In Apparitione S. Michaëlis Archangeli ~ Duplex majus

Tempora: Feria Sexta infra Hebdomadam IV post Octavam Paschæ

Fri, 5/8/26:

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.
V. Glória Patri, 

Collect

℣. The Lord be with you.

℟. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

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 succour and defend us on earth.

Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

℟. Amen.

From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 18:1-10
At that time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And so on.

Homily by St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers.
Com. on Matth. xviii.
Unless ye become as little children,” saith the Lord, “ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,” that is, unless by the uprooting of bodily and mental depravity, we bring our souls to the innocency of childhood. But He giveth the name of children to all such as believe by the hearing of faith. Children follow their father, love their mother, know not how to wish evil to their neighbours, are not careful for earthly riches they insult not, they hate not, they lie not, they believe what they are told, and take for truth what they hear. Us then it behoveth to return to the simpleness of little children, for when we are well rooted therein, we shall so far bear about in ourselves an image of the sublime simpleness of the Lord Jesus.

That the blessed Archangel Michael hath oftentimes been seen of men is attested on the authority of the Holy Bible, and also by the ancient traditions of the Saints. For this reason such visions are held in remembrance in many places. As of old time did the Synagogue of the Jews, so now doth the Church of God venerate Michael as her watcher and defender. But during the papacy of Gelasius I. the summit of Mount Gargano in Apulia, at whose foot lieth the town of Siponto, was the scene of an extraordinary appearance of this same Archangel Michael.

And it came to pass on this wise. A certain man had a bull grazing with the flock upon Mount Gargano, and it strayed. And when they had sought it for a long while they found it jammed in the mouth of a cavern. Then one that stood there shot an arrow at it to slay it, but the arrow turned round and came back against him that had shot it. They therefore that saw it, and all those that heard it, were sore afraid because of that which had come to pass, so that no man dared any more to draw near to the cavern. But when they had sought counsel of the Bishop of Siponto, he answered, that it behoved to seek the interpretation from God, and proclaimed three days of fasting and prayer.

After three days the Archangel Michael gave warning to the Bishop that that place was under his protection, and that he had thus pointed out by a sign that he wished that worship should be offered to God there, with remembrance of himself and of the Angels. Then the Bishop and the citizens made haste and came to the cavern and when they found that the form thereof was somewhat after the fashion of a Church, they began to perform the public worship of God therein which sanctuary hath been glorified with many miracles. It was not long after these things that Pope Boniface IV. hallowed the Church of St. Michael on Hadrian's Mole at Rome, on the 29th day of September, on the which day the Church also holdeth in remembrance All Angels. But this present day is hallowed in remembrance of the manifestation of the Archangel Michael.

Post Communion
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Relaying on the intercession of blessed Michael the archangel, we humbly entreat thee, O Lord, that the service we pray with our lips, we may lay hold of with our minds.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.