In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Welcome to the first day of the Saint Michael Novena. For nine days, we will pray together to the great Archangel who, by the power of God, defends the Church and every soul that calls upon him.
The Book of Revelation, chapter twelve, says, Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down, that ancient serpent called the devil.
Saint Michael, today I begin this novena by acknowledging the spiritual battle. It is real. It is around me. It is sometimes inside me. I am not always aware of it, but you are. You see what I cannot see.
Today I ask you to defend me. Defend me from what threatens me physically. From accidents, from violence, from harm I cannot foresee. Cover me with your wings of protection.
Defend me from what threatens me spiritually. From temptations that wear me down. From thoughts that pull me away from God. From influences that subtly compromise my faith. Drive them back.
Defend me from what threatens those I love. My family, by name in my heart. My closest friends. The people whose lives are entrusted to me. Let no enemy reach them through the gap in my prayers.
Saint Michael, you stood before God and said, Who is like God? You took the title that fits you. Michael, in Hebrew, means Who is like God? You are the angel who refused the lie that any creature could rival the Creator.
Help me refuse that lie too. The lie that I can be God. That I can manage my life without Him. That I can resist temptation in my own strength. Today I bow before the One who alone is God.
I pray now the prayer Pope Leo the Thirteenth gave us. Saint Michael the Archangel, 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 hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
I add my own intentions for this novena. Whatever specific protection I am asking for, in body, soul, family, or work, I name it now in my heart. Saint Michael, take these intentions to the throne of God.
Tomorrow we continue. Day Two. Until then, sleep in peace under the wings of the Archangel.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The St. Michael Novena
Nine days of prayer with the Archangel who defends the Church.
From the Church’s tradition: The traditional nine-day novena to St. Michael the Archangel — classically prayed September 21–29, ending on his feast (Michaelmas), and at any time of serious need.
A novena — nine consecutive days of prayer — is one of the Church’s oldest devotional forms, modeled on the nine days the Apostles prayed between the Ascension and Pentecost. The St. Michael Novena asks the Archangel’s intercession with particular persistence: for protection, for deliverance from evil, for courage in battle.
The classic season is September 21–29, finishing on the Feast of St. Michael — but the novena is prayed year-round by those facing something that one day of prayer does not answer: a family crisis, a persistent temptation, a season of spiritual oppression. Day one is below, narrated; all nine days are in the prayer library and in the app, which keeps your place through the nine days.
Listen — St. Michael Novena, Day 1, narrated
St. Michael Novena — Day 1
Each of the nine days pairs Scripture on the Archangel with guided prayer. Days 2–9 are linked below.
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How to pray a novena
A novena is simple and demanding in exactly the way modern life resists: the same prayer, nine days running, no skipping. The form teaches what it asks — persistence. Christ told the parable of the persistent widow "that they ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1), and the novena is the Church’s training in that.
Pick a fixed time and defend it; morning is easiest to keep. If you miss a day, the tradition’s counsel is not to start over in scrupulosity — pick it back up and continue. The point is faithfulness, not perfection of streak. Bring one specific intention to the whole nine days and name it aloud each day.
Why St. Michael? Because Scripture gives him precisely the role you are praying about: "at that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people" (Daniel 12:1). When the need is protection — of a family, a marriage, a soul under pressure — the Church’s instinct for sixteen centuries has been to ask the one who stands for God’s people.
When to pray it
- ✦September 21–29, ending on Michaelmas — the traditional season.
- ✦In any season of serious or persistent need — novenas are not calendar-locked.
- ✦At the same time each day; the fixed time is half the discipline.
- ✦With one named intention carried through all nine days.
The nine days
St. Michael Novena — Day 2: Healer
Healer of body and soul
St. Michael Novena — Day 3: Guide
Guide for our decisions
St. Michael Novena — Day 4: Family
Protector of family
St. Michael Novena — Day 5: Holy Souls
Intercessor for the holy souls
St. Michael Novena — Day 6: Church
Guardian of the Church
St. Michael Novena — Day 7: Conversion
Calling souls to conversion
St. Michael Novena — Day 8: Holy Death
For a holy death
St. Michael Novena — Day 9: Eternal Glory
The crown of eternal glory
Pray alongside the novena
Questions about St. Michael Novena
When is the St. Michael Novena prayed?+
Traditionally September 21–29, ending on the Feast of St. Michael (Michaelmas, September 29). But a novena can be started any day of the year — most people begin one when a serious need begins, not when the calendar says so.
What if I miss a day of the novena?+
Continue the next day. The tradition does not treat a missed day as invalidating the novena — scrupulosity about streaks is not the point. Persistence in returning is the very thing the novena teaches.
What do I pray each day?+
Each day pairs Scripture about St. Michael with guided prayer and a daily intention — about ten minutes. Day 1 is on this page with audio; the app carries all nine days and keeps your place.
Can I pray the novena for someone else?+
Yes — interceding for another person is one of the most traditional uses of a novena. Name them each day. Many parents pray the St. Michael Novena for a child going through something they cannot reach any other way.
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