Feast of Archangels

Today we celebrate the feast of St Michael, the archangel also known as Michaelmas along with Gabriel and Raphael, the Holy helpers. The end of harvesting came in Sept and coincided with the feast of St Michael and it is considered as a special thanksgiving day for all the fruits of the land produced during the year. Name Michaelmas came from Michael's mass like  Christmas (Christ's Mass) and Candlemas where traditionally the candles for all year is blessed. It is also the time of fishing season ended, hunting season begins and apples are harvested.

In 'A book of feast and seasons' by Joanna Bogle' explains a lot of traditions followed in Europe,You have blackberries around, it is the last chance to bottle and can preserve for the winter, as it says' devil spat on them when he was cast out of heaven to hell on Michaelmas and get bitter.Worth trying some brambles around your fence or outside..

So many things you can do as a family, even  if  you have somebody or not in your  house with a name saint Michael.We have a small tradition of giving small gifts on the feast day and I got something for Munnu to make ..

Michaelmas was vanished since reformation and taken over by goose fairs and a number of places in England is still having 'goose fairs'at the end of September, although these days geese are not sold However you can prepare Michaelmas meal with roast chicken stuffed with chopped raw apple before cooking. You could put on the table anything the family has grown during the year; a pot of marigolds, some tomatoes or potatoes and before your meal you can give thanks for all the food that people has grown for this summer.

Why not sing a harvest thanksgiving hymn before the meal? The 19th century favourite of which the first verse goes like this




Or you can make a harvest bread or buy a harvest season bread which is getting increasingly popular and use this special thanksgiving prayer according to Joanna Bogle who is a Catholic journalist.

 Back of the bread is the flour
Back of the flour is the mill
Back of the mill is the wind and the rain
And the father's will

As the above author says, Michaelmas is the time when v can seriously think about our attitude to natural resources which we have dominion, examine our consciences to putting litter, parking cars at beauty spots etc. You can even think of donating some food for food banks or feed a hungry especially in this Year of Mercy..

 Michaelmas meal  can be end up by saying the prayer to St Michael to implore the Archangel' s protection for us all;

Holy Michael the Archangel,....

Michaelmas daisies bloom this time of year which is lovely tall purple daisies that can be collected with children for your Michaelmas table and make it a memorable day for your family. Previous posts on holy helpers found here and other blogs with wealth of information for this special day

St Michael, Raphael and Gabriel Ora pro nobis.