Prayer to Saint Michael

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For the Chaplet, please see Chaplet of Saint Michael.

Pope Leo XIII added it in 1886^[1] to the Leonine Prayers, which he had directed to be said after Low Mass two years earlier.^[2] The practice of reciting these prayers after Mass was suppressed in 1964. However, Pope John Paul II referred to the St Michael prayer in hisRegina Coeli address of 24 April 1994 as follows:The Prayer to Saint Michael is a prayer, used mainly by Catholics, which is addressed toMichael the archangel.

"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle that the Letter to the Ephesians speaks of: 'Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might' (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St Michael the Archangel (cf. Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had this picture in mind when, at the end of the last century, he brought in, throughout the Church, a special prayer to St Michael: 'Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil...' Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."^[3]

Sancte Michael Archangele,
defende nos in proelio;
contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium.
Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur:
tuque, Princeps militiae Caelestis,
satanam aliosque spiritus malignos,
qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo,
divina virtute in infernum detrude.
Amen.^[4]
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

The Prayer

The English translations used in various countries differ slightly.

[edit]History

This problem was resolved in 1929 by the creation of the State of Vatican City, and in the following year, Pope Pius XI ordered that the intention for which these prayers should from then on be offered was "to permit tranquillity and freedom to profess the faith to be restored to the afflicted people of Russia".^[9]This prayer, whose opening words are similar to the Alleluia verse for Saint Michael’s feasts on 8 May and 29 September in the Roman Missal of the time (which ran, "Sancte Michael, defende nos in proelio ut non pereamus in tremendo iudicio"), was added in 1886 to the Leonine Prayers that in 1884Pope Leo XIII ordered to be said after Low Mass, for the intention of obtaining a satisfactory solution to the problem that the loss of the Pope's temporal sovereignty caused in depriving him of the evident independence required for effective use of his spiritual authority.^[2]

The Leonine Prayers were officially suppressed by the 26 September 1964 Instruction Inter Oecumenici, 48 j which came into effect on 7 March 1965.^[10]

The opening words of the prayer ("St. Michael, defend us in battle") are sometimes used as an independent prayer, a short invocation, not as a fragment of the longer prayer.

Another prayer to St. Michael

O glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, defend us in battle, and in the struggle which is ours against the principalities and Powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against spirits of evil in high places (Eph 6:12). Come to the aid of men, whom God created immortal, made in his own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil (Wis 2:23-24, 1 Cor 6:20).On 18 May 1890, twenty years after the Capture of Romehad deprived the Pope of the last vestige of his temporal sovereignty, and the papal residence at the Quirinal Palace had been converted into that of theKing of Italy, a much longer prayer to St. Michael, quite distinct from that in the Leonine Prayers, was approved for use:

Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven. But that cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan, who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with all his angels (Rev 12:7-9).

Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of man has taken courage, Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of his Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity.

These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions (Lam 3:15).

In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered.

Arise then, O invincible prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and bring them the victory.

The Church venerates thee as protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of this world and of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude.

Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations.

This prayer was replaced in 1902, a year and a half before the death of Pope Leo XIII, by a much shortened prayer:

The Church venerates thee as protector and patron; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude.

In 1890, the longer form of this prayer was included as a sort of preface to a series of prayers of exorcism that was included in the Roman Ritual.^[11]

Speculation about the origin of the prayers

"I do not remember the exact year. One morning the great Pope Leo XIII had celebrated aMass and, as usual, was attending a Mass of thanksgiving. Suddenly, we saw him raise his head and stare at something above the celebrant's head. He was staring motionlessly, without batting an eye. His expression was one of horror and awe; the colour and look on his face changing rapidly. Something unusual and grave was happening in him.An article in the Roman journal Ephemerides Liturgicae (V. LXIX, pages 54–60) in 1955 gave an account in Latin and Italian of how the St. Michael prayer developed. Footnote nine of this account quotes an article in another Italian journal called La Settimana del Clero in 1947 by Fr. Domenico Pechenino who worked at the Vatican during the time of Leo XIII, in which he stated:

"Finally, as though coming to his senses, he lightly but firmly tapped his hand and rose to his feet. He headed for his private office. His retinue followed anxiously and solicitously, whispering: 'Holy Father, are you not feeling well? Do you need anything?' He answered: 'Nothing, nothing.' About half an hour later, he called for the Secretary of the Congregation of Rites and, handing him a sheet of paper, requested that it be printed and sent to all the ordinaries around the world. What was that paper? It was the prayer that we recite with the people at the end of every Mass. It is the plea to Mary and the passionate request to the Prince of the heavenly host, (St. Michael: Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle) beseeching God to send Satan back to hell."

According to the same article in Ephemerides Liturgicae,^[12] Cardinal Giovanni Nasalli Rocca di Corneliano wrote in his Litteris Pastoralibus pro Quadragesima (Pastoral Letters for Lent) that "the sentence 'The evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls' has a historical explanation that was many times repeated by his private secretary, Monsignor Rinaldo Angeli. Leo XIII truly saw, in a vision, demonic spirits who were congregating on the Eternal City (Rome). The prayer that he asked all the Church to recite was the fruit of that experience. He would recite that prayer with strong, powerful voice: we heard it many a time in the Vatican Basilica. Leo XIII also personally wrote an exorcism that is included in the Roman Ritual. He recommended that bishops and priests read these exorcisms often in their dioceses and parishes. He himself would recite them often throughout the day."^[13]

In the late twentieth century, more vivid stories circulated among traditionalist Catholics, according to which in that century Satan would be particularly powerful. They recounted that Pope Leo XIII was climbing the steps to the altar when he suddenly stopped, stared fixedly at something in the air and with a terrible look on his face, collapsed to the floor (some accounts say he fell shrieking). The Pope was carried off by those around him to another room where he came around. As one rendition of the story tells it:

"When asked what had happened, he explained that, as he was about to leave the foot of the altar, he suddenly heard voices - two voices, one kind and gentle, the other guttural and harsh. They seemed to come from near the tabernacle. As he listened, he heard the following conversation:

The guttural voice, the voice of Satan in his pride, boasted to Our Lord: "I can destroy your Church."

The gentle voice of Our Lord: "You can? Then go ahead and do so."

Satan: "To do so, I need more time and more power."

Our Lord: "How much time? How much power?"

Satan: "75 to 100 years, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service."

Our Lord: "You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will."^[14]^[15]^[16]

A variant of the story of the vision of Leo XIII was given by Father William Saunders in the Arlington Catholic Herald of 2 October 2003: "Pope Leo XIII (d. 1903) had a prophetic vision of the coming century of sorrow and war. After celebrating Mass, the Holy Father was conferring with his cardinals. Suddenly, he fell to the floor. The cardinals immediately called for a doctor. No pulse was detected, and the Holy Father was feared dead. Just as suddenly, Pope Leo awoke and said, 'What a horrible picture I was permitted to see!' In this vision, God gave Satan the choice of one century in which to do his worst work against the Church. The devil chose the 20th century. So moved was the Holy Father from this vision that he composed the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.^[17]

The first variant of the story to appear in print was that in a 1933 German Sunday newspaper article, which stated that, as a result of the vision, Leo XIII, shortly after 1880, ordered the prayer to Saint Michael to be recited. In reality, it was only in 1884 that the Pope instituted the Leonine Prayers, still at that time without the prayer to Saint Michael.^[18]

In 1934, a year after the appearance of the earliest printed version of the story, a German writer, Father Bers, tried to trace the origin of the story and declared that, though the story was widespread, nowhere could he find a trace of proof. Sources close to the institution of the prayer in 1886, including an account of a conversation with Pope Leo XIII about his decision, say nothing of the alleged vision. Father Bers concluded that the story was a later invention that was spreading like a virus.^[19]

The story is also found in Carl Vogl's 1935 Begone Satan: A Soul-Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession in Iowa^[20]

In a later version the vision is said to have occurred on 13 October 1884,^[21] the year in which the Leonine Prayers were instituted without the prayer to Saint Michael. And yet another date, 25 September 1888, two years after Pope Leo XIII had added the prayer to the Leonine Prayers, was given in a 1991 version.^[22]

References

^ Irish Ecclesiastical Review 7 (1886),1050
^ ^a ^b Decree Iam inde ab anno of the Sacred Congregation of Rites of 6 January 1884, published in Acta Sanctae Sedis 16 (1884), pages 249–250
^ Regina Coeli address; cf. Prayer to St Michael; Mary Serves Cause of Life
^ [1]
^ Raccolta Manual of Indulgences Published by St Athanasius Press, 2003 ISBN 0-9706526-6-6 page 340
^ Prayer to Holy Michael the Archangel
^ Common Catholic Prayers
^ Rev. Alfred Boeddekker, Our Guardian Angels
^ Allocution Indictam ante of 30 June 1930, in Acta Apostolicae Sedis 22 (1930), page 301
^ Inter Oecumenici, 48 j
^ Rituale Romanum, 6th ed. post typicam, (Ratisbon: Pustet 1898), 163*ff.
^ p.58-59, footnote nine
^ This account, which speaks not of the prayer but of the exorcisms for which the prayer served as a sort of preface, claims that the Pope recommended bishops and priests to perform exorcisms often in their dioceses and parishes, and that he himself acted as exorcist often throughout the day.
^ The Religious Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen
^ Knights of La Salette
^ Our Lady of the Roses
^ Arlington Catholic Herald
^ "Nachdem Leo XIII. eines Morgens die heilige Messe zelebriert hatte, begab er sich zu einer Besprechung mit den Kardinälen. Aber plötzlich sank er in Ohnmacht zusammen. Die herbeigeeilten Arzte fanden keinen Grund zu dieser Ohnmacht, obwohl der Pulsschlag fast aufhörte. Plötzlich erwachte er wieder und war frisch wie zuvor. Er erzählte dann, er hätte ein furchtbares Bild gesehen. Er durfte die Verführungskünste und das Wüten der Teufel der kommenden Zeiten in allen Ländern sehen. In dieser Not erschien St. Michael, der Erzengel, und warf den Satan mit allen seinen Teufeln in den höllischen Abgrund zurück. Daraufhin ordnete Leo XIII. kurz nach 1880 das allgemeine Gebet zum heiligen Michael an." Hg. Schnell in the Konnersreuther Sonntagsblattes (1933), no. 39, quoted in Bers “Die Gebete nach der hl. Messe”, Theol-Prakt. Quartalschrift 87 (1934), 161.
^ "Like a perpetual sickness" – "Die Gebete nach der hl. Messe", Theol-Prakt. Quartalschrift 87 (1934), 162-163
^ Reprinted by TAN Books (Rockford IL) in 1973, the year in which the film The Exorcist (film) appeared.
^ Arthur H. Durand, "Satan's Hundred Year War", The Remnant (15 January 1984), 9–10
^ Gary Giuffré, "Exile of the Pope-Elect, Part VII: Warnings from Heaven Suppressed", Sangre de Cristo Newsnotes 69–70 (1991), 4

External links

Russia and the Leonine Prayers
Pope John Paul II's Regina Coeli Address of 24 April 1994 (in Italian)
The Vision Of Pope Leo XIII
The Diabolical Vision of Pope Leo XIII with commentary

"AT THE HOUR OF OUR LAST WARFARE,

CALL ON ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL"

By Fr. Jojo Zerrudo - 24 September 2001 - "Ala-Ala Walang Hanggan" Radio Veritas

On Sept. 29, the whole Church will be celebrating the feast of the angels St. Michael, St. Raphael, and St. Gabriel. These three chosen angels were named in the Holy Book. And out of the multitudes of angels in heaven, they are the only ones we know by name.

The name ‘Michael’ is from the Hebrew ‘Mikhael’, which means ‘who is like God’. This name is a war cry, a shield and a spear in battle, and the never-ending memory of the victory of God. Being an unusual name for an archangel, the name ‘Michael’ first appeared in the book of the Prophet Daniel where he was called ‘Michael’, one of the leading princes (Daniel 10:13). And again on the following verse "At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people" (Daniel 12:1). In the letter of St. Jude, Michael became known as an archangel. He wrote: "Even the Archangel Michael, when he fought the devil over the body of Moses, did not dare blaspheme. He said: ‘You will be punished by God’."

St. Michael gained greatness and power over and above that possessed by any other heavenly spirit because of his zeal for the glory of God and the safety of the other angels when Lucifer rebelled against God. St. Michael is truly the prince of the heavenly army. He is known as a warrior angel. He fought Satan and all the rebel angels from the very beginning up to the present against all the enemies of the people of God. He was the defender of Israel in the Old Testament. He is also the defender of the Catholic Church today.

In the book of Revelations, St. John had a vision in heaven of a pregnant woman clothed by the sun who later gave birth to a baby boy who would be king of the universe. A red dragon lurked nearby waiting to devour the child to be born of the woman. As Catholics we understand this to be the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, this woman also represents Israel and the Catholic Church, the new people of God. The woman saved the child and the woman was taken to a remote place where she remained hidden. According to the book of Revelations: "Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. Although the dragon and his angels fought back, they were overpowered and lost their place in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent known as the devil or satan, the seducer of the whole world, was driven out; he was hurled down to earth and his minions with him." (Apocalypse 12:7-9)

St. Michael is not just a warrior angel. In the liturgy of the Church, he accompanies the souls of the departed into the kingdom of light. The old song in the Christian burial mass states:

"O Lord, Jesus Christ, King of Glory, deliver the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the deep pit. Deliver them from the lion’s mouth that hell may not swallow them up; and may they not fall into darkness, but may the holy standard bearer, Michael, lead them into the holy light which You promised Abraham and to his seed of old."

At that moment of our greatest need, at the hour of our last warfare, the hour of our last breath, the great archangel will come to our rescue. He will take along his angels who will fight for the safety of our souls. He will defend us through his shield and he will save us from damnation at the hands of the enemies of our souls. It is good to call on St. Michael at the hour of our death because many have experienced his help at that hour.

From the writings of St. Alphonsus Ligouri one finds the story of how St. Michael helps at the hour of death. A man from Poland lived a life of sin over a span of many years. When the hour of his death came, fear and hopelessness over his sinful ways overwhelmed him. However, there was a time when he was still strong, he had a devotion to St. Michael and, at the mercy of God, St. Michael was given permission to give succor to this man at the hour of his last battle. St. Michael persuaded him to have a change of heart because he requested that this man be given enough time to straighten up the state of his soul. Thereafter, two Dominican priests arrived at his house. They said an unknown gentleman sent them there. The dying man knew it was St. Michael so he confessed his sins, received holy communion, and died reconciled with the Lord. As Cardinal Newman’s prayer goes:

"Thee, Michael thee, when sight and breathing fail, the disembodied soul shall see, the pardoned souls with solemn joys shall hail, when holiest rites are spent and tears no more avail."

The Church places the souls of her faithful children in the hands of St. Michael to accompany them into the kingdom of eternal light. If St. Michael cares for the salvation of the souls of the living and at the hour of death, we can be sure St. Michael is a good friend of the souls in purgatory. In the book of Revelations, it is written: "Another angel carrying an incense of gold came in. He took his place at the altar of incense and was given large amounts of incense to deposit on the altar of gold in front of the throne, together with the prayers of all God’s holy ones. (Apocalypse 8:3-4)

In the prayers of the Church, this angel is none other than St. Michael. In the old way of saying mass while the priest is preparing the chalice, he recites this prayer: "May the Lord be pleased to bless this incense and to receive its sweet fragrance through the intercession of the Blessed Archangel Michael who stands at the right hand of the altar of incense and of His chosen ones, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

"Tirelessly You gathered Your people from dawn until the setting of the sun so that a clean offering can be given to praise Your Name. And in every mass there are the angels, especially St. Michael, to lift up on the altar of God the holy offering. Almighty God, we implore You to allow Your holy angel to take these offerings on the altar in front of You."

This is where St. Michael becomes a good friend of the holy souls. Through his hands pass all our supplications for the release of the souls from purgatory. He brings virtue to the holy sacrifices to set free the souls from imprisonment from that place of suffering and purification.

A monk appeared before his priest friend after his death. He told the priest that he can be released from purgatory if during mass the priest will call on St. Michael for his intercession. The priest acceded to the request of the soul and, at that hour, he saw the Archangel escorting his friend into heaven. For this reason we should not ignore the important role that St. Michael plays. Let us call on him in life and in death. Let us always ask for his help, especially for the souls in purgatory. At the moment of our battle against the forces of evil, let us pray that he fights for us.

"St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle, be our safeguard against the wickedness and the snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all wicked spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."

-o0o-

CLOSING PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, King of Glory, release all the souls from purgatory, relieve them of their suffering, defend them from the lion’s mouth so that they will not be swallowed in hell, so they don’t fall into darkness. Send St. Michael, Your archangel, to accompany them to the holy light that You promised Abraham and his seeds. We offer You, Lord, all the sacrifices and prayers. Receive these for the souls that we are remembering. Grant them, Lord, to cross from death to life eternal, the life that You promised Abraham and all generations after him forever. Amen.

...

APOCALYPSE NOW? OR THEN?

Monday, September 26, 2011

Saint Michael the Archangel Defend Us