The Meaning Behind the Medal — Archangel Michael

The most powerful prayer to ask for protection against evil is the Archangel Michael Prayer. 

The original prayer was from Pope Leo XIII in 1898. It was later shortened and was encouraged in 1994 by Pope John Paul II to recite in prayer.

"Dear Archangel Michael, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil, may God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou O'Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls."   

Originally Pope Leo XIII called upon the "intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St. Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls." 

Do you hear that? Mother Mary AND Archangel Michael to defend us from the evil one!  

Those words hit my heart—I have always felt God promised to guide My Saint My Hero, and there are times I can see His hand so clearly. 

This was one of those moments! 

Let me back up. When we first made our Archangel Michael Protection Blessing Bracelet, I wanted a cool design to offset the Archangel Michael medal and create an alternating pattern.  

I chose to use the Miraculous Mary Medal because the Auspice Maria is on the back of this medal. I just loved the look of it. When I was designing it, I never knew why this pattern felt right, and when people asked, I just said, "I love that Mary and Archangel Michael are protecting us." 

Fast-forward to today, 12 years after the launch of our Protection bracelet. I am reading the original Archangel Michael Prayer in its entirety BEFORE it was shortened and HERE IT IS … Mary and Archangel Michael TOGETHER defend us in battle against the wickedness and snares of the devil!

I was amazed. When I first heard the call to create My Saint My Hero, I heard in my heart, "Bring the sacred to now, make it cool and hip, and we will do the rest."  

THANK YOU, GOD, FOR GUIDING THIS MISSION! Our goal has never changed. Our mission is to bring you elements of faith, hope, and purpose and to share the sacramentals of our faith. 

—Amy D'Ambra/MSMH Founder and Co-Owner

In His Most Powerful Protection

St. Michael the Archangel and Our Blessed Mother together become a great union of intercessory prayer. Strong faith in God becomes a great protector, armor, and shield since our life journey can be a road of twists and turns of doubt, fear, anxiety, and worry. 

It is said, “the intercession of the saints works...are so close to the fire of God’s love they stand immediately before him, they can set our prayers on fire with their love and release the power of our prayers.” (Fr. Mitch Pacwa)

When we wear saint medals, they become more than just symbols. They are the visual and tangible sacramentals that remind us of our faith, making it a physical presence in our lives. 

The St. Michael the Archangel Medal is the image of the general of the heavenly army. He is often turned to for courage and protection against evil. He is depicted as battling a dragon. This meaningful image is the Book of Revelation 12:7-9—a symbol of good against evil. 

The Miraculous Mary Medal is the design that the Blessed Mother directed to St. Catherine Labouré following a series of visions in the 1830s. It is the emblem of eternal graces. It reminds us that our prayers are in her Son’s loving care, and graces are given even to those who forget to ask. 

The front of the Miraculous Mary medal has Our Lady’s hands open and full of light. Our Lady stands on the globe as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her feet are standing and crushing the serpent to show that Satan and all his followers are helpless before her (Gn. 3:15). 

The back of the Miraculous Mary medal symbolizes Christ and our redemption. The bar under the Cross is a sign of the earth and the altar. The M shows that Mary is our Mother. The combination of Mary’s initial and the Cross shows Our Lady’s closeness with Jesus and our world. Below the Cross, the bar, and the M are two Sacred Hearts side‐by‐side. The two hearts represent the love of Jesus and Mary for us. The twelve stars show the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles and the Book of Revelation (12:1), in which “a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars.”

These two medals alternate on our best-selling Protection Archangel Michael Bracelet and remind us of the following prayer. Indeed, when you wear this bracelet, you are wearing a prayer:

This St. Michael’s Prayer is the original version as written by Pope Leo XIII. It was originally published in the Roman Raccolta of July 23, 1898, and a supplement approved July 31, 1902. 

ORIGINAL PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL 

O Glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, and spirits of evil. 

Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. 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, that 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; his depraved mind, corrupt heart, his spirit of lying, impiety, blasphemy, his pestilential 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 has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for 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 conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down 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. 

• Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered, hostile powers. 
• The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, the root of David. 
• Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord 
• As we have hoped in Thee. 
• O Lord, hear my prayer. 
• And let my cry come unto Thee 

LET US PRAY 

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy name, and we humbly implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St. Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. 

Amen. 

Pope Leo XIII, 1888 

Raccolta 1933 (Partial Indulgence)  from the romancatholic.com