The Chaplet of St Michael is a wonderful way to honour this great Archangel along with the other nine Choirs of Angels. What do we mean by Choirs? It seems that God has created various orders of Angels. Sacred Scripture distinguishes nine such groupings: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels and Angels (Isa. 6:2; Gen. 3:24; Col. 1:16; Eph. 1:21; Rom. 8:38). There may be more groupings but these are the only ones that have been revealed to us. The Seraphim is believed to be the highest Choir, the most intimately united to God, while the Angelic Choir is the lowest.
The history of this Chaplet goes back to a devout Servant of God, Antonia d'Astonac, who had a vision of St Michael. He told Antonia to honour him by nine salutations to the nine Choirs of Angels. St Michael promised that whoever would practice this devotion in his honour would have, when approaching Holy Communion, an escort of nine angels chosen from each of the nine Choirs. In addition, for those who would recite the Chaplet daily, he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life.
The Chaplet of St Michael
O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Worship the Holy Trinity
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.
Nine salutations in honour of the nine Choirs of Angels
By the intercession of St Michael and the celestial Choir of Seraphim
may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity.
Amen.
Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys
By the intercession of St Michael and the celestial Choir of Cherubim
may the Lord grant us the grace to leave the ways of sin and run in the paths of Christian perfection.
Amen.
Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys
By the intercession of St Michael and the celestial Choir of Thrones
may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility.
Amen.
Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys
By the intercession of St Michael and the celestial Choir of Dominations
may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and overcome any unruly passions.
Amen.
Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys
By the intercession of St Michael and the celestial Choir of Virtues
may the Lord preserve us from evil and falling into temptation.
Amen.
Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys
By the intercession of St Michael and the celestial Choir of Powers
may the Lord protect our souls against the snares and temptations of the devil.
Amen.
Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys
By the intercession of St Michael and the celestial Choir of Principalities
may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience.
Amen.
Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys
By the intercession of St Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels
may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven.
Amen.
Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys
By the intercession of St Michael and the celestial Choir of Angels
may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted in the life to come to Heaven.
Amen.
Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys
Honour the leading Archangels and our Personal Guardian Angel:
Pray one Our Father in honour of:
St Michael
Pray one Our Father in honour of:
St Gabriel
Pray one Our Father in honour of:
St Raphael
Pray one Our Father in honour of:
Personal Guardian Angel.
Concluding prayers:
O glorious prince St Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King and our admirable conductor, you who shine with excellence and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil, who turn to you with confidence and enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.
Pray for us, O glorious St Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.
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 Your Church, make us worthy, we ask You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into Your Presence. This we ask through the merits of Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
