The Litany of St. Michael the Archangel is a prayer of praise and petition that calls on St. Michael by more than twenty titles, from “Prince of the Armies of the Lord” to “consoler of the souls detained in the flames of Purgatory,” asking him to pray for us. It is a litany for private devotion, and it takes about five minutes. The full text below, with its closing prayer, is from A Little Treasury of Leaflets, a Catholic prayer collection published in Dublin with the archbishop’s approval in 1914, where it carried an indulgence of forty days.
How to pray the Litany of St. Michael
- Begin with the Sign of the Cross.
- Pray the litany. When praying with others, one person reads each title and everyone answers with the words in italics. Alone, simply read each line.
- Finish with the closing prayer.
- You may add the short prayer “St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us,” below, or the St. Michael prayer of Pope Leo XIII.
The litany is especially fitting on Tuesdays, which older Catholic custom dedicated to the holy angels; on the Feast of the Archangels, September 29; and during the “Lent of St. Michael,” the forty days from the Assumption (August 15) to Michaelmas, which St. Francis of Assisi kept with fasting and prayer.
The Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, hear us.
Jesus Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Saint Michael, pray for us.
Saint Michael, filled with the wisdom of God, pray for us.
Saint Michael, perfect adorer of the Word Incarnate, pray for us.
Saint Michael, crowned with honour and glory, pray for us.
Saint Michael, most powerful Prince of the Armies of the Lord, pray for us.
Saint Michael, standard-bearer of the Most Holy Trinity, pray for us.
Saint Michael, guardian of Paradise, pray for us.
Saint Michael, guide and consoler of the people of Israel, pray for us.
Saint Michael, fortress of the Church Militant, pray for us.
Saint Michael, honour and joy of the Church Triumphant, pray for us.
Saint Michael, Light of Angels, pray for us.
Saint Michael, rampart of the orthodox, pray for us.
Saint Michael, strength of those who fight under the standard of the cross, pray for us.
Saint Michael, light and confidence of souls at the hour of death, pray for us.
Saint Michael, most assured help, pray for us.
Saint Michael, our help in all our adversities, pray for us.
Saint Michael, herald of the eternal sentence, pray for us.
Saint Michael, consoler of the souls detained in the flames of Purgatory, pray for us.
Thou whom the Lord has charged to receive souls after death, pray for us.
Saint Michael, our Prince, pray for us.
Saint Michael, our Advocate, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Closing prayer
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, sanctify us by an ever-increasing benediction, and grant us through the intercession of Saint Michael that wisdom which teaches us to lay up treasures in Heaven, and to exchange the goods of time for those of eternity. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
“St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us”
The same prayer book follows the litany with this short invocation, one of the oldest prayers to St. Michael. It comes from the Latin chant of his feast, Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio, and it is the opening line of the longer prayer Pope Leo XIII composed in 1886:
Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the combat that we perish not in the dreadful Judgment.
The meaning of the titles
Many of the litany’s titles come straight from Scripture and the Church’s tradition.
“Most powerful Prince of the Armies of the Lord.” In the Book of the Apocalypse, Michael leads the angels who cast the devil out of heaven (Apocalypse 12:7–9, Douay-Rheims):
And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels:
And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
“Guide and consoler of the people of Israel.” The prophet Daniel calls Michael the great prince who stands guard over God’s people (Daniel 12:1, Douay-Rheims):
But at that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people: and a time shall come such as never was from the time that nations began even until that time. And at that time shall thy people be saved, every one that shall be found written in the book.
“Fortress of the Church Militant.” The Church has long honored Michael as its protector, as he once protected Israel. “Church Militant” means the faithful still on earth, “Church Triumphant” the saints in heaven, and the souls in Purgatory the Church Suffering.
“Light and confidence of souls at the hour of death” and “Thou whom the Lord has charged to receive souls after death.” The old Offertory of the Requiem Mass asked that “the standard-bearer, holy Michael,” would lead the souls of the faithful departed into the holy light. For this reason Michael is invoked by the dying and for the souls in Purgatory.
Is the Litany of St. Michael approved by the Church?
The Church approves six litanies for public, liturgical use: the Litany of the Saints, the Litany of Loreto, and the Litanies of the Holy Name, the Sacred Heart, the Precious Blood and St. Joseph. The Litany of St. Michael is not one of them; like many other litanies, it is meant for private devotion. The version on this page was printed with an archbishop’s imprimatur and an indulgence in 1914.
Other versions of the Litany of St. Michael are found in modern prayer books, usually marked “for private use.” They differ in wording and length, and some add titles such as “Defender of the Church” or “Terror of the evil spirits.” See What is a litany? for how litanies are structured.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Litany of St. Michael?
A prayer that honors St. Michael the Archangel with a series of titles, each followed by the response “pray for us,” and that ends with a closing prayer.
How long does it take to pray the Litany of St. Michael?
About five minutes.
When should I pray the Litany of St. Michael?
At any time, especially in temptation or spiritual struggle, on Tuesdays, on the Feast of the Archangels (September 29), during the Lent of St. Michael (August 15 to September 29), and for the dying.
What is the difference between the Litany and the Chaplet of St. Michael?
The litany is a short list of titles with responses. The Chaplet of St. Michael is prayed on beads, with nine salutations to the nine choirs of angels, and takes about twenty minutes.
More prayers to St. Michael
- St. Michael prayer
- Chaplet of St. Michael
- Novena to St. Michael
- Feast of the Archangels
- Guardian angel prayer
- Litany of the Saints
Texts and sources
- Litany of St. Michael Archangel, its closing prayer, and “Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us,” A Little Treasury of Leaflets, vol. II, revised edition (Dublin, imprimatur 30 June 1914), public domain (archive.org). The book prints each response once in the margin; here it is repeated on every line, and “Lamb of God, &c.” and “Who livest and reignest, &c.” are written out in full.
- Apocalypse 12:7–9 and Daniel 12:1 (Douay-Rheims).