St. Michael the Archangel is one of those saints that you can go to for anything. Priests and parishioners invoke his name for spiritual protection, especially at the end of Mass. We also see St. Michael coming to the aid of the sick and dying, especially in the visions of Pope St. Gregory the Great in Rome as well as that of St. Lorenzo on Monte Gargano. Further, the mighty archangel is the patron saint of soldiers, police officers, grocers, and poor souls, and the protector of places such as Rome and Kyiv.
Of course, all the great things St. Michael has done reflect God’s love, especially for us. That is what makes so many of us love him: the archangel’s ultimate mission is to lead us back to God. In his book Devotion to the Holy Angels, Fr. Henri-Marie Boudon says of St. Michael: “If, then, we love the interests of God only, we must love him; for he is the great saint of the cause of God, and of God Incarnate.”
The Church so relies on St. Michael that she has two feast days celebrating him, Michaelmas (Sept. 29th) and another celebrating his apparition on Monte Gargano (May 8th). In the past, some Catholics also practiced a sort of forty days of fasting and prayer leading up to Michaelmas, starting on August 15th. St. Francis was observing this St. Michael’s Lent when he had a vision of the seraphim and received the stigmata.
We may not observe the St. Michael’s Lent today (although some still do!), but we can prepare ourselves to celebrate this great angel by saying a novena. A novena is only nine days of prayer, as opposed to forty, but it still prepares your heart to love and celebrate a saint on their feast day. A novena is also a potent prayer if you have a particular need or petition on your heart, and St. Michael is a powerful intercessor to turn to!
I have prayed several novenas to St. Michael, especially for my work and prayer life. The experience is always a joy, no matter how God answers my particular petitions. Taking nine days to pray and meditate on St. Michael’s loving service to God does wonders. In my own life, praying a St. Michael novena has been a source of peace and a help in cultivating a daily prayer life.
Novena to St. Michael the Archangel
There are several ways to pray a novena in honor of St. Michael, and you can pray one at any time. I use the small prayer below, but you can also pray a St. Michael Chaplet or the Litany of the Holy Angels on each of the nine days of the novena.
To prepare for the Feast of the Archangels, pray the novena from September 20th to 28th, finishing the novena the day before St. Michael’s feast. And while it’s not required, going to Mass on the feast day is a great way to bring an end to your prayer and preparation.
Pray each day:
Saint Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His Catholic people, I turn to thee with confidence and seek thy powerful intercession. For the love of God, Who hast made thee so glorious in grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer.
Thou knowest the value of my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts me. I desire to imitate thy loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and thy great love for God and men. And since thou art God’s messenger for the care of His people, I entrust to thee this special request:
(Mention your intentions here)
Saint Michael, since thou art, by the will of the Creator, the powerful intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in thy prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God’s holy will, my petition will be granted.
Pray for me, Saint Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through thy powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death, and reach Heaven where we may praise and love God with thee forever. Amen.
You can pray this prayer anywhere throughout the year, but it’s especially helpful for preparing for Michaelmas. If you pray for a particular need, let this prayer be an encouragement to you that God and His angels are still working for your good. May we all turn to the glorious and mighty St. Michael in our spiritual lives!
Image from Wikimedia Commons
