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I mean I get the gist of it, but is it like
a prayer that Catholics pray daily?
Mother Angelica prays the Chaplet of St.
Michael.
What exactly is the Chaplet of St.
Michael and the St. Michael the Archangel
prayer?
Kevin
{ What are
the Stations of the Cross, Chaplet
of St. Michael, and St. Michael the Archangel prayer? }
Mike replied:
Hi Kev,
Your questions bring out one comment I heard from a Jewish convert to the faith.
He said he loved being Catholic, because I'm discovering that it is like Christmas. Just when you think you have opened the last gift, the Church offers another gift,
prayer, or devotional.
The objection you will hear is:
But those take you away from Our Lord. All you need
is the Bible.
Our reply:
It's not an [either or] choice, it is a [both and] choice. The Holy Scriptures brings us
closer to the Lord and the Church has other gifts that bring you closer to Him as well!
You said:
What exactly are the Stations of the Cross?
I mean I get the gist of it, but is it like
a prayer that Catholics pray daily?
The Stations of the Cross (another version) is one of the most meritorious devotions one can practice
in the Church.
It is an optional devotion, and a highly recommended one.
Why?
Because Catholic Christians remember, through a series of 14 painful scenes, the bloody Passion Our Blessed Lord Jesus endured for the sake of our salvation.
Many saints have commented on the many blessings one receives when one meditates on His Passion.
It's usually said many times during the Season of Lent, especially on Fridays, but can be said year-round by anyone, even an Atheist, at any time.
You said:
What exactly is the Chaplet of St.
Michael and the St. Michael the Archangel
prayer?
The Chaplet of St. Michael is a wonderful way to honor this great Archangel
along with the other nine Choirs of Angels.
What do we mean by choirs?
It seems that God has created various orders of Angels. Sacred Scripture
distinguishes nine such groupings:
There may be more groupings but
these are the only ones that have been revealed to us.
The Seraphim is
believed to be the highest choir, the most intimately united to God, while
the Angelic choir is the lowest.
The history of this Chaplet goes back to a devout Servant of God, Antonia
d'Astonac, who had a vision of St. Michael. He told Antonia to honor him
by nine salutations to the nine Choirs of Angels. St. Michael promised
that whoever would practice this devotion in his honor would have, when
approaching Holy Communion, an escort of nine angels chosen from each of
the nine Choirs. In addition, for those who would recite the Chaplet daily,
he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during
life.
St. Michael is known as the prince or head of the Angelic choirs as can
be attested to by Scripture:
And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the
dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong
enough, and they lost their place in Heaven. The great dragon was hurled
down — that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the
whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
(Revelation 12:7-9)
Many Early Church Fathers believe the test which brought this confrontation
about was God's wish to have all holy angels He created give praise to his plan
of salvation by honoring and serving Mary who would give the Eternal Father
something, he could not have by Himself, an incarnate Son — Jesus.
Satan and those who were prideful, basically said,
I'm a pure spirit
and you want me to serve and honor a mere human? I will not serve!
Michael means in Hebrew Who is unlike to God?but this is not to be understood as a title, but as a reply to satan who would not serve
God as He wished.
St. Michael's reply to Lucifer was:
Who is unlike to God? kind of like saying, How dare you; who do you think you are?
You said:
What is the St. Michael Prayer?
I found this article on the web that I thought explained it and its history
pretty well.
How The Prayer of St. Michael Came to be Written
It is impossible to understand why the prayer to St. Michael came to
be omitted after all Low Masses on Sunday, especially now when we need
the protection of this angelic warrior more than at an other time in
history. We wish the Church authorities would reinstate the great prayer
to St. Michael, and perhaps that would happen if we respectfully petitioned
of bishops. In the meantime, we can all say the prayer privately in our
homes, chapels and churches. We need this prince of the heavenly host
in the present struggle.
Pope Leo XIII, realizing by Divine enlightenment the present and future
struggles of the Church against the powers of Hell, felt convinced that
through the intervention of St. Michael, Hell would be conquered, and
the Church restored to peace and liberty. He therefore composed a prayer
in honor of the warrior archangel, and ordered it to be recited daily
after Low Mass in all the churches throughout the Christian world.
This is how this prayer came to be written:
It is said that one day having celebrated the Holy Sacrifice, the aged
Pontiff Leo XIII was in conference with the Cardinals. Suddenly he sank
to the floor in a deep swoon. Physicians who hastened to his side feared
that he had already expired, for they could find no trace of his pulse.
However, after a short interval the Holy Father rallied, and opening
his eyes exclaimed with great emotion:
Oh what a horrible picture
I was permitted to see!
He had been shown in spirit the tremendous
activities of the evil spirits and their ravings against the Church.
But in the midst of this vision of horror he had also beheld consoling
visions of the glorious Archangel Michael, who had appeared and cast
Satan and his legions back into the abyss of Hell. Soon afterward he
composed the well-known prayer.
We know that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against the Church,
for Our Lord has promised to be with her until the end of time, but we
must do our part in defending Her cause. God might cast the angels down
to Hell by a single act of His will, but He chose rather to send against
them His armies of loyal spirits, under the leadership of the great St.
Michael. So too, in the present critical times, He could confound the
enemies of the Church by merely willing to do so. But He wills, rather,
that we should cooperate in her defense, under the leadership of the
great captain of the heavenly hosts.
Blessed Pope John Paul II renewed this even in the minds of Catholics worldwide in 1994:
"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told
about in the Letter to the Ephesians: "Draw strength from the Lord
and from His mighty power" (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation
refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St.
Michael the Archangel (Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had
a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last
century, he introduced a special prayer to St. Michael throughout the
Church. 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 forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."
St. Peter's Square: Sunday, April 24, 1994
Original version of the St. Michael, the Archangel prayer:
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.
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.
Short Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
The well-known short version of this prayer follows. The Pope ordered
this prayer to be recited daily after Low Mass in all the churches
throughout the Catholic world. However this practice was almost completely
swept away in the 1960s by liturgical changes made in the wake of Vatican
Council II.
Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer
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 Divine Power of God —
cast into Hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Hope this answers your questions.
Mike
Please report any and all typos or grammatical errors.
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