skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Original - Prayer to St. Michael 
“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.
“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.”
These are some of the prayers of exorcism from the Book of Needs. The first two would be read by a priest but it would certainly not hurt to pray them in support of the priest. Exorcism can be very disturbing however, and sometimes longer prayers are difficult becasue of the constant distraction. I recommend the Jesus Prayer. It is short and it is powerful.
O God of gods and Lord of lords, Creator of the fiery ranks, and Fashioner of the fleshless powers, the Artisan of heavenly things and those under the heavens, Whom no man has seen, nor is able to see, Whom all creation fears: Into the dark depths of Hell You hurled the commander who had become proud, and who, because of his disobedient service, was cast down from the height to earth, as well as the angels that fell away with him, all having become evil demons. Grant that this my exorcism being performed in Your awesome name, be terrible to the Master of evil and to all his minions who had fallen with him from the height of brightness. Drive him into banishment, commanding him to depart hence, so that no harm might be worked against Your sealed Image. And, as You have commanded, let those who are sealed receive the strength to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all power of the Enemy. For manifested, hymned, and glorified with fear, by everything that has breath is Your most holy Name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and into ages of ages. Amen.
0 Lord God of our salvation, Son of the living God, Who art upborne by the cherubim and art infinitely more exalted than all the principalities and virtues, powers and dominions: Thou art great and fillest all around Thee with dread; Thou art He that set heaven like a chamber; Thou art He that created the earth in Thy might and hast ordered the universe in Thy wisdom, Who hast shaken the nethermost parts of the earth from their foundations and made its pillars immovable, Who speakest to the sun, and it shineth not; Who sealest the stars; Who forbiddest the sea, and driest it up; Whose wrath melteth the principalities and virtues; by Whose power the rocks are ground to powder! Thou didst break down the gates of bronze, and the gates of iron didst Thou destroy; Thou didst bind mighty [Satan] and didst shatter his vessels; by Thy Cross didst Thou cast down the tyrant [of hell], didst draw forth the serpent with the hook of Thine incarnation and, having set him in Tartarus, didst bind him with bonds of darkness. Therefore, 0 Lord, Thou confirmation of them that place their hope on Thee, mighty rampart of them that trust in Thee: drive away, put to flight and cause to depart every machination of the devil and every satanic assault, every attack of the adversary and oppressive power, from this roof and from them that are sheltered thereby and walk about beneath it, who bear the sign of the victory of Thy Cross, which terrifieth the demons, and who call upon Thy good name. Yea, 0 Lord, Who expelled a legion of demons and commanded the deaf and dumb demon and the unclean possessing spirit to depart from man and to leave, never to return; Who destroyest all the array of our invisible foes, Who hast made wise the faithful who know Thee, [saying]: Behold, I give you power to tred on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: do Thou Thyself, 0 Master, Who art beyond all harm and temptation, preserve all who are in this habitation, delivering them from terror by night and the arrow that flieth by day, from the thing that walketh in darkness, from the mishap and demon of noonday; that Thy servants, handmaids and children, who enjoy Thine aid, may all, in oneness of mind, faithfully chant as with one voice: the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me; and again: I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
For Thou, 0 God, art my confirmation, the mighty Lord, the prince of peace, the Father of the age to come, and Thy kingdom is eternal; and Thine alone is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, having struck down the ancient serpent and bound him in Tartarus by bonds of darkness, protect me from his snares. Through the prayers of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, of the holy Archangel Michael and all the Heavenly hosts, of the holy Prophet and Baptist John, of the holy Evangelist John the Theologian, of the holy Martyr Cyprian and the Martyr Justinia, of St. Nicholas the wonderworker, of St. Nikita of Novgorod, of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, the wonderworker … and of all the saints, by the power of the life-giving Cross and by the intercession of my Guardian Angel, deliver me from evil spirits, from cunning people, from sorcery, curses, the evil eye, and from any slanders of the enemy. By Thine almighty power preserve me from evil, so that I, enlightened by Thy light, may safely reach the quiet anchorage of the Heavenly Kingdom and there eternally thank Thee, my Savior, together with Thine unoriginate Father and Thy Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit. Amen.
