On September 24th, 2018, only Tony and Wynn showed up to pray at Planned Parenthood. With so few Prayer Warriors praying daily for an end to abortion, unnatural contraception and sexual sins, you begin to wonder if the scripture reading and responsorial psalm for today describe the slander of Supreme Court nominee Judge Kavanaugh.
The scripture for Mass was, “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” Luke 8:16-18
The responsorial psalm was:
R. (1) The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; By whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be disturbed.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
As a part of our daily prayers, we pray the short version of the Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer:
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, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
I recently discovered the complete version of the prayer, originally authored by Pope Leo XIII, and published in the Roman Raccolta on July 23, 1898. There was also a supplement approved July 31, 1902 that appears below in italics.
I truly was amazed that the supplement clearly predicted the gradual corruption of the leadership of the Catholic Church over the last 116 years. The scandalous disclosures of the greed, sexual sins, apostasy and cover-ups in the Vatican exposed in the 2015 Vatican Bank Report, confirm Pope Leo’s worst fears becoming reality.
Pope Leo wrote the full St. Michael the Archangel prayer after he experienced a horrific vision about the corruption of the leadership in the Catholic Church. One day, after celebrating Mass, he was in a conference with the Cardinals. Suddenly, he passed out and fell to the floor. The physicians found no pulse and feared he was dead. However, after a short time, Pope Leo came back to life and cried out with great emotion: “Oh, what a horrible picture I have been permitted to see!”
The reports described how he saw a vision of evil spirits who had been released from Hell and their efforts to destroy the Church. Fortunately, during this horrific nightmare, St. Michael the Archangel appeared and cast Satan and his legions into the abyss of hell. Soon afterwards Pope Leo XIII composed the prayer to Saint Michael, which is the original version listed below.
“O Glorious Prince of the heavenly host, St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the battle and in the terrible warfare that we are waging against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the evil spirits. Come to the aid of man, whom Almighty God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of Satan.
“Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven. That cruel, ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity.
“These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where the See of Holy Peter and the Chair of Truth has been set up as the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered.
“Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly find mercy in the sight of the Lord; and vanquishing the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
V. Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
R. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, the root of David.
V. Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
R. As we have hoped in Thee.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
Let us pray.
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as supplicants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious St. Michael the Archangel, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all the other unclean spirits who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen.”
Roman Raccolta, July 23, 1898, supplement approved July 31, 1902,
London: Burnes, Oates & Washbourne Ltd., 1935, 12th edition