Michaelmas - September 29th




Today is my Name's Day.  In my grandparent's generation, many of the men did not celebrate their birthday but rather their 'Name Day' which was the date of the feast of the saint they were named for. 

September 29th used to be reserved for St. Michael (Michaelmas) in the liturgical calendar, but over time, he came to share the feast with two of the other archangels (Gabriel and Raphael).

Name's carry power and understanding the Hebrew origin behind Michael helped me get a deeper insight into God's call in my life.  Originally, upon hearing that Michael means 'who is like God' one could get a sense of hubris in thinking one is actually 'like God,'

But in looking into the Hebrew origin Mi-ka-el actually is a rhetorical question:  Who is like God?  The answer: no one.  My thought is that in pondering the great actions of the archangel in overcoming evil, he was given the name in the sense that such great things were done through him by God, that it made people ask: Who is like God (in the sense of 'Who is like this person's God if God works so strongly through him?).

That has inspired me to try to live in a certain way to be open to God working through me so that in whatever works I am able to successfully perform through the grace of God - they can point people to God as the source of those acts.  The piece below sums the mission of Michael up well:  to inspire humans into seeking the identify of God.

Some resources:

1. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Michael.html

Michael meaning

The name Michael is commonly translated with Who Is Like God?, but, more accurately, the name denotes an inquiry after the identity of God: Who's God? or What's God Like? As captain of the heavenly armies and expeller of satan, Michael's main mission is perhaps to inspire humans into seeking the identity of God:

Exodus 15:11

Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?

Psalm 35:10

All my bones will say, 'Lord, who is like thee, who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him and the afflicted and the needy from who robs him?'

 2. https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/names/Michael.htm

3. https://www.behindthename.com/name/michael

rhetorical - no one is like God "Who is like God?"

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michaelmas

5.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_u9cj3yK38

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