers. What do we know?

Holy Scripture teaches us that, in addition to the physical, there is a great spiritual world inhabited by intelligent, good creatures called angels.

The word "angel" in Greek means "messenger". The Holy Scripture calls them this because God often communicates His will to people through them. There are a huge number of angels in the spiritual world, many times more than there are people on earth. They are distinguished by their enlightenment, but they have one task - serving God.

A person who has received holy baptism is given by God a guardian angel for life. Therefore, this holiday is considered the second day of the angel of all Orthodox Christians.

Angels differ from each other in their enlightenment and are divided into three hierarchies - higher, middle and lower. Each hierarchy consists of three ranks.

To the highest hierarchy includes: Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones.

• The closest to the Holy Trinity are six-winged Seraphim. They burn with love for God and encourage others to do so.
• After the Seraphim, the Lord will come many-purified Cherubim. Their name means: outpouring of wisdom, enlightenment, for through them, shining with the light of knowledge of God and understanding of the mysteries of God, wisdom and enlightenment are sent down for true knowledge of God.
• Behind the Cherubim come the God-bearing ones by the grace given to them for service, Thrones, mysteriously and incomprehensibly bearing God. They serve God's justice.

Middle Angelic Hierarchy are made up of three ranks: Dominance, Strength and Authority.

• Dominations They teach you to control your feelings, tame sinful lusts, enslave the flesh to the spirit, dominate your will, and overcome temptations.
• Powers they work miracles and send down the grace of miracles and clairvoyance to the saints of God. The forces help people to obey, strengthen them in patience, and bestow spiritual strength and courage.
• Authorities have the power to tame the power of the Devil. They ward off demonic temptations from people, confirm ascetics, protect them, and help people in the fight against evil thoughts.

To the lower hierarchy includes three ranks: Beginnings, Archangels and Angels.

• Beginnings instruct people to give everyone the honor due to their rank. They teach superiors to perform official duties not for the sake of personal glory and benefits, but for the sake of the honor of God and the benefit of their neighbors.
• Archangels They reveal the secrets of faith, prophecy and understanding of the will of God, strengthen the holy faith in people, enlightening their minds with the light of the Holy Gospel.
• Angels closest to people. They guide people to virtuous and holy lives. They protect believers, keep them from falling, raise the fallen, never leave us and are always ready to help if we wish.

All ranks of the Heavenly Forces bear the general name of Angels - in essence of their service. The Lord reveals His will to the highest Angels, and they, in turn, enlighten the rest.

Guardian angel. What do we know?

According to biblical teachings, during Baptism the Lord gives each of us a Guardian Angel. Throughout life's journey, the Guardian Angel is near us. Only holy people can see them. Our vision does not allow us to see them, but this should not bother us. The main thing is to believe and know that they are always with us and protect us throughout our entire life journey.

According to the teachings of the Church, the Lord gives each of us a Guardian Angel during Baptism. He is always near us, protecting us throughout our life's journey. We, sinful people, do not see them as the saints see them. But we know and believe that they are always with us.

The service of Guardian Angels is great in the eyes of God, since their purpose is to protect and save people. And man, as we know, is the crown of God’s creation.

Every good thought, every good deed, prayer, repentance - all this is born in us and is accomplished at the inspiration of our Guardian Angel. Acting through our conscience and our heart, it keeps us from sin and temptation and helps us fight temptations.

When the Guardian Angel sees us walking the path of salvation, he tries in every possible way to encourage us and confirm us on this path.

If we deviate from the true path, he tries with all his might to bring us back to it.

But if we completely stop listening to our Guardian Angel and fall into sin, the Angel leaves us and, watching us from the side, asks God to be patient and delay punishment. And at the same time, he does not give up trying to reach our conscience and awaken repentance.

Orthodox and folk traditions are closely intertwined among our people.

Feast of the Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers popularly called Michaelmas Day.

You can read about the traditions and customs of the celebration in the article:

Would you like to see Archangel Michael? Nothing is impossible in cinema. - tells the fictional story of the return of the Archangel Michael to earth in the twentieth century. The genre of the film is melodramatic, comedy. If you are strictly religious, this film is not for you...
You can watch the film online in our Cinema hall .

This article is about the city's attractions directly related to Archangel Michael.

The celebration of the Council of the Archangel Michael of God and other disembodied Heavenly Powers was established at the beginning of the 4th century at the Local Council of Laodicea, which took place several years before the First Ecumenical Council. The Council of Laodicea, by its 35th canon, condemned and rejected the heretical worship of angels as creators and rulers of the world and approved their Orthodox veneration. The holiday is celebrated in November - the ninth month from March (with which the year began in ancient times) - in accordance with the number of the 9 ranks of Angels. The eighth day of the month indicates the future Council of all the Heavenly Powers on the day of the Last Judgment of God, which the holy fathers call the “eighth day,” for after this century, which runs in weeks of days, the “eighth day” will come, and then “the Son of Man will come in His Glory.” and all the holy angels with Him" ​​(Matthew 25:31).

The Angelic ranks are divided into three hierarchies - highest, middle and lowest. Each hierarchy consists of three ranks. The highest hierarchy includes: Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. Closest to all the Holy Trinity are the six-winged Seraphim (Flaming, Fiery) (Isa. 6: 2). They burn with love for God and encourage others to do so.

After the Seraphim, the many-eyed Cherubim stand before the Lord (Gen. 3:24). Their name means: outpouring of wisdom, enlightenment, for through them, shining with the light of knowledge of God and understanding of the mysteries of God, wisdom and enlightenment are sent down for true knowledge of God.

Behind the Cherubim come the God-bearing Ones by grace given to them for service, the Thrones (Col. 1:16), mysteriously and incomprehensibly bearing God. They serve God's justice.

The average Angelic hierarchy consists of three ranks: Dominance, Strength and Authority.

Dominions (Col. 1:16) rule over the subsequent ranks of Angels. They instruct God-appointed earthly rulers in wise governance. Dominions teach one to control one's feelings, tame sinful lusts, enslave the flesh to the spirit, dominate one's will, and overcome temptations.

The powers (1 Pet. 3:22) fulfill the will of God. They work miracles and send down the grace of miracles and clairvoyance to the saints of God. The forces help people to obey, strengthen them in patience, and bestow spiritual strength and courage.

The authorities (1 Pet. 3:22; Col. 1:16) have the power to tame the power of the devil. They ward off demonic temptations from people, confirm ascetics, protect them, and help people in the fight against evil thoughts.

The lower hierarchy includes three ranks: Principalities, Archangels and Angels.

The principalities (Col. 1:16) rule over the lower angels, directing them to fulfill Divine commands. They are entrusted with managing the universe, protecting countries, peoples, tribes. They began to instruct people to give everyone the honor due to their rank. They teach superiors to perform official duties not for the sake of personal glory and benefits, but for the sake of the honor of God and the benefit of their neighbors.

Archangels (1 Thessalonians 4:16) preach great and glorious things, reveal the mysteries of faith, prophecies and understanding of the will of God, strengthen the holy faith in people, enlightening their minds with the light of the Holy Gospel.

Angels (1 Pet. 3:22) are closest to people. They proclaim God's intentions and instruct people to live a virtuous and holy life. They protect believers, keep them from falling, raise the fallen, never leave us and are always ready to help if we wish.

All ranks of the Heavenly Forces bear the general name of Angels - in essence of their service. The Lord reveals His will to the highest Angels, and they, in turn, enlighten the rest.

Over all nine ranks, the Lord placed the holy Archangel Michael (his name translated from Hebrew as “who is like God”) - a faithful servant of God, for he cast down from Heaven the proud Lucifer with other fallen spirits. And to the rest of the Angelic Powers he exclaimed: “Let us stand up! Let us become good before our Creator and not think anything displeasing to God!” According to Church tradition, recorded in the service of Archangel Michael, he took part in many Old Testament events. During the Israelites' exit from Egypt, he led them in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Through him the Power of the Lord appeared, destroying the Egyptians and Pharaoh who were pursuing the Israelites. Archangel Michael protected Israel in all disasters.

He appeared to Joshua and revealed the will of the Lord to take Jericho (Joshua 5: 13 - 16). The power of the great Archangel of God appeared in the destruction of 185 thousand soldiers of the Assyrian king Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35), in the defeat of the wicked leader of Antiochus Iliodor and in protecting from the fire the three holy youths - Ananias, Azariah and Mishael, who were thrown into the oven to be burned for refusal bow to the idol. (Dan. 3, 92 - 95).

By the will of God, the Archangel transported the prophet Habakkuk from Judea to Babylon to give food to Daniel, imprisoned in the den of lions (kontakion akathist, 8).

Archangel Michael forbade the devil to show the body of the holy prophet Moses to the Jews for deification (Jude 1:9).

Saint Archangel Michael showed his power when he miraculously saved a youth thrown into the sea by robbers with a stone around his neck off the coast of Athos (Athos Patericon).

Since ancient times, Archangel Michael has been glorified for his miracles in Rus'. In the Volokolamsk Patericon, the story of the Monk Paphnutius Borovsky is given from the words of the Tatar Baskaks about the miraculous salvation of Novgorod the Great: “And since Veliky Novgrad was never taken from the Hagarians... sometimes, by God’s permission, it was a sin for our sake, the godless Hagaryan king Batu captured the Rosi land and burned it and went to the New City and God and the Most Pure Mother of God covered it with the appearance of Michael the Archangel, who forbade him to go against it. He went to the Lithuanian cities and came to Kiev and saw the great Michael the Archangel written above the doors of the stone church and the words of the prince pointing with his finger : “Forbid me from going to Veliky Novgorod.”

Representations for Russian cities of the Most Holy Queen of Heaven were always carried out by Her appearances with the Heavenly Host, under the leadership of the Archangel. Grateful Rus' sang the Most Pure Mother of God and Archangel Michael in church hymns. Many monasteries, cathedrals, palace and town churches are dedicated to the Archangel. In ancient Kyiv, immediately after the adoption of Christianity, the Archangel Cathedral was erected and a monastery was established. There are Archangel Cathedrals in Smolensk, Nizhny Novgorod, Staritsa, a monastery in Veliky Ustyug (beginning of the 13th century), and a cathedral in Sviyazhsk. There was no city in Rus' where there was not a temple or chapel dedicated to the Archangel Michael. One of the most important churches in the city of Moscow - the tomb temple in the Kremlin - is dedicated to him. The icons of the Chief of the Supreme Powers and his Cathedral are numerous and beautiful. One of them - the icon "Blessed Host" - was painted for the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, where the holy warriors - the Russian princes - are depicted under the leadership of the Archangel Michael.

The Archangels are also known from the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition: Gabriel - the fortress (power) of God, the herald and servant of Divine omnipotence (Dan. 8, 16; Luke 1, 26); Raphael - the healing of God, the healer of human ailments (Tob. 3, 16; Tov. 12, 15); Uriel - fire or light of God, enlightener (3 Ezra 5, 20); Selaphiel is God’s prayer book, encouraging prayer (3 Ezra 5, 16); Jehudiel - glorifying God, strengthening those who work for the glory of the Lord and interceding for reward for their exploits; Barachiel is a dispenser of God's blessing for good deeds, asking people for God's mercy; Jeremiel - exaltation to God (3 Ezra 4, 36).

On the icons the Archangels are depicted in accordance with the type of their ministry:

Michael - tramples the devil underfoot, in his left hand he holds a green date branch, in his right hand - a spear with a white banner (sometimes a flaming sword), on which a scarlet cross is inscribed.

Gabriel - with a branch of paradise that he brought to the Blessed Virgin, or with a luminous lantern in his right hand and a jasper mirror in his left.

Raphael holds a vessel with healing potions in his left hand, and with his right he leads Tobiah, who is carrying a fish.

Uriel - in his raised right hand - a naked sword at chest level, in his lowered left hand - a “flame of fire”.

Selafiel - in a prayer position, looking down, hands folded on his chest.

Yehudiel - holds a golden crown in his right hand, and a scourge of three red (or black) ropes in his shuitz.

Barachiel - there are many pink flowers on his clothes.

Jeremiel holds scales in his hand.

Holy Angels live in Heaven, in the invisible, spiritual world. There is the eternal Throne of the Most High, which is surrounded by all the Heavenly Powers, illuminated by Him with the non-evening light. Above all the angelic ranks, the Lord placed the holy Archangel Michael, a faithful servant of God, for he cast down from Heaven the proud Dennitsa with other fallen spirits. Since ancient times, Archangel Michael has been glorified for his miracles in Rus'. Representations for Russian cities of the Most Holy Queen of Heaven were always carried out by Her appearances with the Heavenly army, under the leadership of the Archangel. The Archangels are also known from the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition: Gabriel - the fortress of God, the herald and servant of Divine omnipotence; Raphael - God's healing, healer of human ailments; Uriel - fire or light of God, enlightener; Selaphiel is God’s prayer book, encouraging prayer; Jehudiel - glorifying God, strengthening those who work for the glory of the Lord and interceding for reward for their exploits; Barachiel is a dispenser of God’s blessing for good deeds, an intercessor asking people for God’s mercy; Jeremiel - exaltation to God.

The bliss of the Angels consists in the sight of God, in the contemplation of His glory. Without going beyond the limits of understanding assigned to them, they stand reverently before the Throne of God and constantly glorify His wondrous Name. Their whole life in relation to God consists of this doxology.

The angels of God, like pure spiritual light, are removed from us when sinful darkness envelops our souls. Just as in the visible world the rays of the sun, with all their brilliance and radiance, do not penetrate the coarsest bodies, so in the invisible world the Angels of God, borrowing their light from the Source of Light Himself, appear only to pure souls. Just as fire is kindled by fire, so the spiritual contact of Angelic light with us becomes perceptible only when the fire of pure love for God and the light of faith kindles in our spirit. They come closer to us as we move closer to God, and they move away from us as we move away from God. And just as for our external well-being it is necessary that some be leaders of others, that the wise admonish the foolish, so for the organization of our internal state it is necessary that the Angels facilitate our procession to God and protect us from the attacks of the spirits of evil.

Human nature, like angelic nature, has reason and will. We have every opportunity to achieve excellence. If a person, fulfilling the command of the Creator, directs his will to good, glorifies the Lord with his whole life, joyfully serves God and people with his whole being, then already in this life he becomes angelic.

On November 21, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers. We will tell you about the history and traditions of the holiday; about who the Archangels are and why Michael is among them- Archangel.

What is the Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers

The Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers is a Christian holiday, which in the Russian Orthodox Church is celebrated on November 21 in the new style (November 8 in the old style). The holiday is celebrated in November, the ninth month from March (previously the year began with March). The fact is that, according to Christian theology, there are nine ranks of angels. And the eighth day of the month (according to the old style) is an indication of the future Council of all the powers of heaven, which will take place on the day of the Last Judgment. The Holy Fathers called the Last Judgment “the eighth day.”

When is the Council of the Archangel Michael celebrated?

The celebration of the Council of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied heavenly powers takes place on November 21 according to the new style (November 8 - according to the old style). This is an everlasting holiday.

What can you eat at the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael?

There is no fasting on this day, that is, Orthodox Christians can eat any food.

Angelic ranks

The ranks of angels come in three hierarchies. The highest is the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. Closest to the Holy Trinity are the six-winged Seraphim (translated as “Flaming, Fiery”). Middle - Dominance, Strength and Power. The lowest - the Beginnings, Archangels and angels.

All ranks of heavenly powers are called angels. Angel means "messenger". This reflects their purpose - to convey God’s will to people, to be protectors and teachers of people. Archangel Michael stands above all nine ranks and is therefore called the archangel.

We also know the names of other archangels: Gabriel (“the power of God”), Raphael (“the healing of God”), Uriel (“the light of God”), Selaphiel (“the prayer book of God”), Jehudiel (“who glorifies God”), Barachiel (“ blessing of God"), Jeremiel ("exaltation to God").

archangel Michael

Archangel Michael translated from Hebrew means “who is like God” or in a slightly different way, with a questioning intonation - “who is like God?” He is called the archangel because he led the heavenly army, which rebelled against the angels who had fallen away from God and their leader Dennitsa. We also know Dennitsa as Lucifer, which translated means “morning star.” The Lord endowed this angel with great perfections, but for his pride and rebellion against the Creator, Dennitsa was cast out of Heaven.

What does Archangel Michael help with, what do they pray to Archangel Michael for?

According to the hierarchy of angelic ranks, the Archangels preach the good news to people about the Mysteries of God and reveal God’s will to us. Historically in Rus', they prayed to Archangel Michael for help in getting rid of grief, when entering a new house and at the foundation of a house, for the protection of the royal throne and, in general, the state, for the salvation and preservation of Russia.

History of the celebration of the Council of the Archangel Michael

The Feast of the Council of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly Powers was established by the decree of the Council of Laodicea, which took place around 363 - several years before the First Ecumenical Council.

Archangel Michael in the Old Testament

The tradition of the Church, which is revered by believers along with the Holy Scriptures, says that Archangel Michael was a participant in many Old Testament events. For example, he showed the way to the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt - in the form of a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. In addition, he revealed to Joshua the will of the Lord to take Jericho and transferred the prophet Habakkuk from Judea to Babylon to give food to Daniel, imprisoned in the lions’ den.

Miracles associated with the name of Archangel Michael

Many miracles are associated with the name of Archangel Michael. Here's just one of the stories. Archangel Michael saved the Athonite youth. The robbers wanted to drown the young man: they dreamed of getting the luxurious treasury that he accidentally found. In memory of this miracle, the Bulgarian courtier Dokhiar built a temple on Mount Athos in honor of the Archangel Michael. The gold the boy found was used to decorate the church.

There are also miracles that happened on Russian soil. For example, in the Volokolamsk Patericon you can read the story of the Monk Paphnutius Borovsky about the miraculous salvation of Novgorod the Great: “And since Veliky Novgrad was never taken from the Hagarians ... sometimes, by God’s permission, it was a sin for our sake, the godless Hagaryan king Batu captured the Rosi land and burned it and went to The new city and God and the Most Pure Mother of God covered it with the appearance of Michael the Archangel, who forbade him to go against it. He went to the Lithuanian cities and came to Kyiv and saw the great Archangel Michael written above the doors of the stone church and the prince pointed with his finger: “Forbid me to go to Veliky Novgorod.”

Miracle of the Archangel Michael in Khoneh

The miracle of Archangel Michael in Khoneh occurred in the 4th century. As the legend says, in Phrygia (inland region in the west of Asia Minor) there was a temple built in honor of the Archangel Michael. Near that temple there flowed a spring in which, through a prayer to Archangel Michael, the mute daughter of one of the local residents was healed. In gratitude to the heavenly intercessor, the man built a temple here. Not only Christians, but also pagans went to the source for healing, many of whom renounced idols and turned to the faith of Christ.

In the church of St. Archangel Michael, the pious Archippus was a nun for 60 years. One day the pagans decided to destroy the temple and kill the sexton. To do this, they connected two mountain rivers into one channel and directed their flow towards the temple. Saint Archippus fervently prayed to the Archangel Michael, and the Archangel appeared to him, with his rod he opened a cleft in the mountain and led the waters of a raging stream into it. The temple remained undamaged. The place where the miracle took place received the name Khona, which means “hole”, “cleft”. Hence the name “miracle of the Archangel Michael in Khoneh.”

Icon of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers

On icons, the Archangels are depicted in accordance with the type of their ministry. Michael tramples the devil underfoot, in his left hand he holds a green date branch, in his right hand a spear with a white banner (sometimes a flaming sword), on which a scarlet cross is inscribed. Gabriel is painted with a branch of paradise, which he brought to the Virgin Mary on the day of the Annunciation, or with a luminous lantern in his right hand and a jasper mirror in his left. Raphael holds a vessel with healing potions in his left hand, and with his right he leads Tobiah, who is carrying a fish. Uriel holds a naked sword in his raised right hand at chest level, and a “flame of fire” in his lowered left hand. Selaphiel is depicted in a prayer position, looking down, with his hands folded on his chest. Jehudiel holds a golden crown in his right hand, and a scourge of three red (or black) ropes in his left. Barachiel's clothing features many pink flowers, and Jeremiel holds scales in his hand.

Prayers to the Archangel Michael of God

First prayer to the Archangel of God Michael

Holy and great Archangel of God Michael, the inscrutable and all-essential Trinity, the first primate of the Angels, the guardian and guardian of the human race, crushing with his army the head of the proud star in heaven and always putting to shame his malice and treachery on earth!

We resort to you with faith and we pray to you with love: be an indestructible shield and a firm protector of the Holy Church and our Orthodox Fatherland, protecting them with your lightning sword from all enemies, visible and invisible. Be a wise mentor and companion to all Orthodox Christians, bringing to them from the Throne of the King of Kings enlightenment and strength, joy, peace and consolation. Be the leader and invincible companion of our Christ-loving army, crowning it with glory and victories over our adversaries, so that all who oppose us will know that God and His holy Angels are with us!

O Archangel of God, do not forsake us, through your help and intercession, who today glorify your holy name; Behold, even though we are many sinners, we do not want to perish in our iniquities, but rather turn to the Lord and be quickened by Him to do good deeds. Illuminate our minds with the light of God, so that we may understand that God’s will for us is good and perfect, and we will know everything that we should do and that we should despise and abandon. Strengthen our weak will and weak will with the grace of the Lord, so that, having established ourselves in the law of the Lord, we will cease to be dominated by earthly thoughts and the lusts of the flesh, and for the sake of the corruptible and the earthly, eternal and heavenly, we will not forget. For all of these, ask us from above for true repentance, unfeigned sorrow for God and contrition for our sins, so that we may complete the remaining number of days of our temporary life in erasing the evils we have committed. When the hour of our death and liberation from the bonds of this mortal body approaches, do not leave us, Archangel of God, defenseless against the spirits of evil in heaven; the usual barriers to the souls of mankind from rising to the heavenly, and, protected by you, we will without stumbling reach those glorious villages of paradise, where there is no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life, and we will be honored to see the Most Blessed Face of our All-Good Lord and Master and give glory to Him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Second prayer to the Archangel of God Michael

O Saint Michael the Archangel, bright and formidable commander of the Heavenly King! Before the Last Judgment, weaken me to repent of my sins, deliver my soul from the net that catches me and bring me to the God who created me, who sits on the Cherubim, and pray diligently for her, and through your intercession I will send her to a place of rest.

Oh, formidable commander of the Heavenly Powers, representative of all at the Throne of the Lord Christ, guardian of the strong man and wise armorer, strong commander of the Heavenly King! Have mercy on me, a sinner who requires your intercession, save me from all visible and invisible enemies, and moreover, strengthen me from the horror of death and from the embarrassment of the devil, and grant me the honor of unashamedly presenting myself to our Creator at the hour of His terrible and righteous judgment. Oh, all-holy, great Michael the Archangel! Do not despise me, a sinner, who prays to you for your help and intercession in this world and in the future, but grant me there together with you to glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Troparion of the Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers

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Heavenly armies of the Archangels, we always pray to you, unworthy ones, and with your prayers protect us with the shelter of the wings of your immaterial glory, preserving us, falling diligently and crying out: deliver us from troubles, like the rulers of the Highest Powers.

Kontakion of the Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers

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Archangels of God, servants of the Divine glory, rulers of angels and human mentors, ask for what is useful to us and great mercy, like the Bodiless Archangels.

It is believed that it was Archangel Michael who appeared and helped Joan of Arc. The Archangel instructed Jeanne to carry out her mission - to crown Charles VII in Reims. According to legend, during the liberation of Orleans from the British, Michael, surrounded by a whole host of angels, appeared shining in the sky and fought on the side of the French.

According to the legend of Balkan Christians, Archangel Michael taught the martyrs Florus and Laurus the art of driving horses. That is why on local icons Flora and Laurus are often depicted with horses, the reins of which are held in the hands of the Archangel.

Coptic Christians dedicated the main river of Egypt, the Nile, to Saint Michael. The Copts adopted the Byzantine tradition of celebrating the Archangel Michael, but moved its date to November 12. Also, on the 12th of every month, a special service is held in the Coptic Church in memory of St. Michael, and on June 12, when the Nile overflows its banks, the Archangel is glorified for the flood of the river and the future harvest.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. About names and angels. Day of the Archangel Michael

“No one like God” - this expressed all the knowledge of the great Archangel of his God. He does not describe Him, he does not explain Him - he stands up and testifies. This is his involvement in the radiance of the Divine, and this is the extent to which he reveals this radiance and opens the way to the mystery of the Lord with his word and the name that expresses his entire incomprehensible experience of the incomprehensible God.

There is a place in the book of Revelation where the seer John tells us that when the time comes and we will all be in the Kingdom of God, then everyone will receive a mysterious name, which only God who gives it knows, and the one who receives it will know it. This name seems to contain the whole secret of a person; this name says everything about him; No one can know this name except God and the one who receives it, because it defines that unique, unique relationship that exists between God and His creation - each and only creature for Him.

We bear the names of saints who lived and fulfilled their calling on earth; we are dedicated to them, just as churches are dedicated to this or that saint; and we should ponder both the meaning of his name and the personality of the saint, which is accessible to us from his life. After all, he is not only our prayer book, intercessor and defender, but to some extent also an image of what we could be. It is impossible to repeat anyone’s life, but it is possible to learn from the life of this or that person, a saint or even a sinner, to live more worthy of oneself and more worthy of God.

And today we celebrate the honor and memory of Archangel Michael, surrounded by the Angels of the Lord. Angels are messengers; An angel is someone whom the Lord can send on a mission and who will completely and completely fulfill it. It may seem strange that we call a whole group of the Lord's creatures by a name that denotes their office, their service, as if there was nothing else about them. And in fact this is so, and this is their holiness: purified, shining with God’s light, according to the word of Gregory Palamas and our liturgical books, they are second lights, reflections of the eternal light of the Divine. They do not have that opacity, that darkness that allows us to be called by a name, and this name is the definition of our place in the face of God and our place in the Lord’s creation. They are the second lights. What does this mean?

This means that some divine light flows through them unhindered, freely, like a wide river; but not just like through an empty chute, not just like through a lifeless glass, but the way the light flows, sparkles, shines, and multiplies, when it falls on a precious stone, reaches his heart and from there shoots out to the sides with an answering radiance, illuminating, and sometimes blinding with its beauty.

This is an image of true holiness, and in this respect they are truly Angels, because we recognize them, experience them only as the radiance of Divine light, a radiance not diminished, not darkened, but an increased and joyful radiance, bringing life - and the essence of their being and the essence of their holiness remains a mystery between them and God, Who knows the depths of His creation...

But their personal holiness is revealed to us especially by the separate name by which each of them is named. Some of these names entered the Holy Scriptures, were revealed to the experience of the Church and show us what their special holiness is. The Archangel of the Heavenly Powers, to whom many among us here and many in the Russian country are dedicated, is named Michael. "Michael" is a Hebrew word and it means "No one like God"; and this word expresses the entire stand of the great Archangel, when Dennitsa rebelled against God, wanting to establish himself in some, at least created, isolation and independence, and when the great Archangel Michael stood up and uttered this one word, which determined everything for him: “No one like God,” and established him in such a relationship with God that he became the keeper of the gates of heaven. “No one like God” - this expressed all the knowledge of the great Archangel of his God. He does not describe Him, he does not explain Him - he stands up and testifies. This is his involvement in the radiance of the Divine, and this is the extent to which he reveals this radiance and opens the way to the mystery of the Lord with his word and the name that expresses his entire incomprehensible experience of the incomprehensible God.

On the icons, Archangel Michael is depicted in armor, with a flaming sword in his hand. He tramples the dragon, which signifies evil; The Archangel stands at the gates of heaven, not allowing those who are not ready to enter this holy and sacred place; and he is also depicted on those gates of the iconostasis through which the clergy exits the altar: a priest with the Gospel, at the Great Entrance, or a deacon at the litany; and these are the gates through which, in the liturgical, liturgical order, no one enters the Holy of Holies, the altar.

Another Archangel, Gabriel, whose name means “Fortress of God,” is depicted on the gate through which the deacon enters back into the altar during the service. Gabriel is the one who announces to us that the door is open for us to enter again into the presence of God; that the power of God has been demonstrated, that God has overcome and we are saved. From the Evangelist Luke we know that Archangel Gabriel brought Zechariah the news of the birth of John the Baptist, and he also announced to the Virgin Mary that She had found grace from God and would give birth to the Savior to the world; That’s why we see him on icons with an olive branch in his hands - a sign of God’s reconciliation with the world.

We read about Archangel Raphael in the book of Tobit, how he accompanied his son Tobias and healed Tobit and his daughter-in-law, and his name means “Healing of God”; and the Holy Scripture tells us about other Archangels and Angels; and the faith of the Church, Christian experience tell us about Guardian Angels.

About the day of remembrance of the saint whose name we bear, we say that this is “the day of our Angel.” And in a sense, in the sense of our dedication to the saint, this is true; but with different holy people - as well as with the ordinary people around us - our communication develops in different ways: some are closer to us personally, through prayer and through their life, which we would like to imitate; others we admire as if from afar. Our relationship with the Guardian Angel is completely different: we are entrusted to him, and he is our Guardian, regardless of whether we turn to him, whether we remember him at all or not, like our mother and father, with whom we have an indestructible connection, no matter what we think, no matter how we act towards them, no matter how we behave...

And one more thing: one person on earth was called the messenger and Angel of the church faith: this is the Baptist John, and about him we read words exactly similar to what I just said about Angels. The beginning of the Gospel of Mark says about him: He is the voice of one crying in the wilderness... He is a voice, he is only the sound of the Lord’s voice, he is an Angel, because God Himself speaks through him, and he himself says about himself that he needs to diminish in order to the image of the Lord stood before people in full measure.

This is the way on earth; we must diminish, diminish, gradually lose what seems so precious, but in fact is the condensation of our visible nature. We must gradually become transparent in order to become, as it were, invisible - just as a precious stone is invisible and is revealed only by the light that, striking it, illuminates everything around. Then we seem to lose something of our temporary being, but only in order to acquire the inalienable knowledge of God, the only one that each of us who calls himself “I” can have and which he can reveal to all others, because each of us experiences God in a unique and unique way. Our path is from earth to Heaven, from our heavy incarnation into enlightenment and transparency... The angel on earth is the unfalse witness - John the Baptist, who is on the way, and the One Whom the Holy Scripture calls the “Great Council Angel” - God who came in the flesh.

These are the images, those thoughts, those thoughts from our veneration of the Angels, from our love for them, from our communication with them in prayer and their intercession for us, which can help us find the path of our own soul from earth to Heaven, from our own darkness to perfect enlightenment. Through the prayers of the holy Angels and Archangels, may the Lord grant us, having renounced ourselves, by free will, by love for God, to begin to diminish until God Himself shines forth in full measure in each of us. Amen.

Archangel Cathedral in the Kremlin

Since ancient times, the Cathedral of St. Archangel Michael in the Kremlin has been the tomb of the great princes and Russian tsars. In the old days it was called the “Church of St. Michael in the Square.”

The history of the Archangel Cathedral dates back to the 14th century. In 1333, the first Grand Duke of Moscow, Ivan Kalita, founded a white stone church in the name of St. Archangel Michael, whom the Russian people considered the patron saint of warriors. In 1505-1508, a new majestic cathedral was erected on the site of the ancient temple. The construction was led by the Venetian architect Aleviz Novy, invited by the Grand Duke.

From the moment of its foundation until the 18th century, the Archangel Cathedral served as the resting place of Moscow princes and tsars. Tombstones for princes with words of prayers and epitaphs on white stone slabs are located under the arches of the temple in strict order. Tombs of the Rurik dynasty are along the walls of the temple. The tombs of the kings from the Romanov dynasty are located at the southwestern and northwestern pillars. The first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible and his two sons were buried in a special royal tomb built in the altar part of the cathedral.

Among the most revered shrines of the Archangel Cathedral were the relics of Saint Prince Michael of Chernigov, who died a martyr in the Golden Horde, and Saint Tsarevich Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible. The remains of the saints were not buried, but were placed in special arks - crayfish, intended for the worship of believers. The reliquary with the relics of Tsarevich Dmitry is installed at the southwestern pillar under a carved stone canopy.

The cathedral was first decorated with frescoes during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. From this ancient painting, only small fragments on the pillars of the temple and several compositions in the altar and the royal tomb have survived. In 1652-1666, the cathedral was painted anew - a large team of Russian craftsmen worked. The work was supervised by the famous royal painter Simon Ushakov.

Among the saints depicted on the pillars of the temple, we see Princess Olga, Grand Duke Vladimir, the baptist of Rus', his sons Boris and Gleb who were martyred, princes Andrei Bogolyubsky, Alexander Nevsky, Daniil of Moscow. A unique feature of the painting of the Archangel Cathedral is the cycle of funerary portraits: in the lower tier above the burials of the Rurik princes their “imaginary” portraits are painted. This “portrait” gallery of historical figures opens with the image of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Kalita and ends with the image of Georgy Vasilyevich, the younger brother of Ivan the Terrible.

The iconostasis of the cathedral, crowned with the Crucifixion, was built during the reign of Fyodor Alekseevich Romanov in 1679-1681. All icons were painted by masters of the Tsar's Armory Chamber. Only in the local, lower row, several ancient icons have been preserved. To the right of the Royal Doors, there is a temple icon of the cathedral - “Archangel Michael in Acts”, created around 1399. According to legend, this icon was painted by order of the widow of Dmitry Donskoy, nun Evdokia, in memory of the Grand Duke and his victory in the Battle of Kulikovo Field.

Michael's Day - folk customs of celebrating the Council of the Archangel Michael

In Rus', the Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers was one of the most joyful holidays. From that day on, the cattle were driven into barns for winter feed. They arranged a wide feast and invited guests to the hut. They baked pies and served fresh honey to the table. The festivities could last a whole week - this is how the peasants prepared for the strict Nativity, or Filippov, fast.

A few days before the Council of the Archangel Michael, the priest and the clergy went to the houses of parishioners and served prayer services. The owners, in gratitude, treated them to a loaf of bread or money - from 5 to 15 kopecks from the yard.

Elizaveta Kiktenko