St. Michael the Archangel has been depicted as chief among the angels dating back to ancient Jewish texts. In our Catholic tradition, he is depicted as the leader of God’s armies during spiritual warfare against the forces of darkness. He is also portrayed as the guardian of the Church and God’s people. St. Michael is traditionally thought to be the angel of death who fights for and accompanies souls as they leave this world, and the one who weighs souls during the Last Judgment.
The tradition of St. Michael’s Lent traces its roots to St. Francis of Assisi, who had a great devotion to St. Michael and is said to have started the practice in 1224. He and several of his brothers were fasting and praying in honor of the saint before Michaelmas. It was during this time that St. Francis received the stigmata on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Sept. 14.