Feast of the Archangels

Today is the beautiful Feast of the Archangels.

Every day, our family says this beautiful prayer of protection to St. Michael:

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle

Be our safeguard against the wickedness and

snares of the devil

May God rebuke him we humbly pray

And do Thou oh Prince of the heavenly hosts

by the power of God

cast into hell Satan

And all the evil spirits

who prowl around the world

seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

This prayer was recited after every Mass until 1964.

On April 24, 1994, St. John Paul II said, of the St. Michael prayer, “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 spirits of this world.”