Liturgical Notice: Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

Beginning January 1, 2023

Recitation of the Prayer to St. Michael, Archangel

In response to numerous requests from parishioners, beginning Sunday, January 1, 2023, our parish will adopt the practice of reciting in unison the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel prior to weekend Masses. It will be incorporated into the “welcome” given by the lector. The text is found on the back cover of the pew Missal. To be clear, since it not a prescribed part of the liturgy, it will be prayed prior to Mass.

The Church Fathers recognized the importance of the angels, particularly St. Michael. St. Basil and other Greek Fathers ranked St. Michael as the Prince of the Angels. In our tradition, St. Michael has four duties: (1) to continue to battle against Satan and the other fallen angels; (2) to save the souls of the faithful from the power of Satan, especially at the hour of death; (3) to protect the People of God; (4) finally to lead the souls of the departed from this life and present them to the Lord for the particular and final judgments. Christian iconography thus depicts St. Michael as a knight-warrior in battle armor wielding a sword, while standing triumphantly over Satan. He is also depicted holding the scales of justice or the Book of Life, symbols of the last judgment.

For the greater part of the last century, the faithful recited the prayer to St. Michael at the end of the Mass. Pope Leo XIII (d. 1903) after a prophetic vision, composed the prayer and ordered it to be said at the conclusion of Mass. This directive was suppressed in the liturgical reforms of Vatican II. In 1994, Pope John Paul II, suggested that the prayer be instituted at Mass once again but did not mandate it. Responding to the grave evils of our time we shall want to invoke the protection and intercession of St. Michael.

Edited: Saunders, Rev. William. The Prayer to St. Michael. Arlington Catholic Herald.