Burial Testimonials

Saint Michael – History and figurine

The St Michael statue portrays an image of a strong angel of God. It is common in many churches and homes where it is reminiscent of the defending image that is created in the scriptures about the angel Michael.  Through the passages in the bible, Christians have over the time associated the Michael with fight against evil, the rescue of Christians against the devil especially during death. In history, Christian knights considered St. Michael their patron and prayed to him to grant them victory in battles.

St Michael – The heavenly protector

St. Michael is mentioned four times in the scriptures. In all the mentions, he is portrayed as the protector of God’s kingdom in heaven.  The first mention is in Daniel 10:13, where the prophet Daniel records a vision where he saw Michael help him return Jews to Jerusalem.  The second mention is in Daniel 12 where Michael is once again portrayed as the great prince who protects God’s children against the antichrist. The third mention is in St. Jude (Catholic Epistle) where St. Michael protects the body of Moses by concealing the tomb. In Revelation, John who is the author of the book states that he saw a vision where St. Michael and other angels fought against the dragon marking the conflict that will represent the coming of Jesus Christ. In biblical stories, Michael is portrayed as one of the archangels, who is aptly referred to as the “angel of the Lord”. He was among other archangels such as Gabriel, Raphael and Lucifer (Satan).  When Archangel Lucifer rebelled against God, and mobilized other “like-minded” archangels to take over heaven, Michael mobilized other God-fearing angels to battle against Lucifer and his angels. Michael and his angels triumphed against Lucifer and managed to oust him (Lucifer) out of heaven and into hell. This story as documented in Revelation 12: 7-9 is the genesis of Michael’s titles as the protector of heaven. To signify the faith that good shall overcome evil in the end of times, Christians usually use the St Michael Statue in their homes and churches throughout the world.

St Michael statue

The St Michael Statue is usually displayed in full war regalia including a helmet, a sword, and a shield. In some statues, the angel Michael is standing over and piercing a dragon.  In other statues, the Michael is seen holding scales, ostensibly for use in weighing the souls of people during judgment day. Some of the popular St Michael statues include the “St Michael Victory over the devil” sculpture in St. Michaelis, Germany. There is also a prominent fontaine saint-Michel in Paris, France. One of the original statues after which other statues are modeled after, is believed to be in Santa Maria Church in Rome. This statue is believed to have been made in 1626 AD. Large versions of the St Michael statue are usually as high as 16 inches, while the smaller versions measure at least 8 inches high. Small statues of St. Michael are also used in many churches and homes across the world.

Theodore Bose