Today in Saintly Sixteen action, Esther squares off against Michael the Archangel. To make it this far, Esther made it past Lazarus while Michael got by Anna the Prophet. Will St. Michael or one of the "all angels" prevail?
Yesterday, Anna Alexander made it past Edith Cavell 65% to 35% to advance to the Elate Eight. She'll face the winner of Eglantyne Jebb vs. Catherine Winkworth. By the way, our Bracket Czar Adam Thomas delved into bracket history and has ruled that Monday's battle that saw Maria Skobtsova trounce Quiteria 91% to 9% was the most lopsided victory ever in the modern era of Lent Madness. The previous record was from 2014 when Basil defeated Antony of Egypt 87% to 13%.
Oh, and did you miss the Tuesday edition of Monday Madness? If you can stand the planets being out of alignment, watch it here.
Esther
Esther, or Hadassah in Hebrew, was the secretly-Jewish queen of Persia who saved her people from genocide through her prayer, bravery, and wits, as recorded in the Bible.
She is celebrated in the church on July 1 in the Eastern Orthodox church. Note that the Orthodox church does not have the same requirements for sainthood as you might be used to: she joins luminaries like Abraham, Joseph, and Jacob on the calendar. Also, recall that in the years before formalized bureaucratic processes, saints were not made by the Church; they arose, grassroots-style, from the people.
In Esther’s case, she became very popular with a particular group of people in Spain, born from one of the worst sins the Church committed. During the Spanish Inquisition of the late 15th century, the Jews of Spain were given a life-or-death choice: convert to Christianity, flee the country, or die. For the Jews who chose conversion, such a capitulation did not reward them with an easy life thereafter: they were ridiculed and shunned by their former community, and denigrated and distrusted by their new co-religionists. The word for this group of converted Jews in Spanish among the Spanish Catholics was ‘marranos’ or ‘pigs’ which should give you an idea of how they were received. In the face of such hatred from all corners, this beleaguered group found a way to hold on to their identity in secret.
Because they were not able to celebrate Purim or Passover, or any of the traditional festivals, the Jewish converts became much enamored with a Saint Esther, and threw themselves into celebrating her festival in the spring—around the same time as Purim and Passover would normally fall. St. Esther’s festival could pass as acceptable, because after all—was she not in the Christian Bible? Was she not a biblical heroine? Surely all good Catholics had heard of Saint Esther! Icons of her began to appear all around.
Many of the converted Jews fled to the New World, and seemed to have taken their love of Esther with them to Mexico and the American Southwest (although there is conflicting information on this). The retablo style of iconography soon grew to include Esther, and celebrations of her feast day sprang up in the small towns of New Mexico.
Esther’s story, of a woman who secretly clung to her faith in spite of all oppression, spoke to those who were experiencing the same sort of trials at the hands of the Church. Her sainthood then is both a rebuke of the Church’s sins, and a hope that people of faith may learn from her witness in the future.
Michael the Archangel
The Archangel Michael is not known for giving interviews, so quotes from the Archangel are rare (read: nonexistent).
Quirks, however, are plentiful, particularly those associated with the many monasteries, churches, and holy sites named in honor of St. Michael.
One particularly fascinating quirk is the legendary Sword of Michael, a straight line of monasteries and churches forming a spiritual path devoted to St. Michael in the form of Michael’s sword. The hilt of the Sword begins at Skellig Michael (meaning Michael’s Rock), a 6th century monastery off the coast of Ireland (or somewhere in a galaxy far, far away, if you’re a fan of the latest Star Wars movies).
The Sword of St. Michael continues through Saint Michael’s Mount (Cornwall, England); Mont Saint-Michel (Normandy, France); Sacra di San Michele (Turin, Italy); Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo (Mount Gargano, Italy); before coming to an end at Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery (Haifa, Israel), representing the tip of the sword. Legend holds this line symbolizes the sword that Michael used to send Lucifer and the other rebellious angels into hell.
Michael’s legendary fortress, Mont Saint-Michel off the Normandy coast, may be the most famous edifice built to honor the Archangel. Mont Saint-Michel began its life in the 8th century, when legend holds that Michael appeared to Aubert, bishop of Avranches, and instructed the bishop to build a church in the Archangel’s honor. The bishop ignored the Archangel’s request until Michael burned a hole in the bishop’s skull with Michael’s angelic finger.
Needless to say, the bishop began the foundations of Mont Saint-Michel immediately.
Its English counterpart, located off the coast of Cornwall in a tidal area with similar characteristics, is Saint Michael’s Mount, also built in the 8th century and serving as a monastery until the early 11th century, when it passed into private ownership.
No legends tell of Michael burning holes to encourage the building of this edifice, although the island’s west side was long-known as a place local fisherman would row past before going out to sea, as Michael would appear and warn of any imminent danger that awaited them.
While not directly associated with Michael, the island is also known as the dwelling place of a giant who would steal cattle and children until a young man named Jack ventured to the Mount, dug a deep pit while the giant was sleeping and blew a loud horn to startle the giant awake. Raging to find the source of his disturbed sleep, the giant stormed out of his castle and fell into the deep pit, and the legend of Jack the Giant Killer was born.
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159 comments on “Esther vs. Michael the Archangel”
Again, just gotta vote for the human.
I'm fascinated by the history of the converted Jews' devotion to St. Esther and by her iconography. Here's an interesting article I found on that topic: https://www.timesofisrael.com/queen-esther-patron-saint-of-crypto-jews/
This was a tough one for me. As a retired police officer to not vote for St. Michael, the patron saint of police officers, was difficult. However, I'm sure that St. Michael is pleased by the courage and example of Esther; therefore, she gets my vote.
I voted for Esther because she can be a saint; Michael, being an angel, cannot be one.
That's right!
Then why do we have St. Michael and St. Raphael and St. Uriel and St. Gabriel?
Kudos today to both bloggers for their excellent write-ups! I found the geographic info about Michael's sword very compelling (Dan Brown, are you reading this? need an interesting religious vehicle for your next bestseller?) but I stuck with Esther - not only because she's one of my five remaining bracket picks for the potential Elate Eight, but because she so wisely reached out to her community to pray and fast with her as she prepared to approach the king. Think how much better our world would be if that humble approach preceded all important negotiations . . .
Tammie, I like that thought about a "humble approach preceded all important negotiations.
I have always loved the Esther story, but I always vote for Michael Archangel.
I voted for Esther in atonement for the horrors of the Inquisition and The Church's terrible persecution of our Jewish compatriots.
Ester is as legendary as Michael. Michael is mentioned in scripture and is my namesake ! One vote Michael!
Yes, and Michael does have Saint in front of his name. To deny him this is not our prerrogative. cf Irene's comment below.
YMMV, of course, but the original, non-bureaucratic meaning of saints is "holy ones," so I have no trouble including Michael in that category. We sing, "Ye Watchers and ye holy ones...archangels, angel choirs." While personally I think neither Esther nor Michael "existed" in the historical or scientific sense (feel free to disagree), I don't think that is important in this context. Esther's write-up today was superb, but I had to vote for Michael out of loyalty and gratitude: I chose him as a patron saint during a particularly difficult time of my life.
Love hearing the Michael legends, but I had to cast my vote for Esther. Her unwavering faith and her work should be inspiration to us all in how we should live.
Nothing against Michael, love Michael, but I just think Archangels shouldn't be competing.
Esther: her story is my favorite book in the Bible. I will remember her on July 1! Obviously, she got my vote. Esther would make a fitting wearer of The Golden Halo.
Looks like Michael's getting stomped, but I have to remain faithful to him because the first church I worked at was St Michael & All Angels--not the Archangel but the Prince of the armies of heaven, I guess. More remotely, Britten's War Requiem, one of my favorite works, was written for the dedication of the new Coventry Cathedral of St Michael the Archangel.
After yesterday's match up, I find this pairing a little underwhelming. Burning holes in people's heads when they won't do what you want doesn't really fit the category of saint. I vote for Esther in honour of all those whose faith is known only to God, and for those who found in her a solace.
"Her sainthood then is both a rebuke of the Church’s sins, and a hope that people of faith may learn from her witness in the future." This from Megan helped me stay on Team Esther this round.
Wow. Let's hear it for the two bloggers today. My vote is for Megan and Laurie. Each writer gave it her all, although I have to say that including Jack the Giant Killer smacked a bit of desperation. I voted for Esther, because I was convinced by the historical recounting of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in the Alhambra decree of 1492 (a highly ambiguous year in western history). Jews, Moors, the "Other," all have been ejected from our civic bodies. Never forget, but what terrible things to remember. I voted for Esther, because today, this very "day" in political history, we are seeing the term "globalist" used more and more, and in the mouths of adherents of a certain political party, it invariably means "Jew." The rise of anti-semitism and the far right in American political culture is an alarming fact of current news. Racist dog whistles of "14!" and "globalist" pierce our degraded political discourse. We are traversing difficult shoals, and the vision of the beloved community is threatened. So I vote for Esther as a sign of solidarity with besieged communities and those vulnerable people being deported in acts of cruelty by an intolerant political order temporarily in ascendance. Resist.
Although I clearly recall praying to St. Michael in grade school -- "St. Michael, archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil.." - I am very attached to Ester, a Strong Woman who used her wits to save her people. And now I can put devotion to her together with what I already knew about the southwestern Catholics who are of Jewish heritage; Thank you to the bloggers! (But I don't believe the hole-in-the-head story about Michael.)
Satan couldn't beat Michael ... but apparently Esther can ...
I voted for the Archangel, anyway. (I was born on his feast day so I simply have to.)
Michael - because of my love of Coventry Cathedral: St. Michael and all Archangels, a very thin space.
So perhaps there's an "Advent Cup" in our future, where angels and other spiritual entities battle it out on the road to Bethlehem???
Oh I could go for that!
I like that idea too.
Let us petition and plead and if needed, grovel and bribe. I understand the SEC can be had for a price.
If that is to happen, I nominate the angel forever associated with the Annunciation: Gabriel.
I agree Tessa.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. . . and as much as I love Michael, Esther speaks more to my soul and spirit! She did what she gotta did!
Sorry, Michael, but it's Esther all the way. In addition to her brave act of breaking protocol in order to have an audience with her "husband," a paranoid tyrant who thought death was the appropriate response if someone disobeyed his will to the smallest degree and her truth-telling to save her people at the dinner party, she had had to live a secret life among her fellow "wives," undoubtedly needing to endure slurs against her fellow Jews over and over and over again. Courageous, resourceful, patient, and humble.
It's Esther without question in my mind (not always the case with some other play offs). I am too much of a realist to be more than just charmed by the fantastic stories of angels anyway. Esther had chutzpah and in a male-dominated world she used her wiles to protect her people (or at least give them a chance).
I had to vote for Esther. I work at a Jewish Community Center & we just finished celebrating Purim - a fun, raucous event complete with preschool kids parading the halls in costumes, noisemakers & best of all - Hamantashen cookies!
The non-derogatory name for the Jews who converted during the Inquisition is “conversos,” btw. Thanks for all the terrific info about their celebration of St. Esther!
vote Michael
I had known of the Spanish Inquisition, but your added details touched me deeply. Esther bravely defended her people. But the to know how she gave strength to those who followed is great!
I love Mont Saint-Michel, but my vote goes to Esther- she persisted.
I voted for Esther in honor of the”Marranos”.
Sometimes you have to make do, and I am sure St Esther was right there with them. The underground Purim, Jesus would love it!! (But not the way the Spanish treated his dear children).
Esther, more believable vs Michael of legend and story. I chose Esther as a more worldly person who acted out of faith.
Tough choice, as always. St. Michael is dear to me, not least because of Henry Adams's "Mont-St.-Michel and Chartres," one of the great accounts of medieval Christian faith, and my own visit to that monastery, which took place decades ago on a day when I had the place almost to myself (November was not then a month for tourists to visit there. More recently the St. Michael of Cornwall has been of interest to me, again partly for literary reasons (he's mentioned in John Milton's *Lycidas,* an elegy famous for supplying Thomas Wolfe's autobiographical novel *Look Homeward, Angel*). Plus angels aren't taken seriously enough these days despite their frequent manifestations among us, especially in church as we begin the Great Thanksgiving ("therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven"). To put it another way for *Star Wars* fans, the Great Thanksgiving is a moment when we feel "a great disturbance in the Force* as Heaven draws nigh to Earth. However, having said all that, my experience of the sacred at Chimayó and generally throughout northern New Mexico with the Marranos (there's a high concentration of the in NM because it was the furthest they could get from the Spanish Inquisition, so remnants of their crypto-Judaic practices abound there), and because in these times the persecution of religious minorities is a world-wide shame--I voted for Judith. Also, the Orthodox interpretation of the saints are, together with the assignment of feast days to them, is much to be preferred to the Latin restrictions on sainthood.