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<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />Good morning. It鈥檚 the feast of St Michael and All Angels today, a celebration which has given its name,听 鈥楳ichaelmas鈥�, to the Autumn term in many of the older universities in the UK. And, of course, to Autumn Asters, the Michaelmas daisies that bring colour to our flower beds at this time of year.

But Michael isn鈥檛 the patron saint either of scholars or gardeners:听 he鈥檚 a warrior, and in Church tradition is often portrayed wearing armour, and always bearing a sword or a spear.
In my previous parish I was the vicar of a church dedicated to St Michael and All Angels. It was a very modern red brick building, and on the outside of one wall was a wonderful wrought iron statue of St Michael stepping out into space, spear in hand, triumphing over a seven-headed serpent.

The sculptor, Theo Grunwald, had taken his inspiration from the account in the Book of Revelation of Michael and his angels defeating the devil, called there the great dragon and the ancient serpent. He鈥檇 translated it into a more individual struggle against the seven deadly sins, and in its position high up overlooking a busy main road, it enabled the church to proclaim that none of us has to fight that battle on our own.听

There鈥檚 a way people have of describing those whom they perceive as standing for what is good and just,听 who are people of principle when everything around seems to be shifting or ambivalent.听 鈥淪he (or he) is on the side of the angels鈥�, they say. Well, the story of St Michael tells us that it鈥檚 something that works both ways: in our search for righteousness, as we fight for what is good, the angels are on our side too.

Eternal God, as your holy angels always serve you in heaven, so may they guide us and guard us as we seek to be your holy people who serve you here on earth. Amen.

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