29th September: Feast of St Michael, Archangel… Defender of the Church
Comment:
As the Amazon Synod of Bishops approaches – 6-27th October – reports across the internet express concern that this Synod will be a grave attack on even the basic deposit of the Faith. Here’s an extract from one such report:
Two cardinals have sent letters to fellow members of the College of Cardinals, raising concerns about the working document for an upcoming synod of bishops on the pan-Amazonian region. “Some points of the synod’s Instrumentum laboris seem not only in dissonance with respect to the authentic teaching of the Church, but even contrary to it,” Cardinal Walter Brandmüller wrote to fellow cardinals in an August 28 letter obtained by CNA. “The nebulous formulations of the Instrumentum, as well as the proposed creation of new ecclesial ministries for women and, especially, the proposed priestly ordination of the so-called viri probati arouse strong suspicion that even priestly celibacy will be called into question,” the cardinal wrote. Click here to read more
As ever with Feast Day threads, feel free to post your personal thoughts, favourite prayers, hymns and stories about the Saint, and discuss any relevant issues – we will post a thread dedicated to the Amazon Synod once it gets underway but feel free to express concerns or share information here, if you wish.
Finally, it would be good to pray the St Michael prayer from now until the Synod is over, to obtain special protection for that event:
Holy Michael, Archangel,
Defend us in the day of battle;
Be our safeguard 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 down into Hell,
Satan, and all wicked spirits,
Who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
Comments (37)
A naoimh Michael, Ardaingeal, dion sinn ‘sa’ chath; bi ‘nad chultaice dhuinn an aghaidh eucoir agus innleachdann ab aibhistir. “Gu ‘n smachdaicheadh Dia e, ” tha sinn gu h-iriosal ag achanaich, agus thusa, Cheannaird air Feachd Fhlathanais, leis an neart a tha agad o Dia, tilg, sios do dh ‘ifrinn Satan, agus gach spiorad eucorach eile a tha sìubhal an t-saoghail gu sgrios anmannan. Amen.
A Chridhe uile-naoimh Iosa deann tròcair oirnn. (Tri uairean)
Patrick,
I’m surprised that, with a name like Patrick, you speak Scots Gaelic. Interesting.
Comment deleted.
Maybe also pray the Angelic Chaplet:
Saint Michael, appearing one day to Antonia d’Astonac, a most devout Servant of God, told her that he wished to be honored by nine salutations corresponding to the nine Choirs of Angels, which should consist of one Our Father and three Hail Marys in honor of each of the Angelic Choirs.
Promises of St. Michael
Whoever would practice this devotion in his honor would have, when approaching the Holy Table, an escort of nine angels chosen from each of the Choirs. In addition, for the daily recital of these nine salutations, he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life, and after death deliverance from Purgatory for themselves and all their relations.
How to say this Chaplet
The chaplet begins with the invocation on the medal. Then say one Our Father and three Hail Marys after each of the nine salutations in honor of the nine Choir of Angels as follows
Invocation on the Medal
O God, come to my assistance! O Lord, make haste to help me! Glory be to the Father……..etc.
First Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Seraphim, may it please God to make us worthy to receive into our hearts the fire of his perfect charity. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)
Second Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Cherubim, may God in his good pleasure, grant us grace to abandon the ways of sin, and follow the path of Christian perfection. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)
Third Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the sacred Choir of Thrones, may it please God to infuse into our hearts the spirit of true and sincere humility. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)
Fourth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of the Dominations, may it please God to grant us grace to have dominion over our senses, and to correct our depraved passions. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)
Fifth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of the Powers, may God vouchsafe to keep our souls from the wiles and temptations of the devil. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)
Sixth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the admirable heavenly Choir of the Virtues, may it please God to keep us from falling into temptation, and may He deliver us from evil. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)
Seventh Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Principalities, may it please God to fill our souls with the spirit of true and sincere obedience. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)
Eighth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Archangels, may it please God to grant us the gift of perseverance in the faith, and in all good works, that we may be thereby enabled to attain the glory of paradise. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)
Ninth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of all the Angels, may God vouchsafe to grant us their guardianship through this mortal life, and after death a happy entrance into the everlasting glory of heaven. Amen
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)
Say four Our Fathers on each of the four large concluding beads:
The first one to St. Michael,
The second one to St. Gabriel,
The third one to St. Raphael,
The fourth one to our Guardian Angel.
End this Chaplet with the following Anthem and prayer.
Anthem
Michael, glorious prince, chief and champion of the heavenly Host, guardian of the souls of men, conqueror of the rebel angels, steward of the palace of God under Jesus Christ, our worthy leader, endowed with superhuman excellence and virtues: vouchsafe to free us all from every ill, who with full confidence have recourse to thee; and by thy incomparable protection enable us to make progress every day in the faithful service of our God. V. Pray for us, most blessed Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ. R. That we may be made worthy of his promises.
Prayer
Almighty and Eternal God, who in thine own marvelous goodness and pity didst, for the common salvation of man, choose the glorious Archangel Michael to be the prince of the Church: make us worthy, we pray Thee, to be delivered by his beneficent protection from all our enemies, that, at the hour of our death, none of them may approach to harm us; rather do Thou vouchsafe unto us that by the same Archangel Michael, we may be introduced into the presence of thy most high and divine majesty. Through the merits of the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
WF,
I’ll need to take time to read that chaplet through carefully – half an hour before midnight on what has been a hectic day, is not IT!
Thank you, Westminsterfly, for that beautiful chaplet. I’d never heard of it.
Here’s a Brazilian “liberation theologian” who gives away the plot regarding his Satanic beliefs and the Amazon Synod:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/brazilian-liberation-theologian-seize-the-amazon-synod-its-of-the-greatest-importance
I think this Synod, in fact this entire Pontificate, is the culmination of the “Catacombs Pact” signed near the end of Vat. II, the signatories of which pledged to create a “church of the poor.”
RCA Victor,
I’m fast running out of “WOWs” – that Lifesitenews report is extremely worrying, although it’s difficult to find a report on our side of the “argument” that is not extremely worrying.
As mentioned before, the anniversary of the miracle of the sun (13 October ) comes almost in the middle of the Amazon Synod, so if – as others have opined – there may well be a divine intervention relating to this Synod, my bet would be on that date.
Editor,
Just took another look at that LifeSite news video: that “theologian” is not exactly speaking to a packed house…
LOL! No, he’s speaking to an almost empty house!
Editor,
Here’s a scary thought: if the Passion/passion analogy holds, then Our Lord didn’t stop Judas from betraying him. On the contrary, He told him “That which thou dost, do quickly.”
Likewise, I’m afraid that this cabal of Judases, which includes the Pope, will be permitted to proceed with their betrayal at this “Synod.”
Having left you with that bit of sunshine, I also invite you to take a stroll over to Mundabor’s blog for this:
https://mundabor.wordpress.com/2019/09/27/of-course-we-deserve-francis/
RCA Victor,
Of course they will be permitted to proceed with their betrayal a the Amazon Synod – free will and all that!
Which, of course, doesn’t mean that we won’t see some sort of divine intervention – certainly if there is a serious attempt to change the deposit of Faith. If you recall, on the day of Benedict’s resignation/abdication there was not one, but TWO lightning strikes on the dome of St Peter’s – even the mainstream secular media got the message – here’s a clip from the ITN (Independent Television News) broadcast that day…
Editor,
I think it would be useful to differentiate between a Divine warning and Divine intervention. A Divine warning, in my opinion, would be those lightning strikes. But said lightning strikes did nothing to prevent Bergoglio from being elected, nor did they do anything to prevent him from cutting his swath of destruction through the Church. They did, however, warn those who were paying attention that something calamitous was happening.
A Divine intervention, to me, would be something like Muslim “migrants” attacking Rome during the Synod! You know, with bullets and arrows…
Likewise, an Editor warning on the blog would be to brandish her rolling pin, but an Editor intervention would be to remove several zeroes from my paycheck….
RCA Victor,
I take your point about the distinction between warning and intervention, but I am a little concerned at the return of this theme. I was about to answer Josephine’s most recent comment (hang on in there, Josephine, I’ll get to it!) but will take a few minutes to briefly respond to you right now.
The reason I am a little concerned at the return of this theme of punishment etc is because I fear some key elements are being missed. I’ll restrict my comments here to answering (I hope!) you remarks about divine intervention etc and deal with the rest when I respond briefly to Josephine (we’re nearing midnight over here and I need my beauty sleep! I heard that!)
Of COURSE God did not intervene in the election of Pope Francis. Why would He, any more than He (failed to) intervened in past conclaves. Apart from the 20th century popes, there were plenty of bad through to terrible popes before our times, where a divine intervention would have been gratefully received! That is NOT how God works – as you know perfectly well.
We are tending to forget that God gave us all intelligence and free will – in the full knowledge that we will be called to give an account of these, and other gifts of grace, in due course. Those who elected Francis will have to explain themselves in due course. If God intervened every time a bad pope was about to be elected, those who claim that the Holy Spirit ensures that the conclave elects a good/sound pope, would be right. Manifestly, they are wrong. God wants us all (cardinals in conclave included) to choose right, but He never forces us; that would be to treat us as puppets.
For our part, it is, is it not, our duty to see what is happening in the Church as being permitted by God so that – in the end – as Christ told the crowds suggesting that the man born blind was born blind in punishment for his own sins and/or the sins of his parents, that, on the contrary, he was born blind so that God’s works may be made manifest… (quote from memory).
My mention of the possibility of some kind of sign/warning/intervention from Heaven during the Amazon Synod is simply a response to the near panic-stricken reports coming from all (traditional) sides across the internet, suggesting that the very deposit of the Faith is about to be chucked out of that window opened by Pope John XXIII when he opened Vatican II; the possibility was mentioned by me, simply because there is an important Fatima anniversary right in the middle of the Synod dates.That’s all. I don’t have a crystal ball – I mentioned the lightning strikes on the dome of St Peters as a deterrent to those who might come on and suggest I need help 😀
https://www.juicyquotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Psychiatry-joke-27.jpg
RCA Victor,
I read that link to Mundabor and I think it is me he is talking about at the start of his article. I remember editor saying (more than once) that the other traditional blogs will never as much as acknowledge the existence of Catholic Truth, so I take it that is why he doesn’t give the name of the blog he is referring to and speaks of the blogger as “he” – not many young men called Josephine, however, I think! LOL! This is how he opens his article:
“I read around of the one or other blogger who said he did not do anything to deserve Francis. He said worse and, in my eyes, unintentionally blasphemed. But I would like to dwell on the first point.
To say that one did not deserve Francis is akin to say that one did not crucify Christ. We all crucified Christ. We all deserve Francis.”
I did query the idea that I could be blamed for Francis in a discussion on another thread, saying I had tried to be obedient after Vatican II and it took me a while to realise I was wrong to do so, and I wondered how I could be blamed for the election of this pope.
Mundabor doesn’t deal with that. Instead he makes the obvious point that we are all to blame, through sin, for Christ’s crucifixion. I know that, of course. I was questioning the idea that the election of Pope Francis could be pinned on individuals – Mundabor doesn’t answer that except by repeating what we already know about sin being to blame for everything, including the crisis in the Church. I’m afraid I interpreted his article as a just a load of virtue-signalling.
I know I am a sinner and my sins, like everyone else’s, are the cause of evil in the world. That doesn’t mean that I can be hauled into a courtroom where a man I’ve never met is on trial for murder, and told that it’s all my fault! I was hoping to get someone to give me a spiritual or theological source for my belief that individuals can’t be blamed for Francis, but so far, nothing.
Josephine,
I’m not sure why you think he was referring to you, and I certainly don’t remember you blaspheming!
As for individual guilt in this scandalous Pontificate/Passion of the Church, I don’t think it holds true that one or more of our individual sins has resulted in this tragedy. I think it is a matter of shared responsibility, because (a) we are Catholics, most of all, but also, (b) because we are fallen humans.
I also think “blame” is the wrong word, though the words of St Alphonsus in his First Station comes to mind:
“My adorable Jesus, it was not Pilate, no, it was my sins, that condemned Thee to die.”
I also don’t think I’m being very helpful, so I’ll just leave it at that!
Josephine,
I see that RCA Victor has beaten me to it and really I can’t improve (much!) on his response.
I agree with him that Mundabor is unlikely to have been referring to you – I didn’t think that once I’d read the entire piece, so stop with the paranoia!
https://hypomaniacalpsychobabble.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/paranoia_therapy.jpg
As for spiritual or theological sources for your belief that individuals can’t be blamed for Francis, specifically; all the standard, classic writings by saints and scholars on the Passion & Death of Christ repeat some key truths which should help to clarify this. For example, they agree (with St Paul!) that Jesus was “the Second Adam” making atonement for that first sin and its consequence, namely, that now, contrary to God’s plan, human nature would be fallen (from grace – God’s divine life) and tend towards sin, not virtue. Also, that, although God could have repaired the damage caused by that Original Sin in any number of ways, He chose to do so by Christ’s Passion & Death and so this suffering was not only deemed necessary by God, but willed by Him.
Thus, there should be no sign of either a “guilt complex” or a false humility (I caused Christ to suffer, me, I did it….) because that is the wrong sense in which to recognise that it was, indeed, our sins which Christ took upon Himself in His Passion & Death. And, for the record, I don’t subscribe to Mundabor’s theory that I/you/we “deserve Francis”. Nonsense. If that were the case, then we (and he) would have to shut up shop and leave this pope whom we so deserve to get on with it. It’s an unthinking interpretation of the truth that Christ took our sins upon Himself in atonement during His Passion and Death.
The example set us by the saints, to ensure that we don’t fall into that sort of spirit of despair and guilt, is to praise God’s unfathomable mercy in making Christ’s sufferings vicarious, so that we may be restored to the life of grace, with the hope of eternal salvation.
I recommend that you read both Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s beautiful writings and the writings of John Henry Cardinal Newman on this subject. There are many other enriching sources, but these are a good place to start.
Editor and Josephine,
First, Ed, I think this sums it up perfectly:
“it is…our duty to see what is happening in the Church as being permitted by God so that,,, God’s works may be made manifest.”
To which I can only add, so that the reign of the Immaculate Heart may also be made manifest.
Second, Josephine, I had another thought whilst sitting in Compline, tell me what you think:
Could it be that faithful Catholics – suffering through this though not personally responsible – are, in a sense, being made victim souls for the corruption of the clergy? In which case, Fatima’s favorite word comes into play: penance, penance, penance.
(I will now beat a hasty retreat before Editor throws another cartoon at me…)
RCA Victor,
Since “the reign of the Immaculate Heart” is very much a part of God’s plan, i.e. among His “works” that He wishes to be made manifest, I have no problem agreeing with you there.
I just don’t understand the need to deliberate so much over this or that question, are we victim souls etc.
What is the point? All will be revealed in God’s own time. Our task is not to waste time trying to penetrate the mysteries of salvation, the mystery of iniquity – but to keep our heads clear, our souls as pure as we can manage, through the frequent use of the sacraments, spiritual reading and prayer/penance, and fulfil our duty as soldiers of Christ, the best we can.
You know, Cardinal Newman, during his Anglican days, refused to preach on the link between Christ’s Passion and Death and the role played by our human sinfulness in that suffering. He did not want us to become self- absorbed and believed that it was just not possible to penetrate this mystery.
Later, as a Catholic priest, he did preach on the subject but I think he was on to something in his Anglican days. 😀
I have to admit, I just do not feel attracted to this business of questioning the “why” – because (a) nobody can answer that definitively and I’m not terribly interested in personal opinions on the subject and (b) there is nothing I can do about the “why” which is any different from what I’m doing – trying to live a Catholic life pleasing to God. What else can I do?
Editor,
This subject came up because there are some who think that it’s “not fair” that they – faithful Catholics – should be chastised along with the rest during this crisis (the owner of 1P5 comes to mind). So I was trying to point out that fairness has nothing to do with it.
If I’ve misrepresented their thinking, then I apologize, but I won’t invite them to explain further, since this seems to be going around in circles.
RCA Victor,
You make a very fair point and it is true that the great spiritual writers emphasise the role of human sinfulness in the need for our Redemption through Christ’s death and resurrection. I only meant that some (wasn’t actually thinking of you, because you don’t do this…) focus on the idea of a chastisement in a manner which seems to me to be denying the importance of fighting in defence of the Faith. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to you – you’re here, fighting in defence of the Faith!
Of course it is ridiculous to argue that “it’s not fair” that we be chastised – the writings of the great saints remind us that there is no suffering with which we could be afflicted that would equate to our sinfulness. I’ve said myself, often, that I deserve this or that misfortune for my sins, and that, e.g. in the case of some of the worst scandals (McCarrick springs to mind) that these bad priests are crucifying Our Lord over and over again. I prefer to focus, though, on the fact that THEY will pay for their sins at their judgment, just as I will pay for mine.
If I’m wrong on this, of course, I’m ready and willing to be corrected. I’m nothing, if not humble 😀 And I am not, of course, dismissing the possibility of some kind of divine intervention, warning, discipline/punishment, to bring us to our senses. God has done that throughout history and there’s seldom been a greater likelihood of it, in my humble opinion. It’s the focus, really, that I think is unnecessary and may be unhealthy. I heard of one young man who said, not so long ago to his parents, that if this is going to happen, what’s the point. Just wait for the day – leave it to God.
Not us! We’re determined to do our bit as Soldiers of Christ – and after that, what will be, will be…
Editor,
Speaking of defending the Faith, this practically brought me to tears:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/acies-ordinata
Wonderful, RCA Victor. Wonderful. Just skimmed just now and will read properly asap, but what a marvellous idea. Terrific.
If ever the Church needed the Archangel Michael’s defence, it is this pope. This report is very troubling
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/09/27/pope-francis-endorses-essay-trashing-u-s-conservative-christians/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=daily&utm_campaign=20190927&utm_content=Final
MM,
I look forward to read that report asap. Thank you for posting it here, for the record. Looks very interesting, if – as ever, judging by the headline – shocking.
This synod is looking more and more sinister as this report makes clear
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2019/09/27/german-synod-plans-to-be-vetted-by-controversial-lay-group-not-vatican/
Fidelis,
Again, as with MM, thank you for posting what looks – from the headline – to be yet more shocking information about this forthcoming synod. I will read it asap.
It’s now, 29 September – officially, the Feast of St Michael Archangel, so a very happy Feast day to one and all!
Father Z has a post on the priestly use of the Long St. Michael Prayer in the face of the imminent Amazon Synod (“against diabolical influence in the Vatican”):
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2019/09/action-item-priests-in-rome-world-to-use-prayer-of-exorcism-long-st-michael-prayer-against-diabolical-influence-in-vatican/
RCA Victor,
Many thanks for that – it is an extremely powerful prayer as we found out when we used it, along with some Holy Water, outside the City Chambers in Glasgow, opposite George Square, when we held a prayer “protest” during one of the “Gay Pride” marches some years ago. It was astonishing that the closer the marchers came toward us, the stronger the sense of evil – everyone present said the same thing.
Yes, editor, I remember that day well and absolutely second your observation that we all felt great evil as the parade approached. It was chilling.
Happy Feast Day of St Michael Archangel.
It is a thought on his Feast Day to consider that Michael appeared to the 3 children in Fatima three times in 1916 to prepare them for when Our Lady would appear to them the following year. Unlike when they saw Our Lady, they could not speak to anyone about it.
Yet how often has he come to the aid of individuals, for their protection? This is but one story of the young soldier during the Korean War.
Theresa Rose,
I hope you don’t mind, but when I saw you had linked to the story of the young soldier and St Michael, I remembered that I’d seen it on YouTube, so I replaced your link. Cheeky, I know… But I’m like that!
Editor,
Funny you should say that, the video had been my intended link, but stupid me got distracted by something else. Glad you changed it.
Happy feast to all. We had a beautiful sung Mass this morning and a great sermon on St Michael and the Angels.
Petrus,
Great points, I echo them totally. I was just coming on to make a similar post when I saw yours.
The sung mass was indeed beautiful (well done to the choir and Fr Wall) and the sermon very edifying.
During the sermon I whispered to my daughter (nearly 4 yr old): “Father is teaching us about the angels this week”.
She looked me right in the eye and whispered back “I know that”.
So the sermon must have been accessible to all, as well as enlightening!
Or you have a very clever four year old!
She takes after her Mother! 😛
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