A day after voting between two saints with elegant names, we're back to more mundane monikers. Anna and Michael. There is nothing mundane about these two contestants, however, as prophet faces archangel in a matchup you will only find here at Lent Madness. Is it fair to put an angel in the bracket against a mere mortal? We're not sure. But as the familiar expression goes, "All's fair in love and Lent Madness."
Speaking of those elegantly named saints, Eglantyne Jebb easily defeated Seraphim of Sarov 73% to 27% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen.
Today is the last battle of a full week of saintly thrills and spills. We'll see everyone bright and early on Monday morning with an exciting agricultural matchup between Isidore the Farmer and Phocus the Gardener. TGIL, everybody! (Thank God It's Lent).
Anna the Prophet
Like many women in the Bible, Anna doesn’t have a lot of scriptural context to sketch a complete biography. However, the simple fact that Anna is given a name and title speaks to the importance of this woman. Known as Anna the Prophet, she is recognized as the widow who was with Simeon in the temple when Jesus was presented by Mary and Joseph shortly after his birth.
Saint Luke (2:36–38) tells us: “There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
As a Jewish prophet, Anna led a life of devotion to God through daily prayer, worship, and work at the temple. Anna is honored as a saint for her recognition of Christ as the Messiah during his presentation in the temple. Both Simeon and Anna were transformed by their encounter with Jesus, which led to the creation of the Song of Simeon that we sing to this day. Also known as the Nunc Dimittis, the Song of Simeon is a traditional canticle often used in Compline and Evensong.
Although we don’t know much about the details of her life, Anna’s presence and witness offer several important lessons. She teaches us about the importance of prayer and fasting to prepare for the coming of our Lord. She models for us the importance of patience, since much of a faithful life is spent waiting. Her diligence assures us that the practices of prayer, fasting, preparation, and patience will give us a reward far greater than anything we can imagine. Anna teaches us that our faithful practices allow us to participate in the coming of Christ.
Anna’s feast day is celebrated on February 3.
Collect for Anna the Prophet
Almighty and life-giving God, we give thanks for the witness of Anna the Prophet who recognized our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ during his presentation in the temple. We give thanks, O Lord, for the teachings of Anna that show us the path to glory can be found through prayer, fasting, preparation, and patience; in Christ’s name. Amen.
Michael the Archangel
The word angel means messenger from God. Archangels are considered the chief angels in the hierarchy of angels, although most of this hierarchy is human construct. The full name of Michael translates to “Who is like God?”—an obviously rhetorical question. Michael is mentioned in the holy texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Michael is described in the Bible as a helper and defender of God’s holy people, the one who cares for the dead (Michael even argues with the devil over Moses’ body in the book of Jude). Most notably, Michael is portrayed as fighting and defeating the dragon in the Book of Revelation. Michael is frequently depicted as a warrior angel, holding a sword and a shield and standing astride a defeated and subdued dragon.
While Michael has been invoked in prayer through the centuries as the defender and protector of the people of God, the warrior image is a more modern concept. In the early centuries of Christianity, the faithful venerated Michael as a defender and protector, not through violence and war but through healing. Churches, shrines, and holy places dedicated to Michael began appearing in the fourth century as places of healing. Many of these holy places were built around hot springs in Greece and Asia. Michael’s protection extended from life to death, as Michael guarded the souls of the dead against evil and guided them to God as they came into the kingdom of heaven.
Only as Christianity became associated with political and military might did the image of Michael shift to an archangel clad in armor and leading armies in the name of Christ. By the Middle Ages, Michael and George became the patron saints of chivalry, a code of conduct associated with knighthood and military service.
Michael is given credit for redirecting a river to save a church; standing with a sword over the tomb of Hadrian, thus protecting Rome from a devastating plague under the papacy of Gregory the Great; and appearing to the Bishop of Avranches in 708 with directions to build a church on the rocky islet now known as Mont Saint-Michel in France. Michael is also considered to be the domesticator of horses; legend holds that Michael taught Saint Florus and Saint Laurus to listen to the language of horses so they could be helpers to humanity.
Collect for Michael the Archangel
Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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303 comments on “Anna the Prophet vs. Michael the Archangel”
May Gabriel be with me on Sundays, and the power of the King of Heaven
May Gabriel be with me always that evil may not come to me, nor injury.
Michael on Monday I speak of, my mind is set on him,
Not with anyone do I compare him but with Jesus, Mary’s son.
If it be Tuesday, Raphael I mention, until the end comes, for my help.
One of the seven whom I beseech, as long as I am on the field of the world.
May Uriel be with me on Wednesdays, the abbot with high nobility,
Against wound and against danger, against the sea of rough wind.
Sariel on Thursday I speak of, against the swift waves of the sea,
Against every evil that comes to a man, against every disease that seizes him.
On the day of the second fast, Rumiel – a clear blessing – I have loved,
I say only the truth, good the friend I have taken.
May Panchel be with me on Saturdays, as long as I am in the yellow-coloured world,
May sweet Mary, together with her friend, deliver me from strangers.
May the Trinity protect me! May the Trinity defend me!
May the Trinity save me from every hurt, from every danger.
- A ninth century Irish "Archangelic prayer." It includes several lesser known names among the archangels.
http://fullhomelydivinity.org/articles/angels.htm
I was going to vote for Anna in honor of my grandmother Anna, a nurse and former Episcopal nun in the Order of St Anne (see Call the Midwife.) However, when I heard that Michael taught two human saints to understand the language of horses, I had to vote for him. How delightful that people understood early on that horses have their own language, which people can try to understand in order to communicate with them. I rode for many years before finally retiring a year ago. I learned a little bit of the language of horses. Horse people refer to certain patient school ponys and horses as saints, with good reason.
I always thought it was cheating to call angels saints since they aren’t human. I’m voting Anna!
For me, in some ways, this was the most difficult choice yet. In another, the similarity of Michael’s qualities and attributes to another Michael, taken to heaven much too soon for us earthbound, won the day. Our Michael, a marine, son, father, brother and friend has the most beautiful depiction of the Archangel Michael on his headstone. And then, there’s the bit about horses...
Her prayer, patience, devotion, and boldness in speaking "about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” cause me to vote for Anna.
Oh, Lent Madness Organizing Committee.... how do you decide who, exactly, gets to be a saint in this annual tourney? Especially curious today, since neither the Jewish temple-dweller nor the heavenly sword-wielder are likely to be found in any list of saints, not even in lists of "Anglican saints." (Where canonization is not required.)
So... how does one get "saint" bestowed upon oneself for Lent Madness?
St. Celia et seq. - You have provided more evidence for why I am mad about Lent Madness. Isaiah! Milton! The sex life (or not) of angels! Love this thread! Thank you, each and all.
"St. Michael and All Angels" is a feast day in the Episcopal Church - September 29.
This was a very difficult choice for me. It occurs to me that the stories of Anna and Michael might be more fruitfully interpreted metaphorically than literally. As someone pointed out, the word "sanctus" first means "consecrated" or "holy." The Episcopal Sanctus begins, "holy, holy, holy." "Sanctus" doesn't necessarily denotes "sainthood." I have always found the concept that humans are qualified to declare who or isn't a saint a curious notion. I don't think this pairing is as unfair as it is impossible. Michael needs no introduction and certainly no human attempts to elevate him. I like to think him as standing at the entrance to heaven, greeting Anna, for whom I voted, with a smile and a halo.
Many languages, including most of the familiar Western ones, don’t have a separate word for “saint.”
Though Italian and the Iberian languages do have a special form they use as a title for most male saints.
Word nerd! (I’m one, too!)
Brilliant! now we have an armed archangel and a dragon in competition with an aged widow! As an awesome elder I'm going with Anna and her recognition of the Messiah -
A very hard choice again today. Anna is my daughter's name and she was born on my birthday; which is the day we commemorate Michael and the Angels.
I am very devoted to Michael, but being an immortal, is he qualified to be a mere human saint?
Father, Son, Holy Spirit -- Archangel Michael --Amen
In my family we vote for human beings, just saying... 🙂
Had to go with Anna- her feast day is my birthday
Michael was a healer and protected, before he was a warrior. I voted for Michael, in honor to his previous vocation. Let us return him to it.
I have experienced Michael as a healer and companion in healing during a hard and scary time in my life. He gets my vote and my gratitude.
As awesome as Michael is, this match-up is unfair. The Saintly Scorecard pits saint against saint--not saint vs heavenly being who never experienced life as a human being.
If Michael indeed guards the souls of the dead and escorts them to God, I’m not voting against him!
Terrible choice to make. Both are excellent examples of Godly virtue but I will have to go with Michael, mostly because I am really partial to angels!!
I think it is interesting that a lot of the votes for Anna have the same reasoning as was used to vote against Seraphim yesterday.
Horse sense leads me to vote for Michael. And his care of so many for so long.
Human vs archangel! This is madness!!!
I have a photo of myself with Abp. Ramsey and my then young son Michael. I attached a(n imagined) caption:
ME: Your Grace, this is my son, Michael, named after the archangel.
ABP: You know, the archangel was named after me.
(Not far out of character -- At a conference with Cardinal Suenens a reporter asked which one was the Cardinal and Ramsey promptly replied that he was.)
Needless to say, I vote for Michael.
I was a little befuddled today, choosing between a lady who sits in temple all day and a guy who arguably isn't even a guy. More like some kind of demigod.
The only person to vote for would be Anna, and all she did was show up. Then I thought about it a bit more. "They also serve who only stand and wait." And all the despair that had to go into the writing of that poem.
Woody Allen supposedly observed that most of what constitutes leading a good life is "showing up."
Or something like that. Showing up.
Well, maybe that's a point all of us can take as we move through this holy season.
Sometimes it isn't the clever turns of phrase or the erudite reasoning employed that make the difference. Sometimes it's just showing up.
When your kid is singing at the Spring Concert, it doesn't matter if you understand what they're singing, or why they chose the pieces they did. What matters, above all, is that you show up.
When someone is being buried, you might not even have known the guy very well, but you show up.
Well, Anna showed up. And for that, she will always be remembered.
Nice! Thanks
Well reasoned. "What he said."
Anna for me. She devoted her life to prayer and fasting and actually saw the infant Jesus, our Lord. Michael the Arch angel is in heaven getting a laugh out of this, I bet.
I cannot see how an angel would know the human life with its ups and downs. This has been an interesting addition when the saints in this lent madness were martyrs and suffered to be a testimony to Jesus and Christianity.
I voted for Anna because while we as Christians need the protection of big, bold Angels, we also need the meek and less physically forceful to quietly move Heaven to advance the faith!
I agree with you Paxton. I also voted for Anna.
I voted for Anna, based on being a real person, but I did enjoy Michael dancing to "Chain, chain, chain."