THE APPARITION OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL - MASS PROPERS

    THE APPARITION OF ST. MICHAEL

                  THE ARCHANGEL

It is manifested, from the holy Scriptures, that God is pleased to make frequent use of the ministry of the heavenly spirits in the dispensations of His providence in this world, and especially towards man. Hence the name of Angel (which is not properly a denomination of nature, but office) has been appropriated to them. The angels are all pure spirits; they are, by a property of their nature, immortal, as every spirit is. They have the power of moving or conveying themselves from place to place, and such is their activity that it is not easy for us to conceive it. Among the holy archangels, there are particularly distinguished in holy writ Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. 

     St. Michael, whom the Church honors this day, was the prince of the faithful angels who opposed Lucifer and his associates in their revolt against God. As the devil is the sworn enemy of God's holy Church, St. Michael is its special protector against his assaults and stratagems. This holy archangel has ever been honored in the Christian Church, as her guardian under God, and as the protector of the faithful; for God is pleased to employ the zeal and charity of the good angels and their leader against the malice of the devil. To thank His adorable goodness for this benefit of His merciful providence, is this festival instituted by the Church in honor of the good angels, in which devotion she has been encouraged by several apparitions of this glorious archangel. 

     Among others, it is recorded that St. Michael, in a vision, admonished the Bishop of Siponto to build a church in his honor on Mount Gargano, near Manfredonia, in the kingdom of Naples. When the Emperor Otho III. had, contrary to his word, put to death, for rebellion, Crescentius, a Roman senator, being touched with remorse, he cast himself at the feet of St. Romuald, who, in satisfaction for his crime, enjoined him to walk barefoot, on a penitential pilgrimage, to St. Michael's on Mount Gargano, which penance he performed in 1002. 

     It is mentioned in particular of this special guardian and protector of the Church that, in the persecution of Antichrist, he will powerfully stand up in her defense: "At that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people."

      Basilica of St. Michael on Mount Gargano

THE APPARITION OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

     Greater Double - White Vestments     

          Missa ‘Benedicite Dominum’

INTROITUS – Ps 102: 20

Benedícite Dóminum, omnes Angeli ejus: poténtes virtúte, qui tácitis verbum ejus, ad audiéndam vocem sermónum ejus, allelúja, allelúja. Ps. 102:1 Bénedic, ánima mea, Dómino: et ómnia, quæ intra me sunt, nómini sancto ejus. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculórum. Amen.

Benedícite Dóminum…

INTROIT – Ps 102: 20

Bless the Lord, all ye his angels: you that are mighty in strength, and execute his word, hearkening to the voice of his orders, alleluia, alleluia. Ps. 102:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and let all that is within me bless his holy name. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Bless the Lord…

ORATIO

Deus, qui, miro ordine, Angelórum ministéria hominúmque dispénsas: concéde propítius; ut, a quibus tibi ministrántibus in coelo semper assístitur, ab his in terra vita nostra muniátur. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum.

COLLECT

O God, Who hast ordained and constituted the services of angels and men in a wonderful order, mercifully grant that as thy holy angels alway do thee service in heaven, so, by thy appointment, they may succor and defend us on earth. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord.

EPISTLE - Apoc. 1:1-5

Lesson from the book of Apocalypse

Chapter 1

In those days God signified the things which must shortly come to pass: and signified, sending by his angel to his servant John, Who hath given testimony to the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, what things soever he hath seen. Blessed is he, that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy; and keepeth those things which are written in it; for the time is at hand. John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from him that is, and that was, and that is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.

GOSPEL

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

Matt 18:1-10

In that time: the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Who thinkest thou is the greater in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them, and said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh. And if thy hand, or thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to go into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

OFFERTORY – Apocalypse 8: 3, 4

An angel stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense. And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God, alleluia.