On September 29 the Church keeps the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels, long known in English as Michaelmas. For centuries the date honored St. Michael alone, recalling the dedication of a basilica in his name on the Via Salaria near Rome; since the calendar reform of 1969, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael share the feast. Scripture calls Michael "the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people" (Daniel 12:1). He disputes with the devil in the

Facing surgery can bring fear of pain, of anesthesia, of the unknown, and of what the results might be. Christians have always brought such fears to God. The words below come from Psalm 31 (Psalm 30 in the Douay numbering), the same psalm Jesus prayed from the Cross: "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." They are a prayer of complete trust in God as our refuge and protector. Pray them the night before and on the morning of an operation, or ask a family member to pray them wit

Pope Leo XIII composed this prayer in 1889, in his encyclical Quamquam pluries on devotion to St. Joseph, at a time when the Church faced great hostility. He asked that it be added to the Rosary during October, and it has been a favorite ever since. It calls on St. Joseph as guardian of the Holy Family to protect the Church, which is the family of Christ, from error and every danger. Pray it after the Rosary, especially in October; on Wednesdays, the day traditionally dedicat

St. Christopher is one of the most popular saints in the world, and his medal hangs in countless cars. He was a martyr of the third century, and his name means "Christ-bearer." According to the well-known legend, he was a giant who carried travelers across a dangerous river. One night he carried a child who grew heavier with every step, and the child revealed Himself as Christ, carrying the weight of the whole world. Christopher is patron of travelers, drivers, and those in d

Psalm 121 (Psalm 120 in the Douay numbering) is one of the Songs of Ascents, sung by Jewish pilgrims as they climbed toward Jerusalem for the great feasts. Looking up at the hills, the pilgrim asks where help will come from, and answers at once: from the Lord, who made heaven and earth and never sleeps. It is a perfect prayer for journeys, for new beginnings like a move, a new job, or a new school, and for any moment when you feel small in the face of what lies ahead. It is s

St. Patrick's Breastplate, also called the Lorica or the Deer's Cry, is an ancient Irish prayer of protection traditionally attributed to St. Patrick, the fifth-century apostle of Ireland. A "lorica" was a breastplate, and the prayer wraps the one who prays it in the armor of the Holy Trinity, the mysteries of Christ, and the powers of creation against every danger of body and soul. The verse below comes from the well-known metrical version by Cecil Frances Alexander (1889),

Psalm 91 (Psalm 90 in the Douay numbering) has been called the soldier's psalm and the psalm of protection. It promises that God shelters those who trust in Him, and that He gives His angels charge over them. The Church prays it every Sunday night at Compline, and Christians have carried it into battle, through epidemics, and on dangerous journeys for centuries. Pray it when you are afraid, before travel, when someone you love is in danger, or at night before sleep. Jesus Him

Psalm 23, numbered Psalm 22 in the older Catholic Bibles, is probably the best-loved psalm of all. It pictures God as a shepherd who feeds, leads, and protects His flock, even through the valley of the shadow of death. Catholics pray it at funerals, in hospital rooms, and in every kind of fear or uncertainty. The Fathers of the Church also read it as a picture of the sacraments: the waters of Baptism, the anointing oil, and the table of the Eucharist. Pray it slowly when you

The Chaplet of St. Michael, also called the Angelic Crown, honors St. Michael and the nine choirs of angels. According to tradition, St. Michael revealed it to a Portuguese Carmelite, Antonia d'Astonac, and Blessed Pope Pius IX richly indulgenced it in 1851. It is prayed on a special chaplet of nine groups of three beads, but you can also use your fingers or an ordinary rosary. For each of the nine salutations, pray one Our Father and three Hail Marys, then the invocation for

Christians have called on the Blessed Virgin as Help of Christians (Auxilium Christianorum) since the early centuries, and the title appears in the Litany of Loreto. Pope Pius VII established the feast of Mary Help of Christians on May 24 in thanksgiving for his return to Rome in 1814 after years of captivity under Napoleon. St. John Bosco later spread the devotion around the world and built the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin. This prayer places us under Mary's

From the storm on the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves, Christians have turned to Him in bad weather and natural dangers. The old prayer books and the Roman Ritual include blessings and prayers against storms, lightning, floods, and tempests. This short prayer asks the Lord who calms the sea to protect His people and give them safety of body and peace of soul. Pray it during severe thunderstorms, tornado or hurricane warnings, floods and wildfires, an

Sleep is one of God's quiet gifts, and night can also be a time of worry, loneliness, or restlessness. For centuries the Church has ended the day with Night Prayer (Compline), asking God for a peaceful night and a perfect end. This prayer comes from that tradition: it is the closing collect that asks God to visit our home and let His holy angels dwell there. Pray it at bedtime, alone or as a family, after an examination of conscience. It is a good prayer for anyone who strugg

Our guardian angels watch over us day and night. At the end of the day it is fitting to thank them for their care, for dangers avoided that we may never know about and for the good inspirations they gave us, and to ask their protection through the night. This evening prayer does exactly that, and it is simple enough for children to learn. Pray it at bedtime together with the Angel of God, an examination of conscience, and an act of contrition. It is also a comfort for those w

The Church teaches that each of us has a guardian angel, given by God to protect and guide us from the beginning of life to its end. Jesus Himself said of little ones that "their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father" (Matthew 18:10). We celebrate the Guardian Angels on October 2. This morning prayer greets your angel at the start of the day and asks for four things: to enlighten, protect, defend, and govern you. It pairs naturally with the Morning Offering and

Evil or unwanted thoughts, whether of anger, lust, envy, resentment, or despair, come to everyone, and having them is not a sin. What matters is how we respond. The spiritual tradition teaches that the best defense is to turn quickly to God rather than argue with the thought. This traditional collect asks God, in the language of the old prayer books, to stretch out His right hand to protect us from evil thoughts and unclean desires. Pray it in the morning, at night when the m

Christians have always asked God's protection before setting out on a journey. The old Roman Breviary contained a special set of prayers for travelers, the Itinerarium, and this prayer shares its spirit, asking God to send His angels to accompany those on the road. The Book of Tobit tells how the Archangel Raphael guided young Tobias on his long journey and brought him home safely, which is why Raphael is honored as a patron of travelers. Pray it before a road trip, a flight,

The Church teaches that every person has a guardian angel, given by God to protect and guide us from birth to death. Jesus Himself said of little ones that "their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father" (Matthew 18:10). This prayer, found in classic Catholic prayer books, addresses our angel as a faithful companion who never leaves our side, and asks for protection of body and soul. Pray it in the morning or at night, before a journey, or when you feel alone or afr

Temptation rarely gives us time for long prayers. That is why the saints recommended short aspirations, sometimes called ejaculatory prayers: a few words that can be said in a heartbeat, out loud or silently, the moment a temptation begins. "Jesus, mercy! Mary, help!" is one of the best loved, and it is short enough to memorize at once. Use it the moment you notice a temptation to anger, impurity, gossip, discouragement, or any sin, and repeat it as often as you need to. Call

Praying for the dying is one of the oldest and most loving works of Christian charity. The final hours of life can bring great physical and spiritual struggle, and the Church has always surrounded the dying with prayer, the sacraments, and the intercession of Our Lady and the saints. This short prayer appeals to Jesus through His own agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross. It can be said at a hospital bedside, in hospice, or at home with a dying loved one, and als

The Sub Tuum Praesidium, "We fly to thy patronage," is the oldest known prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary outside of Scripture. A Greek version survives on an Egyptian papyrus that many scholars date to the third or fourth century, which shows that early Christians already called Mary the Mother of God and asked her protection in times of danger. It is still prayed in the Coptic, Byzantine, Ambrosian, and Roman traditions. Pray it when you feel threatened, anxious, or tempted