Let us rejoice today in a special way, with St Michael and his companions. Let us praise them and bless them for they are faithful servants of God. Praise, honour and glory to St Michael and all the faithful Angels, and to God for all he has done to them!
St George Preca had a profound devotion to St. Michael the Archangel, whom he chose as the Defender of the Society of Christian Doctrine (SDC). He used to encourage the SDC members to greet St. Michael daily with the following words:
We greet you, Saint Michael:
You are a mighty Prince:
You are our guardian:
We ask you to pray God for us.
Honour and glory to you, gracious Michael the Archangel.
Your name is great indeed everywhere.
Your name makes the heavens rejoice,
strengthen the Church militant,
and consoles those in purgatory.
Hell trembles fearfully because of the great unforgettable victory
which you had over God’s enemies.
Honour and glory to all the angels ministering before the Lord.
Several events in St George Preca’s life highlight the significant role St. Michael played for him. One notable instance was a vision he experienced around the age of five, where he encountered a young man dressed as a British officer who handed him a golden watch. Later in life, St George Preca interpreted this event symbolically, believing the officer to be St. Michael and the watch to represent the prayer book of the SDC members, entitled The Watch.
Preca’s devotion to St Michael was further demonstrated through his enthusiastic celebration of St. Michael’s feast on September 29. He often urged SDC members to spend the entire night of the vigil in prayer, a practice that continues today.
The Hebrew name mîḵā’ēl, meaning ‘who is like God’, still resonates around the world today. May we continue to echo this truth through our words and actions, so that all people recognise that there is no one above God and humbly surrender their will to our most loving Heavenly Father.
