POWERFUL NOVENA TO THE ARCHANGELS (SAINTS MICHAEL, GABRIEL, AND RAPHAEL): DAY 2

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN

V. O God, come to my aid +
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

OPENING PRAYER

“Bless the Lord all ye His angels: You that are mighty in strength, and execute His word, hearkening to the voice of His orders. Bless the Lord, o my soul, and let all that is within me bless His holy name.” (Psalm 102:20)

O God, who from among all your angels chose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the mystery of the Incarnation, mercifully grant that we who solemnly remember him on earth may feel the benefit of his patronage in heaven, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Saint 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, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

O God, send the Archangel Raphael to our assistance. May he who stands forever praising you at your throne present our humble petitions to be blessed by you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 2 Instruction/Prayer: In Genesis 22:15-17, we read: “The angel of Yahweh called Abraham a second time from heaven. ‘I swear by my own self, Yahweh declares, that because you have done this, because you have not refused me your own beloved son, I will shower blessings on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore.” St. Michael, through you, may God bestow peace on all the nations here below. Amen.

DAY 2 MEDITATION

(An exposition of the Angelic world, and how Archangel Michael became the Prince of the Heavenly Host) – Part 2

When were they created?

First, it cannot be disputed that the angels were created by our Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in Colossians 1:15-17 and John 1:3, among other Scriptural verses. Thus, God created the angels before the creation of the world. The Bible tells us that the angels were witnesses to the creation of the world, which indicates they were created long before that great event. God asked Job, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation … and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38:1-7). Other versions use the terms “morning stars” and the “sons of God” to denote the angels. Above all, according to the Catechism, CCC #332: “Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan.” Thus, God created the angels before He created and placed Adam on the earth. They existed even before the foundation of the earth was laid.  They shouted for joy when they first saw the earth in all its perfection.

Where were they created?

We must note that the Angels were not created in the highest heaven (empyrean heaven) where God dwells. If they were created in the highest heaven; then, it would not have been possible for some of them to have sinned (see Rev. 21:27 – “nothing unclean shall enter heaven”). And if some of the angels were noted to have sinned; then, they would not have been before the presence of the All-righteous God (beatific vision), because God is love and the fount of all holiness. It would have been impossible for “the angels” to have sinned in His presence. If this is true, then, where were they created and where did they dwell before the fall of some of them? St. Augustine remarks in his work (Gen. ad lit. iii, 10), that the angels were created in the “upper atmosphere”: therefore, not in the empyrean heaven (that is, not in the highest heaven). For if the angels were created in the empyrean heaven, it would make no sense for Lucifer to say that he would ascend to the highest heaven as stated in Isaiah: “I will ascend into heaven” (Isaiah 14:13). This brings us to the categories of heaven. Biblically, there are three kinds of heaven, viz: the first heaven, second heaven, and the third heaven. St. Paul speaks of the third heaven (empyrean heaven), the highest heaven where God dwells (see. Deut. 10:14; 2 Cor 12:2). If the third heaven is the dwelling place of God, the second heaven is known as the outer space – the sky, where the moon, stars, and other planetary bodies dwell – the ‘starry heaven’ (cf. Deut. 17:3). Recall that prophet Jeremiah talks about a pagan “queen of heaven” (Jer. 7:18) which must be understood as “queen of the sky,” similar to what we have in our African folklore as “goddess of the sky.” The queen of the sky which Jeremiah condemned was the pagan Astarte, a reference to Venus (planet). This has nothing to do with the Blessed Virgin Mary, considered as the Queen of Heaven because she is the “Queen Mother” of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings. The first heaven is the first layer of the atmosphere where we have clouds, etc., where the birds fly (cf. Gen. 2:19). Thus, to say that the angels were created in the “upper atmosphere” indicates the second heaven. In Hebrew, the term “heaven” is known as “Shamayim” (שָׁמַיִם), literally heavens in the plural form). Therefore, it could be said that at the time God created the angels, they were not beholding the face of God (beatific vision) in the highest heaven, but dwelled in the second heaven where God communicated with them through some revelations they could comprehend. At this stage, they needed to worthily prove their love for God before they would be allowed into the empyrean (highest) heaven where God dwells, for God is love.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Pause for a moment…

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

SHORT INVOCATIONS

God, the Father of Heaven, Creator of every spirit,
have mercy on us!

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, on whom the angels desire to gaze,
have mercy on us!

God, the Holy Spirit, felicity of the blessed spirits,
have mercy on us!

Holy Trinity, one God, glory of the holy angels,
have mercy on us!

Holy Mary, Queen of the heavenly spirits,
pray for us!

Holy Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael,
pray for us!

St Michael, Prince of the celestial host,
pray for us!

St. Raphael, angel of health and curer of blindness,
pray for us!

St. Gabriel, who announced the Incarnation of the Word,
pray for us!

Faithful Ministers of Christ,
pray for us!

Solace of the faithful,
pray for us!

Protector of those who are devout to you,
pray for us!

Making joyful your devoted clients,
pray for us!

Consoler in necessities,
pray for us!

Christ Jesus, beatitude of the angels,
spare us!

Christ Jesus, glory of the heavenly spirits,
hear us!

Christ Jesus, splendor of the celestial armies,
have mercy on us!

CONCLUDING PRAYERS & CONSECRATION TO THE ARCHANGELS

St. Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His people, I, today offer and consecrate myself to you, and place myself, my family, and all I possess under your most powerful protection, and I turn to you with confidence and seek your powerful intercession. For the love of God, Who made you so glorious in grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer. You know the value of my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts me. I desire to imitate your loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and your great love for God and people. And since you are God’s messenger for the care of his people, I entrust to you this special request: (Mention your request). St. Michael, since you are, by the Will of the Creator, the powerful intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in your prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God’s Holy Will, my petition will be granted. Pray for me, St. Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through your powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death, and reach heaven where we may praise and love God with you forever. Amen.

Holy Archangel Raphael, standing so close to the throne of God and offering Him our prayers, I, today offer and consecrate myself to you, and place myself, my family, and all I possess under your most powerful protection, and I turn to you with confidence and seek your powerful intercession. I venerate you as God’s special Friend and Messenger. I choose you as my Patron and wish to love and obey you as young Tobiah did. I consecrate to you my body and soul, all my work, and my whole life. I want you to be my Guide and Counselor in all the dangerous and difficult problems and decisions of my life. Remember, dearest, St. Raphael, that the grace of God preserved you with the good Angels in heaven when the proud ones were cast into hell. I entreat you, therefore, to help me in my struggle against the world, the spirit of impurity, and the devil. Defend me from all dangers and every occasion of sin. Direct me always in the way of peace, safety, and salvation. Offer my prayers to God as you offered those of Tobiah, so that through your intercession I may obtain the graces necessary for the salvation of my soul. I ask you to pray that God grant me this favor if it be His holy Will: (Mention your request). St. Raphael, help me to love and serve my God faithfully, to die in His grace, and finally to merit to join you in seeing and praising God forever in heaven. Amen.

St. Gabriel the Archangel, I venerate you as the “Angel of the Incarnation,” because God has specially appointed you to bear the messages concerning the God-Man to Daniel, Zechariah, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. I, today offer and consecrate myself to you, and place myself, my family, and all I possess under your most powerful protection, and I turn to you with confidence and seek your powerful intercession. I venerate you also as the “strength from God,” because you are the giver of God’s strength, consoler, and comforter chosen to strengthen God’s faithful and to teach them important truths. I ask for the grace of a special power of the will to strive for holiness of life. Steady my resolutions, renew my courage, comfort, and console me in the problems, trials, and sufferings of daily living, as you consoled our Savior in His agony and Mary in her sorrows and Joseph in his trials. I put my confidence in you. St. Gabriel, I ask you especially for this favor: (Mention your request). Through your earnest love for the Son of God-Made-Man and for His blessed Mother, I beg of you, intercede for me that my request may be granted if it be God’s holy Will.

Pray for us, St. Gabriel the Archangel. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray: Almighty and ever-living God, send to our assistance the Archangels, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. May all who stand before the Throne of Thy Majesty, offer unto You our thanksgiving, praises, and petitions, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and mercifully grant that we who honour your holy Archangels on earth may feel the benefit of their patronage in heaven. You live and reign forever. Amen.

Blessing+
Through the intercession of the Holy Archangels – Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, may the Lord bless + us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

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