16. Prayer on St. Michael’s Day.

O thou faithful God! Lover, Protector and Preserver of the human race, Thou Lord of Hosts, unto whom thousand thousands minister, and before whom ten thousand times ten thousand stand, by whom all things were created, both the visible and the invisible, the thrones and dominions; how great is Thy love to men, that from their infancy Thou hast ordered to be with them Thy holy angels, these constant, humble, friendly, God-loving, obedient, true, good spirits, these beautifully resplendent, heavenly flaming fires, these strong heroes, these holy watchmen, who encamp round about us that fear Thy name, who always behold the face of our Father in heaven, and stand before Thy throne; by means of whom Thou dost protect the three estates 153 which Thou Thyself hast ordained on earth. O God, what is man, that Thou art thus mindful of him! We render unto Thee everlasting praise and thanks for Thy goodness, that Thou hast sent forth the ministering spirits, to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. We pray Thee, give Thy angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways, to bear us up in their hands, lest we dash our foot against a stone; that we may tread upon the lion and adder, and trample under our feet the young lion and the dragon. Drive away from us all evil spirits, which are murderers and liars from the beginning. Protect us against their anger and rage, their lies and blasphemies, their cunning and deceit, that they may not sow their tares among the wheat in our hearts. Restrain the lying spirits in the mouth of all false prophets, the murderous spirit in all tyrants, the spirit of pride and avarice in the family. Let Thy holy angels always accompany us like Jacob, protect us like the prophet Elisha, bring us bread and water and furnish us with fiery horse and chariot like Elias, let them give unto us wholesome 154 counsel and comfort. Let them be with us in our tribulation, as they were with the three men in the fiery furnace and with Daniel in the lion’s den; let them deliver us, and lead us out, from all our troubles, as they led out Lot from burning Sodom, Peter from the prison, Paul from the shipwreck. Let our house and land, our children and all that we possess, be protected by Thy holy angels, as was the house of Job, that the enemy may not molest us. Let us live in Thy fear, love Thy Word and Gospel, into which the angels desire to look. Work true repentance in our hearts, that the angels in heaven may rejoice over us. Kindle in us fervent prayer and praise of Thy name, that we may perform an angel’s office and sing with them: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. And finally let also our souls be carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom, and in the resurrection on that day make us like unto the holy angels, that we may be in their society. Amen.