Monday 28 April 2014

SAINT MICHAEL


During my school days at Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in Ipoh, I would walk across the road to Sam Tet School to wait for my dad to finish work.  What I do is to hang out near the compound of the St Michael's church.  The Catholic church sure looks a lot different from those days.
The statue of St Michael's had not been erected.
In Roman Catholicism Saint Michael has four distinct roles. First, he is the Supreme Enemy of Satan and the fallen angels. He vanquished Satan and ejected him from Paradise and will achieve victory at the hour of the final battle with Satan. Secondly, he is the Christian angel of death: at the hour of death, Saint Michael descends and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing. Saint Michael's third role isweighing souls in his perfectly balanced scales (hence the saint is often depicted holding scales) on Judgment Day. And finally, Saint Michael is the Guardian of the Church.
In the Catholic tradition, Saint Michael symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and he has been widely represented in Catholic art through the ages. Devotions to Saint Michael have a large Catholic following, and a number of churches are dedicated to him worldwide.
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