Michaelmas
Thursday, the 29th, was the Feast of the Archangels, Sts. Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael. in the South of Italy, there is a cave on the top of the Mountain, Monte Sant’Angelo. This cave, which is about a twenty minute taxi ride from St Pius of Pietrelcina’s (Padre Pio) friary. The story about the cave is the story of St Michael revealing himself to the Southern Italian Church for the purpose of deliverance and protection.
The Cave of St Michael was discovered in 490AD by a herdsman who was trying scare one of his cattle out of the cave, which was inaccessible to him. According to the story, he shot an arrow into the cave to scare out the cattle, but the arrow came back and struck him. He asked his bishop for advice, who told him to pray and fast for 3 days. St Michael appeared to both. The bishop thought the apparition was a dream and ignored.
A few years later, the town was under attack by a neighboring pagan army. St Michael again appeared to the Bishop and told him that should the people attack the incoming army in faith and with prayer, they would be spared. And so they did and were. However, the bishop still doubted the authenticity of the apparitions.
Seeking understanding of what was happening, the bishop went to the Pope for advice. The Pope instructed the bishop along with the priests of the diocese to engage in three days of fasting and prayer in the cave. Again St Michael appeared to the bishop, and again asked the bishop to construct a church to his honor inside the cave.
“I am Michael the Archangel and am always in the presence of God. I chose the cave as sacred to me. There will be no more shedding of bull’s blood. Where the rocks open widely, the sins of men may be pardoned. What is asked here in prayer will be granted. Therefore, go up to the mountain cave and dedicate it to the Christian God.”
When the bishop finally instructed to have a church built within the cave, St Michael appeared to him again telling him that he was not to consecrate the cave, that St Michael, himself, had already consecrated it. To this day, it is the only church in the Catholic World that has not been required to be consecrated by a bishop. St Michael through the centuries since this story has appeared many times, and to numerous people. St Michael, in one of his subsequent apparitions, said that any of the rocks hewn from this cave would be considered a 1st class relic of the Archangel. St Michael has said that these rocks should be made accessible to the priests throughout the world so that they may be used to against the attack and influence of the evil one. The relics you will see this weekend and throughout next week are the rocks from the cave of St Michael. May he protect us and defend us in battle. Seek freedom, go to confession.