|Feast: September 29 Michael, who ranks among the seven
archangels, is also one of the three angels mentioned by name in
the Scriptures, the others being St. Raphael and St. Gabriel.
St. Michael is spoken of twice in the Old Testament, and twice
in the New. The first reference occurs in the Book of Daniel
(chapter x), where Michael comes to comfort Daniel after he has
had a vision, and promises to be his helper in all things. In
Daniel xii, Michael is called "the great prince who standeth for
the children of Thy people." In these references Michael is
represented as Israel's great support during the seventy years
of the Babylonian captivity. Daniel, wise and holy leader that
he was, wanted his people to understand that God had not
forgotten them, and that, even though enslaved, they had a royal
champion. In the New Testament (Jude ix), we are told that
Michael disputed with the devil over the body of Moses; this
episode is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. In the
Apocalypse (chapter xii) we find the most