Thief in the Night

Quis ut Deus?

Quis ut Deus?, a Latin sentence meaning
"Who is like God?",
is a literal translation of the name
"Michael" (Hebrew: מִיכָאֵל‎, transliterated Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl).
"Michael"
appears as the name of several men in the Old Testament.
In the Book of Daniel it is the name of the
"prince"
of the people of Israel.
In the New Testament the name is given to an archangel in the Epistle of Jude1:9 and, in the Book of Revelation 12:7, to the leader of angels who defeat
"the dragon"
and his fallen angels, a dragon identified in Revelation 12:9 as
"that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world".
The sentence Quis ut Deus? i
s particularly associated with Archangel Michael.
In art St. Michael is often represented as an angelic warrior, fully armed with helmet, sword, and shield, as he overcomes Satan, sometimes represented as a dragon and sometimes as a man-like figure.
The shield at times bears the inscription:
Quis ut Deus, the translation of the archangel's name, but capable also of being seen as his rhetorical and scornful question to Satan.
Saving souls at the hour of death
Archangel Michael reaching to save souls near death, by Jacopo Vignali, 17th century.
In Roman Catholic teachings,
Saint Michael is one of the angels who are assumed present at the hour of a person's death.
In his role as the patron of holy souls, Michael reaches to souls near death and saves them, hence frustrating Satan.
Traditionally, he is charged to assist the dying and accompany their souls to their private judgment, bring them to purgatory and afterwards, present them to God at their entrance to Heaven.
This is the reason for dedicating cemetery chapels to him, and all over Europe thousands of such chapels bear his name, and at times weekly masses are offered in his honor and in favor of the departed ones in these chapels.
This role of Saint Michael as the guardian of the souls to be redeemed is also reflected in Catholic prayers to the saint,

The Holy House of God venerates you
as her guardian and protector;
to you the Lord has entrusted
the souls of the redeemed
to be led into Paradise.

Weighing souls on Judgment Day

In Catholic teachings, on Judgment Day Saint Michael weighs souls based on their deeds during their life on earth. Saint Michael is often portrayed in art with scales as he weighs souls.

This aspect of Saint Michael's duties is portrayed in Roman Catholic poetry devoted to him,

"That you will gather the souls of the righteous and the wicked,
place us on your great scales and weigh our deeds.
That if we have been loving and kind, you will take the key from around
our neck and open the gates of Paradise, inviting us to live there for ever.
And that if we have been selfish and cruel, it is you who will banish us."

This role of Saint Michael was depicted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
In this depiction, angels hold up two books:
the smaller book held by Saint Michael records the names of the blessed, while the larger book is a list of the damned.
Guardian of the Church

In Catholic teachings, the guarding of the Church and its principles, is viewed as an ongoing battle against Satan's deceit, with Saint Michael coming to the aid of the faithful when he is called on.
Specific Catholic prayers and Novenas to the saint call on him for protection. The role of the guardian and protector of the Church
(viewed as Christ's House)
is reflected in Catholic prayers to Saint Michael,

Glorious Saint Michael,
guardian and defender of Christ's House,
come to the assistance of His followers,
against whom the powers of hell are unchained.