Origin of the Chaplet of St. Michael
One day, Saint Michael the Archangel appeared to Antonia d’Astonac, a most devout Servant of God and told her that he wished to be honored by nine salutations corresponding to the nine Choirs of Angels, which should consist of one Our Father and three Hail Marys in honor of each of the Angelic Choirs.
Promises of St. Michael
“Whoever would practice this devotion in his honour would have, when approaching the Holy Table, an escort of nine angels chosen from each of the nine Choirs. In addition, for the daily recital of these nine salutations, he promised his continual assistance and that all the holy angels during life, and after death deliverance from Purgatory for themselves and all their relations.”
CAUTION: The book entitled An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory gives us these words revealed by a soul in Purgatory: “The promises of St. Michael are real, but you need not think that people who recite it out of routine and without any pains to become holy are taken out of Purgatory at once. That would be false. St. Michael does more than he promises, but he is not anxious to relieve those who are condemned to a long Purgatory. Certainly, as a reward for their devotion to the Archangel their sufferings are shortened, but as to delivering them at once, not so. I, who used to say it, can serve as an example of this. Immediate deliverance takes place only in the case of those who have worked with courage at their perfection and who have little to expiate in Purgatory… Those who promote the recitation of the chaplet deserve praise. It is this prayer that is the most efficacious in the present time of need.” (My note: After the Rosary, which is the most necessary in these times…)
How to pray the Chaplet
The Chaplet is begun by saying the following invocation on the center medal:
V. Incline unto my aid, O God.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me!
Glory be to the Father, etc.
Then recite the following, beginning on the first set of beads:
- By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Seraphim, may it please God to make us worthy to receive into our hearts the fire of his perfect charity. Amen.
– One Our Father. Three Hail Marys - By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Cherubim, may God in his good pleasure, grant us grace to abandon the ways of sin, and follow the path of Christian perfection. Amen.
– One Our Father. Three Hail Marys - By the intercession of St. Michael and the sacred Choir of Thrones, may it please God to infuse into our hearts the spirit of true and sincere humility. Amen.
– One Our Father. Three Hail Marys - By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of the Dominations, may it please God to grant us grace to have dominion over our senses, and to correct our depraved passions. Amen.
– One Our Father. Three Hail Marys - By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of the Powers, may God vouchsafe to keep our souls from the wiles and temptations of the devil. Amen.
– One Our Father. Three Hail Marys - By the intercession of St. Michael and the admirable heavenly Choir of the Virtues, may it please God to keep us from falling into temptation, and may He deliver us from evil. Amen.
– One Our Father. Three Hail Marys - By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Principalities, may it please God to fill our souls with the spirit of true and sincere obedience. Amen.
– One Our Father. Three Hail Marys - By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Archangels, may it please God to grant us the gift of perseverance in the faith, and in all good works, that we may be thereby enabled to attain the glory of paradise. Amen.
– One Our Father. Three Hail Marys - By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of all the Angels, may God vouchsafe to grant us their guardianship through this mortal life, and after death a happy entrance into the everlasting glory of heaven. Amen.
– One Our Father. Three Hail Marys
At the end, say One Our Father on each of the four beads in honor of each of the following leading Angels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, our Guardian Angel.
The Chaplet is concluded with the following prayers:
Anthem
“O glorious Prince, St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of the souls of men, vanquisher of the rebel angels, steward of the palace of God, our worthy leader, endowed with holiness and power, vouchsafe to deliver us from every evil. With full confidence we have recourse to you, that by your gracious protection we may be enabled to make progress every day in the faithful service of God. Amen.”
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.
Prayer
“Almighty and everlasting God, Who by a prodigy 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 Thee, to be delivered by his powerful protection from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of our death, but that we may be conducted by St. Michael into the august presence of Thy Divine Majesty. This we beg through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Final note: If you do not have a St. Michael chaplet, you can use the beginning part of the Rosary (the part from the Crucifix to the centerpiece) nine times to help keep count.