In the constitutions of Michaelites, when we read about the essence of spirituality, we realize that the call of St. Michael “”Who is like God!” expresses this spirituality in the best way possible. It also proclaims a deep belief, hope and love; it expresses esteem, admiration for and the contemplation of The Holy Trinity. This is the road every worshipper of St. Michael should take: admiration, high regard and esteem for the Creator. And this leads to the act of contemplation, that is, to a deeper unity with and recognition of God. Contemplation – it seems to be a magical word. To talk about contemplation today, one has to have great courage. The reasons are manifold: because there is much anxiety in us today; because of the civilization which concentrates on action, efficiency and productivity; and because of ourselves who do not want to be suspected of parasitism. One of the psalms solemnly describes God’s works as magnificent. The ones that we get to know in our lives are only flickers. Contemplation has its origins in a great admiration for God and his works. After all, everything has been created by the Father of Light, as the Creator is described by St. Jacob. Contemplation is the light of the Father, the light which instructs one and fills one in – thanks to this light we can develop a taste for the profundity of Life. The beginning of contemplation is marked by the awakening for appreciation! This event signifies a huge transition in life, also in the spiritual life, because we discover the beauty and color of living creatures with great astonishment. It feels as if we stood in a grey, uninteresting room which suddenly bursts with thousands of colors showing the entire richness of its interior. Contemplation is a renewed ability to experience ecstasy again. When were you last genuinely surprised? What threw you into ecstasies? Were they changing seasons, life which returns all the time? The trees which almost die naked, and then become beautiful again in Spring? A child’s eyes, the majesty of the mountains, a dew-drop which almost reflects an entire universe….? There is so much beauty around you. What has recently surprised you? Contemplation can change everything into God’s works because it means looking out for God, searching high and low for him, it also means a lifestyle full of adoration and understanding for God’s beauty. The statement that our calling is to proclaim “Who is like God!” does not have to be an empty rhetoric. St. Michael, teach us loving attention and a new admiration for God and its works. Fr. Zbigniew Rodzinka

On the island of Symi, which belongs to Greece, in the monastery of the Greek order there is an icon of Saint Michael Archangel famous for its acts of grace. The icon has been found on the island according to a legend. The male figure in the painting combines paradoxical features: sensitivity and confidence, gentleness and strength, tenderness and decisiveness. It is not easy for a real life man to combine these features: usually men are either sensitive and helpless, or strong and insensitive. The contemplation of the icon may help to get out from this impasse of helplessness. Let us think about what are sensitivity and confidence. Is it possible to combine these seemingly contradictory features of character? Many men treat sensitivity as a weakness and try to get rid of it as soon as possible. However, sensitivity is a good quality and enriches the personality of a man. A sensitive man can have compassion for another person, he becomes empathetic. A properly formed sensitivity is this man’s characteristics which allow a man to overcome life’s difficulties. Men deprived of sensitivity hurt other people. Sensitivity is not emotional insecurity. It has nothing to do with giving way to moodiness, with oversensitivity, faintheartedness and the lack of trust. Sensitivity does not imply helplessness, taking on the role of a victim or of a hen packed husband. Confidence allows men to be on firm ground. He makes brave and responsible decisions while remaining in the state of internal freedom. Confidence consists in the authentic independence from the judgment of an entire world. A man convinced about his self-worth is not afraid of his self-assessment or of the assessment by the community, and, he makes contacts with others without fear. He is stable, standing strong, he is on a firm ground in reality and he can stand against others when unjustly attacked. He can also stand against others in the right fight to protect other people. Real confidence has nothing to do with the desire to make an impression on somebody, with self-assuredness or with boasting about one’s accomplishments like a peacock. Neither does it aim at constant domination over others. This painting is important for everybody and especially for a man because it constitutes a representation of manliness. Saint Michael, support us in our attempt to become real men – strong and sensitive at the same time. Fr. Dariusz Lewandowski