St Michael the Archangel, Defend Us in Battle and Be Our Protection

On Sunday 29 September 2024 we celebrated the feast day of St Michael the Archangel. As we know the Bible itself speaks about the most powerful archangel of God.

I really love to invoke St Michael thanks to his inspiring litany. After rightly invoking Holy Mary as Queen of the Angels, we then invoke Michael, whose name means who is like God, with a series of roles he has within the heavenly militia. St Michael is the most glorious attendant of the Triune Divinity. Thus, he is standing at the right of the Altar of Incense. After the Virgin Mary, St Michael is the most apt ambassador of Paradise and due to his singular role within God’s army he is the glorious prince of the heavenly armies and, for that matter, he is the standard-bearer of God’s armies.

The litany reminds us that he is the leader of the angelic hosts as well as the wwarrior who thrust Satan into Hell. This he rightly did because St Michael is the defender of divine glory. Not only that but this most powerful and faithful archangel is the first defender of the Kingship of Christ. Since he is with God one hundred percent he himself is full of the sstrength of God. Moreover, this invincible prince and warrior is all the angel of peace. St Michael, who defends God, the Truth itself, is the guardian of the Christian Faith and, for that reason, he is also the champion of God’s people.

St Michael’s most committed love and adoration for the humanity of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, automatically qualifies him as the guardian angel of the Eucharist as well as the defender of the Church. Let us not forget that it is the Church who makes the Eucharist and the Eucharist who makes the Church. As a consequence, St Michael is also the Protector of the sovereign pontiff, the Pope, and also the angel of Catholic Action. St Michael is so much with us, the people of God, that he is the powerful intercessor of us Christians. This most great defender and protector of his own legion, that of St Michael, is the bravest defender of those who hope in God. Thus, this very important archangel is the guardian and patron of the universal Church.

St Michael is the guardian of our souls and bodies and most potent healer of the sick. He remains there with us when others leave us alone. In fact, he is the help of those in their agony and also consoler of the souls in Purgatory. St Michael is God’s messenger for the souls of the just and the venom for his satan and his fallen angels. As a matter of fact, St Michael is the terror of the evil spirits and always victorious in battle against evil.

In the inauguration of a monument to St Michael the Archangel, Patron of Vatican City State, an initiative which was planned from a long time with Pope Benedict XVI’s approval, Pope Francis gave us an interesting reflection on this famous archangel and prince of the heavenly militia. He said:

In fact, it is not only a celebratory work but also invites reflection and prayer, which fits well into the Year of Faith. Michael — which means: “Who is like God?” — is the champion of the primacy of God, of his transcendence and power. Michael fights to reestablish divine justice; he defends the People of God from their enemies and above all from the arch-enemy par excellence, the devil. And St Michael triumphs because in him it is God who acts. This sculpture reminds us therefore that evil is vanquished, the accuser is unmasked, his head is crushed, because salvation was fulfilled once and for all by the blood of Christ. Even if the devil is always trying to scratch the face of the Archangel and the face of man, God is stronger; his is the victory and his salvation is offered to every human being. On the journey and in the trials of life we are not alone, we are accompanied and sustained by the Angels of God, who offer, so to speak, their wings to help us overcome the many dangers, to be able to fly above those realities that can make our lives difficult or drag us down. In consecrating the Vatican City State to St Michael the Archangel, let us ask him to defend us from the Evil One and cast him out.

Heeding to Pope Francis’ appeal let us pray with great faith, love and devotion the well-known prayer written to St Michael by Pope Leo XIII. Let us not forget what Pope St John Paul II said regarding this prayer in 1994: 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 spirit of this world.

Saint Michael 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, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Let us share this prayer through our facebooks, instagram, twitter and all the social media so that we are all protected against the devil by the most powerful and humble Archangel, our beloved St Michael.