Nine Days with Saint Michael

By Andrew Hofer O.P. and Jonah Teller O.P.

Saint Michael defends the Church against the wickedness and the snares of the Devil.

Over nine days, get to know this great warrior better through prayer, hymns, Scripture, meditations, and art.

Each day focuses on one of Saint Michael's outstanding qualities and includes:

- A hymn set to a well-known tune
- A Scripture passage
- A meditation from a saint or well-known spiritual writer
- A variety of prayers, including intercessions for you to personalize
- Beautiful artwork

Let him protect you and your family!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781949239935

Book preview

Introduction

Now more than ever it seems we need Saint Michael’s assistance. Every one of us must struggle against evil, but God never leaves us alone in that fight, sending his angels to our aid. In calling for Saint Michael’s defense, we show our faith in who God is.

In the Creed, we profess our faith in the maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. We who are both visible and invisible, both body and soul, believe that God has made many purely spiritual creatures. The perfection of these creatures, the angels, surpasses that of visible creation. Their splendor raises our minds to think of God himself, their creator and ours. With them, we give praise to the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God (1 Tim 1:17). This invisible God is made known to us in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary for our salvation. From the annunciation given to his virginal mother to the glorious song at his birth to the triumphant messages at the Lord’s empty tomb and ascension, we see angels at work in Christ’s life on earth. The work of angels is not limited to the events narrated in the Bible; the angels are at work in our lives, too. Of all the angels, Saint Michael has especially been given the task to defend God’s people.

Some saints have experienced his assistance in extraordinary ways. When Saint Joan of Arc was interrogated, before she was unjustly put to death, she reported that Saint Michael had talked with her. She was questioned about what he taught her. She replied, Before all things he told me to be a good child and that God would help me. That simple statement sums up devotion to Saint Michael.

It takes a spiritual battle to be good, a battle we fight with heaven’s help. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux wrote a play titled The Mission of Joan of Arc. In her play, she relates that Saint Michael told Saint Joan, One must fight before being victorious. By asking Saint Michael to defend us, we ourselves become more equipped for the battle we face, living out the words of Saint Paul:

Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. (Eph 6:11-12)

The holy angels help us don this armor of God of which Saint Paul speaks. As prince of the angels, Saint Michael takes a commanding role in this angelic project of leading us in the battle to reach the heavenly city.

This booklet offers nine days of prayer in honor of Saint Michael. Each day focuses on a particular aspect of the prince of the heavenly host. We begin with his name, Michael, which means Who is like God? From there we consider his awesome dignity as an archangel