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The car accident happened on a Sunday evening at dusk. I
worked as a Medical Technologist for the U.S.Navy and was
serving a 2 year term at the Naval Hospital, Roosevelt Roads
in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. I was not an Orthodox Christian back
then in 1987. After a weekend with my family it was time to
head back to base. I remember the windows of the car were
shut tight and the air conditioner was off. My seat belts were
off. I felt very relaxed notwithstanding a very persistent thought
that I was going to have a car accident, but I dismissed it as
nonsense. When I was only a half hour away from base, I felt
the wind rushing into the front seat next to me, and I was startled.
It only took a second. When I turned my eyes to look at the
passenger seat, while doing my best to keep an eye on the
road at the same time, I saw a very tall man dressed in white,
very strong and young sitting next to me. He smiled and placed
his arm across my chest, and right then I was knocked
unconscious. An old man had attempted to drive across the
highway and did not see me. And I hit him at full speed. I had
no time to brake.
When I woke up, I was very confused and was not immediately
aware that I had been in a car accident. A witness walked by
expecting me to be dead but I was alive and had not been hurt.
I was only a little sore because of the impact. The other driver
went into cardiac arrest, had many broken bones and spent
months in the hospital. Both cars were ruined.
Imagine my amazement when I remembered what I saw and
realized that God and His angel had saved my life. Even more
astounding was the realization that God had loved me and
protected me even when I was not very interested in my
Christian life at that time. The love of God is truly amazing!
Prayer to Your Guardian Angel
O Angel of Christ, holy guardian and protector of my soul and
body, forgive me everything wherein I have offended thee
every day of my life, and protect me from all influence and
temptation of the evil one. May I nevermore anger God by
any sins. Pray for me to the Lord, that He may make me
worthy of the grace of the All-holy Trinity, and of the Most
Blessed Theotokos, and of all the Saints. Amen.Source
The following is a list of the Archangels recognized by the Orthodox
Church. These names are mentioned by St.Dyonisios the Aeropagite
and they also appear in the Canon to the Bodiless Heavenly Powers.
St MICHAEL "Who is like unto God "
He is called the Archistrategos, or chief commander, of all the
bodiless powers. As the Chief Commander of the Heavenly hosts,
Michael usually holds a sword in one hand. In the other he often
carries either a shield, date-tree branch, a spear, or a white banner
(possibly with a scarlet cross). He is most likely to be wearing red.
In many instances, Michael tramples the devil under his feet, which
may be depicted as a dragon. This comes from the tradition that
Michael was the main opponent of Satan in the battle for Heaven.
St. Michael is the Commander-in-Chief of all the hierarchies of the
Heavenly Hosts. He is usually known as the Angel who defeated
Lucifer and his followers in the first rebellion of creatures against
God. By his battle cry: "Mi-ca-El" which means "Who is like unto
God?", he was named Michael. He is the first defender of the
most holy Theotokos and ever virgin Mary in the Mystery of the
Incarnation. He is usually associated with the miracles manifesting
the almighty power of God with the Theotokos
(Dan. 10:12; 12:1; Apoc.12:7).
Prayer to the Archangel Michael
O Mighty Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, St. Michael, we beg you to
protect and defend us in ll struggles against the everyday temptations
in this world. Help us to overcome all evils and strengthen us, that we
may declare our faith in and loyalty to the Most High so that together
with all the angels and saints in heaven we may glorify the Lord.
St. Michael, please intercede for us together with the Theotokos
and obtain for us the following requests __________.
Present to God the Father all these petitions through Jesus Christ
our Lord together with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Source
A Prayer to Archangel Michael, the Mighty Warrior
O Lord God, Great and Eternal King! Send, O Lord, Thy Archangel
Michael to help Thy servant (name), and to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible.
O Archangel Michael, angel of the Lord and vanquisher of demons! Suppress all my combatants, make them meek as sheep, and disperse them like dust before the wind.
O great Michael, Archangel of the Lord, six-winged high prince, leader of the heavenly host, the Cherubim and the Seraphim! O kind Archangel Michael, be my helper in all offenses, sorrows and woes, in the desert, at the crossroads, be a safe haven on rivers and seas. Deliver me, O great Archangel Michael, from all the temptations of the demons, when they hear me, thy sinful servant (name), praying to thee, and calling upon thee, and entreating thy holy name: hasten to assist me and heed my prayer.
O great Archangel Michael! Vanquish all my opponents by the power of the Holy and Life-giving Heavenly Cross of the Lord, by the prayers of the Most-holy Theotokos and the holy apostles, the holy prophet of God Elias, Saint Nicholas the wonder worker, Saint Andrew the fool-for-Christ, the holy great martyrs Nikitas and Eustace, the venerable fathers and holy hierarchs, martyrs, and all the heavenly host. Amen.
Whosoever reads this ancient prayer – on that day will he be touched neither by the devil, nor by any evil man, nor will any temptation seduce his heart. If he should pass from this life – hell will not take in his soul.
St GABRIEL "The Power or Strength of God".
St. Gabriel is the bearer of God's secret messages to His chosen
ones. He is the Angel who announced to the Theotokos God's
plan for her to be the Mother of His Son, Jesus (Luke 1:19).
He was also the Angel who foretold to Daniel the end of the
world. (Dan. 8:19; 9:21).
Archangel Gabriel is the messenger of God’s Providence,
the attendant of miracles and divine Mysteries. When we are
overcome with doubts, when it seems to us that we have been
abandoned by everyone and there is no help from anywhere,
let us pray to Archangel Gabriel, that by his prayers the Lord
would reveal to us His most holy will and would set our life
upon the course of salvation.
Prayer to the Archangel Gabriel
St. Gabriel, Holy Archangel, you, who are known as the bearer
of God's secrets meant especially for His chosen ones, we,
God's children, are constantly keeping watch on God's message.
Through your powerful intercession, may we receive God's
words and messages so that together with Mary, the Theotokos,
we may give glory and praise to Him.
May we also radiate God's love to others by our exemplary deeds.
O, St. Gabriel, obtain for us the grace and present to God the
Father the following requests _________ through Jesus Christ
our Lord together with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
St RAPHAEL "The Healing of God"
Regarding the healing powers attributed to Raphael, we have
little more than his declaration to Tobit (Tobit, 12) that he was
sent by the Lord to heal him of his blindness and to deliver
Sarah, his daughter-in-law, from the devil.
St. Raphael is the Archangel of the Christian's journey to
heaven. He is the head of the guardian angels. He is assigned
by God to accompany us along the way of our pilgrimage
in search of the treasures of real happiness which God has in
store for all His children.
He also gives the light to discern correctly God's ways and
protects us from the dangers that befall us on our way to our
heavenly home. As his name Raphael connotes,
"medicine of God," he is the Angel that brings good health
and abundant provisions during our journey
(Tob. 8:3; 12:15).
Prayer to Archangel Raphael
O Great Archangel, St. Raphael, you have been appointed by
God to become our healer and to guide us in our earthly
pilgrimage to our home in heaven. We beg you to assist us in
all our undertakings and in all the trials and pains of this
earthly life. We pray for constant good health both physically,
mentally and spiritually. We beseech you to guide always
our steps that we shall walk with confidence towards our
journey, and enlighten us with our doubts generated by
intellectual pride and worldly ambitions. St. Raphael, please
present to God the following petitions _________.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord together with the Holy Spirit
forever and ever. Amen.
St URIEL "The Light or Fire of God"
This archangel enlightens the minds and the hearts of the
faithful with the light of divine truths and the fire of divine
love. All those who embark upon the study of knowledge
can and should pray to this archangel to enlighten their
minds and hearts, in order to avoid a destructive chasm
between knowledge and faith. In the Book of Enoch Uriel
was called the Angel who "watches over thunder and
terror" (Enoch 1).Source
Uriel is said to be one of the four guardians of God's
throne. Identified as both a seraph and a cherub, Uriel is
most well known for his role as regent of the sun in the
book of Revelation where he calls forth the birds of the air
to feast upon the fallen. As one of the most faithful and
dedicated members of the host, Saint Uriel the archangel
was also placed in charge of Tartarus (another name for
Hades). He is often shown holding the keys to Hades for
this reason.
Uriel is considered to be Archangel of the Earth. This
means he is responsible for protecting people from floods,
earthquakes and other natural disasters Saint Uriel is also
credited for warning Noah of the impending flood (although
Raphael is credited with teaching the building of the ark),
and attacking Moses for failing to circumcise his son.
Although Saint Uriel the Archangel is gentle, loving and
kind, he is severe when people blaspheme or offend God.
One of his tasks is to punish sinners. Consequently, he is
also known as the Angel of Retribution. An ancient tradition
says that Uriel was the angel who wrestled with Jacob for a
full night (Genesis 32: 24-30). In the apocalypse, Saint Uriel
appears as the Angel of Repentance. Uriel is one of the four
angels of the presence. A scriptural reference to an angel
of presence is found in Isaiah 63:9, "In all their affliction he
was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in
his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bore
them, and carried them all the days of old.
We pray for him to enlighten those with darkened minds.
Prayer to the Archangel Uriel
Oh holy St. Uriel, come to our aid with your legion of
angels! Intercede for us that our hearts may burn with the
fire of God. Obtain for us the grace to use the sword of
truth to fight against all that is not in conformity to the most
adorable will of God in our lives.
St Selaphiel "The Command, Communicant or Prayer of God"
He is even depicted so on icons: with eyes gazing downward,
with hands crossed on his chest, with an air of humility and
deep inner concentration. Archangel Selaphiel is the patron
of prayer. He is our primary teacher of prayer. Prayer is the most
difficult thing to achieve, and one must be instructed in it.
Unfortunately, some people assiduously study various worldly
subjects, but disdain the study of the most important
subject in the world - the Jesus prayer. Let us pray to Archangel
Selaphiel for the Lord to grant us this gift of divine prayer.
St. Selaphiel continually stands before God, with a censer in
hand in unceasing adoration of the Most Holy Trinity. As the
Archangel of contemplation and worship, his angelic purity
transforms the love and worship which we mortals give to God.
We need St. Selaphiel's powerful intercession before God's
throne to overcome the evils of hedonism in our day. May the
evils of drug addition, sex exploitation and abortion become
things of discredited past. May endless hymns of praise rise
from all peoples as they chant in union with the Heavenly
Choirs of Angels, in perpetual thanksgiving for God's bountiful
blessings. He is known to be the angel who stopped Abraham
from killing his son Isaac as a sacrifice. (Gen. 22:12)
Prayer to the Archangel Selaphiel
O Pure and Holy Archangel St. Selaphiel, you bow before the
Almighty Lord offering angelic salutations of praise and
thanksgiving. Guide us in our prayer. Like you, we would like
to unceasingly pray and worship God the right way. May our
lives be like incense pleasing to God.
While awaiting for the inevitable time of separation from this
material world, may we praise the Holy Trinity in the spirit of
true love and humility throughout the days of our life in eternity.
Obtain for us these favors _________ and present to God the
Father all these petitions through Jesus Christ our Lord
together with the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Amen.
St Jehudiel "The Glory, Laudation or Praise of God"
He is often depicted in iconography holding a crown and a
three-tonged whip. Archangel Jehudiel is the patron,
defender and helper of all those who toil. And we must all
be such, for we have been commanded to eat our bread in
the sweat of our faces. We toil not only physically, to earn
our daily bread, but also spiritually, in order to perfect
ourselves. Archangel Jegudiel is depicted on icons with
a crown of victory in his hands. Such crowns will be
earned by those of us who will endure to the very end,
who will worthily bear the light yoke of Christ. We
are faced with a complex task, so let us ask Archangel
Jegudiel for help in our daily lives.
God's mercy comes to us every moment of our lives.
Without it, we would die. With it, God provides us the
graces we need for our bodies. Mercy is God's love
helping us fight the temptations of life and obtain
forgiveness for our sins. Mercy is grace for bodily and
spiritual needs. Mercy is God Himself through the
merits of Jesus Christ bringing us back to our
heavenly home.
Prayer to the Archangel Jehudiel
O Merciful Archangel, St. Jehudiel dispenser of God's
eternal and abundant mercy. Because of our
sinfulness, we do not deserve God's forgiveness. Yet,
He continually grants us forbearance freely and lovingly.
Help us in our determination to overcome our sinful
habits and be truly sorry for them. Bring each one of us
to true conversion of heart, that we may experience the
joy of reconciliation which it brings, without which neither
we as individuals, nor the whole world can know true
peace. You who continually intercedes for us, listen to our
prayers _________ and present to God the Father all
these petitions through Jesus Christ our Lord together
with the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Amen.
St. Barachiel "The Benediction or Blessings of God"
In iconography he is sometimes shown holding a white rose
against his chest, or with rose petals scattered on his clothing.
Archangel Barachiel is the angel of God’s blessings. While
asking God to bless all our good efforts, let us also appeal to
Archangel Barachiel for help. However, we must accept the
Lord’s blessing not only for prosperity but also for our cross,
i.e. the sorrows without which there is no salvation. And may
Archangel Barachiel give us strength to carry our blessed
crosses. Through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His
passion, death and resurrection, all His disciples are brought
to a transforming union with Him. Through His transformation
in love, the soul becomes Christ-like. As such, every
Christ-like soul becomes, by adoption, the child of the
Father. St. Barachiel is the Archangel who was assigned
by God to keep watch over His adopted children, taking
care that He and the choirs of angels assigned to the
task guard these transformed souls in all their ways,
bearing them up in their hands, "lest they dash their
feet against the stone on their way to their heavenly
home." (Psalm 91, 12).
Prayer to the Archangel Barachiel
O Powerful Archangel, St. Barachiel, filled with heaven's
glory and splendor, you are rightly called God's
benediction. We are God's children placed under your
protection and care. Listen to our supplications ______.
Grant that through your loving intercession, we may
reach our heavenly home one day.
Sustain us and protect us from all harm that we may
posses for all eternity the peace and happiness that
Jesus has prepared for us in heaven.
Present to God the Father all these petitions through
Jesus Christ our Lord together with the Holy Spirit
forever and ever. Amen.
Another Archangel
St JEREMIEL "God's exaltation"
He is venerated as an inspirer and awakener of exalted
thoughts that raise a person toward God (III Ezra 4:36).
Jeremiel is that Archangel who reviews our lives with us
after we have crossed over. He is also able to do this for us
while we're still living, helping us to review our life up till
now so we can correct the wrongs we have done by making
positive adjustments. Through this, he is able to help us
make life changes, making us stronger and lead us to the
right path.
St. Jeremiel with the weighing scale in his hand, reminds us
of divine justice that weighs according to its true worth
whatever good we do and whatever doings we commit in
relation to God, to our neighbors or to ourselves, both as
individuals and as a community of nations. He also
reminds us of the terrible judgment of God upon the world
for the human pride and godlessness with which human
affairs are conducted.
Prayer to the Archangel Jeremiel
O Illustrious St. Jeremiel, the Archangel of God's divine
justice, as you hold the heavenly scales that weigh our
lives on earth, we ask you to intercede for us, that God
may forgive us all our sins. Obtain for us the grace of
true repentance and conversion of heart that we may be
spared of the punishment we deserve. Offer our prayers
to God in our search for true peace and happiness
founded on truth and justice. We pray for those who are
suffering of inhumanities, dying because of injustice
and the oppressed due to manipulation and exploitation.
We also pray for our less fortunate brothers and
ourselves for the following intentions _________.
Present to God the Father all these petitions through
Jesus Christ our Lord together with the Holy Spirit
forever and ever. Amen.
Synaxis of the Holy Archangels and Bodiless Powers
Source
HYMN OF PRAISE
The Holy Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven
Heavenly Commanders,
Who watch over us with great care,
Cover us with your wings,
And shield us with your power.
Armed with the power of God,
Crowned by His glory,
You wield flaming swords,
To cut the demons down.
Swift, swift as rays of light
You soar on the clouds-
The clouds of the air-
Where you do battle for God.
Without fatigue and without sleep
You hover ceaselessly
Over men and created things,
And over countless worlds.
Behold, yours are mighty armies,
Legions virtuous,
And gentle battalions of angels:
And, according to the Creator, our brothers.
Commanders of the might of heaven,
Lead us where we need to go-
To the throne of the Most High
Who created us from nothing.
From the Prologue of Ochrid
November 8
by St Nikolai Velimirovich
