POWERFUL NOVENA TO THE ARCHANGELS (SAINTS MICHAEL, GABRIEL, AND RAPHAEL): DAY 4

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 4 Instruction/Prayer: In Tobit 5: 10,11,13, we read: “When Raphael entered the house, Tobit greeted him first. Raphael said, ‘Hearty greetings to you!’ Tobit asked, ‘Brother, tell me, please, what family and tribe are you from?’ Raphael answered, ‘I am Azariah’ (which means ‘Yahweh helps’) son of Hananiah (which means ‘Yahweh is merciful’). St. Raphael is filled with zeal for the conversion of sinners; may he guide our spiritual journeys with his wisdom and grace. Amen.

DAY 4 MEDITATION

(An exposition of the Angelic world, and how Archangel Michael became the Prince of the Heavenly Host) – Part 4

Choirs of angels

There are nine choirs of angels. Put differently, St. Gregory the Great teaches, based on Saint Paul’s writings, that there are nine orders of angels: “We know on the authority of Scripture that there are nine orders of angels, viz., Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominions, Throne, Cherubim and Seraphim. That there are Angels and Archangels, nearly every page of the Bible tells us, and the books of the Prophets talk of Cherubim (Ezk 10:14 etc) and Seraphim (cf. Isaiah 6:1-7). St. Paul, too, writing to the Ephesians enumerates four orders when he says: ‘above all Principality, and Power, and Virtue, and Dominion’; and again, writing to the Colossians he says: ‘whether Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers’. If we now join these two lists together we have five Orders, and adding Angels and Archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim, we find nine Orders of Angels.” (Hom. 34, In Evang.) St. Thomas Aquinas also teaches the same nine-fold pattern at Summa Theologica I, q. 108. Thus, relating this in ascending order, we have: Angels, Archangels, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim. Thus, from the choirs enumerated above, we could say that angels have their respective functions in line with the respective choirs they belong. The Seraphim choir is the highest rank, and in fact, the devil (before his fall) who was known as Lucifer was the greatest/outstanding/most beautiful, etc., in this Seraphim choir. It was after his fall that he became known as satan or devil or any other evil name he could be associated with. In Hebrew, Lucifer is known as “Heyleel” (hey-LEYL), meaning, “shining one,” or “morning star.” The word “Lucifer” can also function as an adjective, meaning: “light-bringing”. In Greek, it is known as “heōsphoros” a name, literally “bringer of dawn”, (that is, for the “morning star”).

It is pertinent to note that the angels in contact with humans and other creatures are those in the lower ranks (Principalities, archangels, angels, etc.). The lowest choir in the first order are the “Angels.” The word angel means “announcer” or “messenger.” It is a function common to all the nine choirs, but what is common to all is here appropriated specifically to the lowest of the angelic hosts. From this first choir are chosen the guardian angels of men. And it was of these blessed spirits that Our Lord spoke when concerning the little children He said, “. . . for their angels see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 18:10)

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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