Chaplet of St. Michael

The chaplet was given to Antonia D'Astonac by St. Michael in an apparition.  To all who recite the nine salutations every day in his honor, before receiving Holy communion, he promised that an angel of each of the nine choirs would accompany them to the altar. He also promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life, and after death, and deliverance of their soul and their relatives' souls from Purgatory.

The Chaplet is begun by saying an Act of Contrition(see at bottom of page for prayer) followed by:

V. O God come to my assistance.

R. O Lord, Make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father...

First Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the first Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Seraphim, may the Lord make me worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity. Amen.

Second Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the second Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Cherubim, may the Lord vouchsafe to grant us grace to leave the ways of wickedness and run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.

Third Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the third Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Thrones, may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility. Amen.

Fourth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the fourth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Dominions, may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and subdue our unruly passions. Amen.

Fifth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the fifth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Powers, may the Lord vouchsafe to protect our souls against the snares and temptation of the devil. Amen.

Sixth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the sixth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Virtues, may the Lord preserve us from evil, and suffer us not to fall into temptation. Amen.

Seventh Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the seventh Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Principalities, may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience. Amen.

Eighth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the eighth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels, may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works, in order that we gain the glory of Paradise. Amen.

Ninth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the eighth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Angels, may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted hereafter to eternal glory. Amen.

At the end say one Our Father each in honor of  St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and Our Guardian Angel.

The chaplet is concluded with these prayers

O glorious Prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of soul, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King, and our admirable conductor, thou who dost shine with excellence and superhuman virtue, vouchsafe to deliver us from all evil who turn to thee with confidence and enable us by the gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.

V. Pray for us, O Glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ.

R. That we may be made worthy of His Promises.

Almighty and Everlasting God, Who by an act of Goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of Thy Church, make us worthy, we beseech You, to be delivered by his powerful protection from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into the august presence of Thy Divine Majesty. This we beg through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers of the Chaplet:

An Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishment, but most of all because they offend Thee my God who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

The Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Feast of St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael

Sept 29th is the Feast of the Three Archangels.

The Three Archangels with Tobias

Our knowledge of the angels comes from many sources.  The first of which is Sacred Scriptures which are infallible.  We also know a great deal about Angels from Saints.

St. Michael 
The name Michael means, "Who is like to God?" St. Michael is considered the patron saint and protector of the Church. St. Michael and the good angels are credited with driving satan from Heaven into the realms of Hell.

"Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." Revelations 12:7-9

St. Gabriel
St. Gabriel first appears in the book of Daniel and refers to St. Michael as a Prince.  St. Gabriel is also the angel who appears to Mary during the Annunciation.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” 

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38)

St. Raphael
St. Raphael means health or medicine of God.  His intercession is often sought for healing or protection during travel.  In the book of Tobias there is an account of the angel Raphael.

One of the daily devotions that I have is to St. Michael and all of the choirs angels.  It is my daily practice to say the Chaplet of St. Michael while I walk to Mass.  Before I start the Chaplet I ask St. Michael and all the angels to protect myself, my family, all members of the children's rosary and all priests in the Church collective from satan and all the evil spirits.  I also ask them to protect me from injury either from my self or from other people unless God wills me to be injured and then I ask them to pray that I may accept it with love.  (The reason I ask for protection from injury is that I have a genetic condition where I dislocate joints frequently.  Sometimes I accidentally injure myself).  On days when I am unable to say the chaplet I find by the end of the day I have been under stronger temptations to lose my temper or do something during the day that I feel badly about.  When I reflect on those times of greatest temptation to sin they have been days when I have failed to say the chaplet.  I also feel in a special way the chaplet has allowed the virtue of humility to grow within myself.  This is something I continue to struggle with but I am thankful to the angels who through the Chaplet of St. Michael intercede before the Lord to infuse a sincere spirit of humility within my heart.