There are a lot of prayers that one can say in a day, however, the one prayer that I believe we all should be praying daily is the Prayer to Saint Michael.
The Prayer to Saint Michael was written by Pope Leo XIII on October 13, 1884, after seeing a vision and hearing two voices, one of God and other Satan having a conversion about the reign of Satan on the world. Once the vision had ended, Pope Leo returned to his office to write the Prayer to Saint Michael. He sent instructions to the universal church that the prayer should be said along with the Salve Regina after all Low Masses. This practice continued until 1970 when the new rite of Mass was introduced.
From 1970 till 1994, the Prayer to Saint Michael was lost in the Church, only being said by a small contingency of the faithful. I can attest to this because growing up in the Catholic Church we never said it at home nor did we say it Mass or at our youth group. It was during my undergraduate days (1994-1997) in the Saint Ignatius Institute at the University of San Francisco that I first learned of the prayer. Since then, it has been one of the prayers that I pray at the conclusion of Holy Mass. My family and I also recite it during our nighttime prayers.
prayer to Saint Michael
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 other evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
The timing of when I first learned the prayer coincides with the proclamation by the great Polish Pope of the 20th century. On April 24, 1994, the Prayer to Saint Michael was revitalized in the Catholic Church by Pope Saint John Paul II. He encouraged the Catholic faithful to begin reciting this prayer yet again. During his Regina Caeli message in St. Peter’s Square, he said,
“The prayer can fortify us for that spiritual battle about which the Letter to the Ephesians speaks [of]: “Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.”(Ephesians 6:10). And to this same battle that the Book of the Apocalypse refers [to], recalling in front of our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel (cf. Revelations 12:7). Surely, this scene was very present to Pope Leon XIII, when, at the end of the previous century, he introduced to the entire Church a special prayer to St. Michael: ‘St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil…Even if today this prayer is no longer recited at the end of the Eucharistic celebration, I invite all to not forget it, but to recite it in order to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness and the spirit of this world.”
Although our world seems to always be in disarray, recent days, months, and years seem to be more chaotic. Satan is trying to do all that he can across the world to cause havoc and lead many souls away from Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. I would highly encourage you to pray this prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel EVERY DAY.
Never forget – God is always in control…and BE NOT AFRAID!
Our Lady of Fatima…Pray for Us
Saint Michael the Archangel…Pray for Us
Pope Saint John Paul II…Pray for Us
Pope Leo XIII…Pray for Us
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Categories: Saints & Angels
Mr. Perna,
That is not Pope Leo’s full St.Michael prayer…
What is above is but a partial portion of the original prayer written and promulgated by Leo XIII, a bastardized version of the full prayer squelched by JOHN XXIII. (Ya know…. ‘the new Church’.😉)
But, agreed. We all should be saying daily!!! 👍👍
;robert-paul.
FOR :ROBERT-PAUL-CARR.
:Philadelphia Metro See.
p.s. i don’t have the full prayer at my finger tips at this moment. But, i will retrieve it and provide. i am presently in my worktruck.
Thank you sir. My translation has a full stop where you present a semicolon. Either way, that sentence is an imperative, so named as an order, given by an emperor. “Saint Michael defend us in battle.” is an order, instructions on what to do. Defend us in battle. I wear a St. Michael medal and I pains to find one with those words. Yes, I want him to pray for me, but he is a warrior. Wonderful prayer.
Original – Prayer to St. Michael
“O Glorious Prince of the heavenly host, St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the battle and in the terrible warfare that we are waging against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the evil spirits. Come to the aid of man, whom Almighty God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of Satan.
“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. That cruel, ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men 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. In the Holy Place itself, where the See of Holy Peter and the Chair of Truth has been set up as 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 give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power 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 find mercy in the sight of the Lord; and vanquishing 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. Amen.
V. Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
R. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, the root of David.
V. Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
R. As we have hoped in Thee.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
Let us pray.
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as supplicants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious St. Michael the Archangel, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all the other unclean spirits who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls.
Amen.”