St. 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 Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
No matter what unpleasantries and battles seem to be happening in our nation and personal lives - from the continuing genocide of the unborn in abortion, to the smallest plumbing problem, a rough day at work, the loss of loved one, or financial struggles, etc - God is always faithful.
I pray the St. Michael prayer every day. On Wednesday morning as I was praying this prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, I was hit with a deeply renewed understanding of this prayer. It was almost as if my guardian angel and St. Michael himself, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, spoke this sense of understanding directly to my heart.
As the saying goes, "be careful what you pray for." This statement by far does not mean that we should change our prayer. What it does mean is this. Be careful as in - aware of what we are praying for. We pray and God always responds in Divine Love. God has called us all individually to serve Him in a particular way, in a particular age, in a particular nation, in our particular lives. He calls mothers, fathers, priests, religious, young people, saints and martyrs alike in love to something particular. He calls us because He Loves us. He calls us because we all, deep within our souls, long to be fulfilled, to be loved, and to live according to God's will to the best of our ability.
"Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil." This is our prayer. Notice that this prayer does not say "remove us" or "prevent us from " battle. Not does it say "keep away" or "never allow" the wickedness and snares of the devil. It says defend us, protect us. In a certain sense we are asking for the battle, for the attack, or at the very least being realistic enough to know that the only place we can ever be without the battle or the attack is heaven. In this prayer we are asking for defense and protection in a battle against the wickedness and snares of the devil. The prayer ends with the final victory of every battle throughout the centuries.
"Do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls." In this prayer we are asking for defense in a fierce battle, we are asking for the armor we need to fight in the battle. We are asking for protection and strength to persevere amidst attacks, and that protection through grace turns into courage to say no to temptation. This is a prayer of conviction. Lord, I am ready for battle with St. Michael by my side, knowing that in the end the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts will triumph.
I had never thought about this prayer that way before Wednesday. When all of this came flooding into my heart I was filled with a new conviction. In light of the recent happenings in our country this week, a continued and impending battle surely lies ahead - to fight to live in religious freedom, to protect all life, to defend the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, and to bring so many who have experienced a crisis of Faith back to the Fold. I am struck by this great opportunity for all people of good will to stand up and fight in the battle for Truth, goodness, life, family, faith, and love. This is our time, each called in his own way, to now enter with even more conviction into the battle against the wickedness and snares of the devil plaguing our world today with the armor of the sacramental life as our breastplate, the Scriptures as our sword, the traditions and teachings of the Magisterium as our helmet, and the New Evangelization as our horse charging to the front line. This fight must now move beyond our ballot boldly into our hearts, into our lives, and into what we think, say, and do.
Let us ensure our armor is on tightly, mount our horse, and charge out to the front lines and serve our GOD even to the death.
Written by Nicolette
