St. Michael, patron saint of law enforcement, paramedics and military

St. Michael is not technically a Saint since the scriptures tell us that he is an angel. To learn about him and his role we can start reading from the sacred scriptures. We do know from the scripture from Daniel that he appeared to Daniel in a vision after Daniel had finished fasting. Furthermore, there are two scriptural references of St. Michael defeating Satan, once in a confrontation and another during a war in heaven that is described in Revelation. From these references, we can learn about the role of the archangel although we won’t know more until those end days come. We know that St. Michael is strong and powerful, we know that he is present with us in death and particularly when we are entering the afterlife.

St. Michael the archangel is also described in the Bible as the protector of Israel and the Bible states again, that he is to emerge during the end of days.

These few characteristics that we know about St Michael the Archangel are likely the reasons why he has become the patron saint of the police, or law enforcement officers more broadly, of the military and of paramedics.

These young men and women risk their lives every day on the job and unfortunately that means that they face life and death circumstances more regularly than most civilians could understand.

St. Michael is there to support their journey but also to watch over them as they walk that line between this life and the next each day and work to go home to their families and friends. The prayer to St. Michael has become popular among law enforcement officers, although it was never made official by the Catholic Church for mass. It may not be listed in the texts, but its impact is real and it was also recited after low mass for many years. Although it is not a part of the texts, the prayer has been approved by the church for use and it is often seen on prayer cards and framed in people’s homes as a reminder of the weight of protection that it carries.

Rather than the framed prayer, some people use other decorative pieces in their homes to represent the power and impact of St. Michael in their lives. The St. Michael plaque is a nice way to keep that strength as a focal point in the home.

Others may prefer to carry those reminders with them all day long, and that is a wonderful way to honor St. Michael and remember to recite the prayer as you work and get busy with family and life. One great item that you can use is a St. Michael pin that you can attach to your lapel or a shirt, and it will stand as a reminder not only to yourself but to those you interact with every day. It is a great way to teach other people about St. Michael and the prayer to him as well because people will ask you about the meaning of the pin that you are wearing.

Some people may want to be more private about their reminder, but still want to wear something that will give them the comfort and focus that they need to keep the archangel on their heart. Many people will wear necklaces that represent the saints and it is a great way to give yourself the freedom to pull it out when you need to call upon them and tuck it away again when you want to return to a private and quiet reverence. You can use a small St. Michael medal for something like this and although the material things are not what connect us to the saints, they are helpful tools in keeping our hearts and minds focused on what is important in our lives. The spouses of law enforcement officers often appreciate these sorts of items because the worry that they feel can be overwhelming on certain days and having a small token of their reverence to remind them to pray and give their concerns to the archangel can be extremely helpful.

Police officers themselves find great comfort in having reminders that they carry with them throughout the day as well. There are also small, silver St. Michael charms rather than pendants that one can use to carry Saint Michael inside one's hat. Some of the medals that are on the market are also made of silver, but gold plated; if you find a more gold look more appealing for yourself or your loved one, then you can get a golden St. Michael pendant.

Remember that the job of police officers and other members of the law enforcement field is a challenging one and they can use all of the comfort and resilience of their faith that they can muster. Wearing a medal like this can make a huge impact on their level of clarity and focus throughout the day. It stands as a reminder that they are not alone in the job that they are doing and they are not only protected by their training, equipment, and brothers and sisters in uniform. They are also protected by their faith in God and their relationship with the archangel himself. The scriptures tell us of St. Michael the Archangel strength and our beloved police officers are strong too, but they are human. They will have days when they feel weak or tired or frustrated, and those will be the days that they are glad they have a piece of St. Michael to carry with them and prayer to help still their hearts.

POLICE OFFICER'S PRAYER TO ST MICHAEL

St. Michael, Heaven's glorious Commissioner of Police, who once so neatly and successfully cleared God's premises of all undesirables, look with a kindly and professional eye on your earthly force. Give us cool heads, stout hearts, hard punches, an uncanny flair for investigation, and wise judgement. Make us the terror of burglars, the friend of children and law-abiding citizens, kind to strangers, polite to bores, strict with law-breakers, and impervious to temptations. You know, St. Michael, from your own experiences with the devil, that the policeman's lot on Earth is not always a happy one; but your sense of duty that so pleased God, your hard knocks that so surprised the devil, and your angelic self-control give us inspiration. And when we lay down our night sticks, enroll us in your Heavenly Force, where we will be as proud to guard the throne of God, as we have been to guard the city of men.

Amen.