The messenger of God, this angelion, has walked by your side from life’s first breath., Walked with, pivoted, prayed, protected.  Battled for you.  Battled for your joy.  Battled for your life, that you may know and be Life.   May the love and color and shelter of his wings carry you when you no longer have the strength to lift your own head.  May they carry you through onto the other side of all your struggling, all your efforts, all your doing.  So that you may simply sit at the feet of the Holy.  And be.

The story of how Saint Michael came into being, and mysteriously emerged from layers and layers of something else is a story of a surprise visitor to my studio.  An Epiphany; an appearance, a showing.  Like so much in life, this piece appeared when I wasn’t thinking or planning or looking for it.  But then again, that’s what angels do.

In my studio one morning I saw a piece of art on my wall that I really never liked. It was using a canvas I needed to be put to use for something better. Something real. Something beautiful.  And something good. So I grabbed that other painting off the wall and I applied a thick layer of gesso over it. And the layer of gesso created some surprising texture. Depth. Life. History. 

And then something--how I don’t even remember—happened: red and black came into play, a kind of fall color emerging from that red and black, muted but yet bright in some areas.

Because neon colors bring me so much joy, I took some of those colors and quickly swished them onto the canvas – –my hand moved over the canvas without thought, without knowing. Oddly, when I came back to my studio hours later to see what had taken shape in my “unknowing”, I found angel wings.  If you look closely at “Saint Michael” you can see unfurled, neon wings and a human being old cradled, upheld and carried.

My friend, I don’t know what Saint Michael needs to carry you to or carry you from. I don’t know what pain and suffering may be upon you now in your life, or maybe not. But I hope this Saint Michael, if he takes habitation in your home, brings joy, bright, glistening light shining over everything else.  And great hope in the miraculous in the ordinary.