Prayer
to St. Michael, the Archangel
[Promulgated by Pope
Leo XIII]
Short
Version:
St.
Michael, the Archangel,
defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares
of
the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. a Prince of the heavenly
host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil
spirits
who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
For Holy Church:
Longer Version
O
glorious Prince of
the Heavenly Host, St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the battle
and in the fearful warfare that we are waging against the
principalities
and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the
evil
spirits. Come thou, to the assistance of men, whom Almighty God created
immortal, making them in His own image and likeness and redeeming them
at a great price from the tyranny of Satan. Fight this day the battle
of
the Lord with thy legions of holy Angels, even as of old, thou didst
fight
against Lucifer, the leader of the proud spirits and all his rebel
Angels,
who were powerless to stand against thee.
Neither
was their place
found anymore in Heaven. And that apostle Angel, transformed into an
Angel
of darkness who still creeps about the earth to encompass our ruin, was
cast headlong into the abyss together with his followers.
But,
behold, that first
enemy of mankind, and a murderer from the beginning, has regained his
confidence.
Changing himself into an Angel of light, he goes about with the whole
multitude
of the wicked spirits to invade the earth and blot out the Name of God
and of His Christ, to plunder, to slay, and to consign to eternal
damnation
the souls that have been destined for a crown of everlasting life. This
wicked serpent, like an unclean torrent, pours into men of depraved
minds
and corrupt hearts the poison of his malice, the spirit of lying,
impiety,
and blasphemy, and the deadly breath of impurity and every form of vice
and iniquity. These crafty enemies of mankind have filled to
overflowing
with gall and wormwood the Church, which is the Bride of the Lamb
without
spot. They have laid profane hands upon her most sacred treasures.
Make
haste, therefore,
O invincible Prince, to help the people of God against the inroads of
the
lost spirits and grant us the victory.
Amen.
------Pope
Leo XIII
Exorcism Prayer of Pope
Leo XIII
In
the Name of Jesus
Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the
Immaculate
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the
Blessed
Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, [and powerful in the holy
authority
of our ministry (parenthesis omitted by lay persons reciting this
prayer)],
we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the
devil.
PSALM
67: God arises;
His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him.
As smoke is driven
away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked
perish
at the presence of God.
V.
Behold the Cross
of the Lord, flee bands of enemies.
R. He has conquered,
the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the offspring of David.
V. May thy mercy, Lord,
descend upon us.
R. As great
as our hope in Thee.
The crosses
indicate a blessing to be given if a priest recites the Exorcism; if a
lay person recites it,
they
indicate the Sign of the Cross to be made silently by that person.
We
drive you from us,
whoever you may be, unclean spirits, all satanic powers, all infernal
invaders,
all wicked legions, assemblies and sects; in the Name and by the power
of Our Lord Jesus Christ, + may you be snatched away and driven from
the
Church of God and from the souls made to the image and likeness of God
and redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb. + Most cunning
serpent,
you shall no more dare to deceive the human race, persecute the Church,
torment God's elect and sift them as wheat. + The Most High God
commands
you. + He with Whom, in your great insolence, you still claim to be
equal;
"He Who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth"
[1 Tim. 2: 4]. God the Father commands you. + God the Son commands you.
+ God the Holy Ghost commands you. + Christ, God's Word made flesh,
commands
you; + He Who to save our race outdone through your envy, "humbled
Himself,
becoming obedient even unto death" [Phil. 2: 8]; He Who had built His
Church
on the firm rock and declared that the gates of Hell shall not prevail
against Her, because He will dwell with Her "all days even to the end
of
the world" [St. Mat. 28: 20]. The sacred Sign of the Cross commands
you,
+ as does the power of the mysteries of the Christian Faith. + The
glorious
Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, commands you; + She who by her humility
and from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception, crushed your
proud
head. The faith of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and of the other
Apostles
commands you. + The blood of the Martyrs and the pious intercession of
all the Saints commands you. +
Thus,
cursed dragon,
and you, diabolical legions, we adjure you by the living God, + by the
true God, + by the holy God, + by the God "who so loved the world that
He gave His only Son, that every soul believing in Him might not perish
but have life everlasting" [St. John 3]; stop deceiving human creatures
and pouring out to them the poison of eternal damnation; stop harming
the
Church and hindering her liberty. Begone, Satan, inventor and master of
all deceit, enemy of man's salvation. Give place to Christ in Whom you
have found none of your works; give place to the One, Holy, Catholic
and
Apostolic Church acquired by Christ at the price of His Blood. Stoop
beneath
the all-powerful Hand of God; tremble and flee when we invoke the Holy
and terrible Name of Jesus, this Name which causes Hell to tremble,
this
Name to which the Virtues, Powers and Dominations of Heaven are humbly
submissive, this Name which the Cherubim and Seraphim praise
unceasingly
repeating: Holy, Holy. Holy is the Lord, the God of Armies.
V. O
Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my
cry come unto Thee.
V. May the Lord be
with thee.
R. And with
thy spirit.
Let
us pray.
God of Heaven,
God of earth, God of Angels, God of Archangels, God of Patriarchs, God
of Prophets, God of Apostles, God of Martyrs, God of Confessors, God of
Virgins, God Who has power to give life after death and rest after
work,
because there is no other God than Thee and there can be no other, for
Thou art the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, of Whose
reign
there shall be no end, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy
glorious
Majesty and we beseech Thee to deliver us by Thy power from all the
tyranny
of the infernal spirits, from their snares, their lies and their
furious
wickedness; deign, O Lord, to grant us Thy powerful protection and to
keep
us safe and sound. We beseech Thee through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
From
the snares of the
devil, deliver us, O Lord.
That Thy Church may
serve Thee in peace and liberty, we beseech Thee to hear us.
That Thou may crush
down all enemies of Thy Church, we beseech Thee to hear us.
[Holy water is sprinkled
in the place where we may be.]
Imprimatur:
+ Henri. O.M.I.
Vicar
Apostolic of James Bay -----Aug. 15, 1967
------Pope
Leo XIII
Antiphon
to the Archangel Michael:
Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the battle,
that we perish not in the fearful judgment.
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