Awake Community Prays Our Patron Saint, St. Michael the Archangel
Last week, Awake gathered in community at a prayer service to pray with St. Michael, one of Awake’s five patron saints, through the practice of visio divina.
St. Michael is known as a symbol of strength, courage, and unwavering loyalty to God. He is also depicted as a guardian, as a reminder that protection can take many forms. Several years ago, as Awake’s leaders were choosing patron saints to intercede for our mission, we heard from many survivors that they are drawn to “warrior” saints like Michael the Archangel because they need to know that someone powerful is fighting for them.
However, as Survivor Resource Intern Natalie Pucillo explained, that language of protector may be complicated for some who have been wounded by abuse in the Catholic Church. “St. Michael does not erase that reality, or offer an easy explanation for what we have suffered. Instead, he may remind us that even in the places where protection has failed, God continues to call us into courage, accompaniment, and hope. We do not seek truth or justice alone.”
Artist: Xiomara at WorshipHaus. Used with permission.
Artist: Nicholas from SaintlyCo. Used with permission.
Participants were then invited to pray with visio divina, a form of prayer which invites contemplation of God through artwork. Using four artistic renditions of the saint, prayer team member Lynn Charnitz invited participants to reflect on the following questions: As you look at Michael, what part of your own story or heart feels seen or acknowledged? How do you feel moved to respond to this image? What is God asking you to personally experience with Him?
Participants then discussed their experiences in small groups. The small groups also created prayer intentions rooted in their own experiences, which then served as the closing prayer for the evening. Those prayer intentions asked for a reminder that St. Michael can serve as a beacon of strength, for guidance in discernment about who is safe and who is not, and for courage to act as protectors. The evening offered a reminder that while protection may not have always been present, the call to protect, accompany, and seek justice remains.
A recording of this event is available on Awake’s website and Youtube channel, and is ideal for personal reflection and prayer.
— Natalie Pucillo, Survivor Resource Intern