Archangel Michael Day November 21st. Church Orthodox holiday of November

Each person has his own guardian angel, he accompanies him all his life, helping in difficult situations, you can turn to him with a request in grief and thank him for protection in happy moments. But it happens that the guardian angel leaves his ward when he sins, forgets to go to church and ask for mercy, as well as for help to him.

Once a year, namely on November 21, all Christians celebrate the Day of the Angels, or another name for the feast of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other incorporeal Heavenly Forces, when you need to mentally thank the courier between God and man for his constant work to protect God's creature from birth to death from troubles and hardships.

history of the holiday

The devil, being above others on the hierarchical ladder of God, became proud and rebelled against the Lord God, and others supported him, moreover. Trouble began in the Kingdom of Heaven, which, it seemed, no one would stop, but then Saint Michael came out and declared publicly that there is only one God - our creator. Dennitsa and his followers did not like this, there was a battle in which, of course, good won - the troublemaker was driven out of the Kingdom of Heaven along with the fallen angels and the entrance to Heaven was closed forever for them. But they did not calm down and directed their anger at people, tempting them to various sins, but Michael and his allies defended themselves without lowering their weapons.

Icon of Archangel Michael

It is believed that the face of the Archangel Michael in military armor and with a spear and sword is a symbol of purity and fidelity to Christ, for which he is ready to fight, chasing evil force, at his feet on the icon depicts a defeated dragon. This icon is consecrated by the owners new house, because she expels evil spirits from the dwelling. In addition, the icon of the Archangel Michael heals from ailments, but it is especially effective on November 21, so on this day it is customary to pray for health and deliverance from all diseases, both physical and from damage and the evil eye.

His icon patronizes medical workers, policemen and firefighters, that is, those who have chosen a profession related to saving human lives.

Traditions on the Day of the Angels

- All week we celebrated Mikhailov's Day, when everyone went to visit each other, brought pies with different fillings and apples, because all the work has already been completed - the fields are “resting”, the barns are full of supplies, the debts have been distributed, since November 21 is the last day when debtors return loans, otherwise you won’t get rid of them all year later.

- The obligatory dish of this day is beef or pork jelly. Men were the first to sit down at the table and take a sample, they gave the first piece dear guest who sat in the red corner by the icon of Michael. They prepared tea from seven herbs, to which pies were brought, in one of which a coin was baked. If she comes across a girl who is not yet married, then in the near future she will find a soul mate, a woman - pregnancy, a single guy - luck, and a man - wealth.

- On this day, they didn’t forget about the brownie, they set the table for him with buckwheat porridge, which was well oiled, and a piece of pie. They put it for the night at the icon of the Archangel Michael.

“Children were given the honey of this year, which was spread on bread, or fruit pies, so that they would be healthy and happy. The boys were treated first, and then the girls.

- Girls who could not get married for a long time due to some kind of physical defect, be sure to ask for help from the Archangel Michael that day, bringing an offering to his icon - a pie baked with their own hands, from flour bought on Women's Day - Wednesday, Friday or Saturday. Soon a young man appeared in her life.

- If there was an ill child in the family, then an icon of Michael, acquired on November 21, was placed in the crib. The child is on the mend.

On November 21, the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal heavenly forces is celebrated, which the people simply call Mikhailov's Day (Mikhailovsk mud, or Mikhailovskie thaws).

Archangel Michael is considered the leader of the heavenly forces, that is, the archangel. He is the main warrior in the battle of good and evil - he defeated Satan.

What to do on Michaelmas Day

On this holiday, you should turn to the Archangel Michael with a request for protection from enemies, the evil one, dark forces and evil people.

Previously, on Mikhailov's Day, November 21, large festivities were held, which sometimes lasted several days. This is due to the fact that after this holiday, the Advent fast began, and our ancestors were in a hurry to eat their fill.

What Not to Do on Michaelmas Day

Wash your head - so you can "wash your mind";

Chop with an ax, cut with a knife or weave, so that Michael is not offended;

To do work for selfish purposes - Michael can punish for this;

Refuse to help those in need;

Take on the hard work.

In addition, the people believe that on this day every person will be rewarded according to their merits, so people who have sinned can receive punishment from above on this day.

Folk omens for November 21

hear this day church bells- to trouble

Clear day - biting frosts will come soon

Frost appeared in the morning - winter will be snowy

If it snows on Michaelmas Day, then the spring will be rainy.

Hoarfrost appeared on the trees - expect snowfall in the coming days

If dreamed good dream, it should not be told to anyone, otherwise it will not come true

Prayer to Archangel Michael

O Saint Michael the Archangel, have mercy on us sinners who demand your intercession, save us, the servant of God (names), from all visible and invisible enemies, moreover, strengthen us from the horror of death and from the embarrassment of the devil and make us shamelessly present to our Creator at a terrible hour and His righteous judgment. O all-holy, great michael Archangel! Do not despise us, sinners, who pray to you for help and your intercession in this life and in the future, but make us worthy to glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit with you forever and ever.

November - last month autumn. There is one day in this autumn month - joyful, warm for all Michaels and Orthodox. According to the old style, it was celebrated on the 8th, according to the new one, Archangel Michael celebrates the day on the 21st. On this day, a rather ancient bright holiday is celebrated, the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly Forces.

Archangels and Heavenly Powers

The World of Angels was created long before the creation of the entire visible world and man. Then the Angels had free will and the ability to create. Freedom is always a test of loyalty and responsibility, and not everyone can cope with the temptation of the sin of pride. It so happened that some of the angels, united under the leadership of Sataniel (Dennitsa in Slavic mythology, Lucifer in the Roman tradition) rebelled against the will of the Creator, breeding sin and wickedness. The spiritual world was divided, the disembodied forces loyal to the One God stood under the banner of their supreme Angel.

With the slogan "No one is like God!" (in Hebrew - Michael) the army of the Archangel entered the fight against the wicked. The battle was difficult, as Lucifer was endowed great power, but the faithful Angels did not fear him and won. Dennitsa and his followers were cast down from the firmament, and the Archangel Michael was recognized as the leader of the angelic world, which remained faithful to God. Since then, the sword, hardened in battles with enemies, has not been let go by the Archangel. Deprived of the opportunity to influence the higher processes of the universe, the defeated forces did not reconcile themselves and unleashed their anger on created people who had lost their heavenly protection.

The Church remembers not only the Archangel Michael, together with him we honor other archangels endowed by the Lord with the ability to:

Michael and Gabriel exceed all angelic faces and lead over the Heavenly Forces. The disembodied host is represented by three faces. Three ranks are distinguished in each face.

The highest - includes seraphim, cherubim and thrones.

• Seraphim are six-winged entities that serve at the throne of God.
• Cherubim - their name means understanding or knowledge.
• Thrones - they are called God-bearing, but not a being, but a service.

Middle - consists of dominations, forces and authorities.

• Dominions - they rule over the lower angels.
• Forces - through them God works wonders and signs.
• Authorities - have power over the Devil, defeat him, protect a person from temptations and strengthen him in the pursuit of piety.

The lowest - is represented by the Beginnings, Archangels and Angels.

• Beginnings - they manage the younger Angels, appointing positions and distributing ministries between them, they rule over kingdoms and human communities.
• Archangels are heralds and heralds of the mysteries of God, they convey to people the will of the Lord.
• Angels - they are closest to people, Guardian Angels are appointed from them.

These of our heavenly intercessors are honored on Michaelmas Day. It must be remembered that you can count on their protection by staying on the same side with them.

Aid from the Ethereal Defenders

Most people, having moved away from God, cannot see and feel his will and fame, so we need intermediaries who can bring us the necessary information. But in order to hear the Angels, we need faith, piety, and a renunciation of sin. Those who manage to strengthen themselves on this path can feel the suggestion of good thoughts and desires. It comes from somewhere outside, from something wonderful and sublime.

In iconography, there are many images on which the Heavenly Forces are present. On most temple iconostases, one can observe the supreme Archangels with fiery swords protecting the gates to the altar.

The meaning of the holiday

Feast of the Archangel Michael November 21 - church holiday. It was installed long ago at the Local Council of Laodicea at the beginning of the 4th century. In early times, there was a heretical opinion that it was impossible to address Christ directly in prayer, but only Angels should be prayed for. They were revered as creators and rulers of the world. This wrong teaching was condemned and rejected. The cathedral approved the Christian veneration of heavenly servants, the day glorified by the Archangel Michael is celebrated in the fall.

In Rus' Archangel Michael always revered as an ardent defender of the faith and a fighter against heresies and false beliefs. He was considered the patron of the army, an assistant in the spiritual battle against evil, the protector of the oppressed and offended.

It is no coincidence that there are so many Archangel churches in Holy Rus', and Orthodox saints count the memory of more than a dozen ascetics, glorified under the name of Michael. Among them: Saint Michael of Tverskoy, Michael of Chernigov, Michael Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus' and many others. Today Orthodox people they know the power of his prayer and boldness before God, and the day of Archangel Michael on November 21 has become one of his favorite holidays. A welcome sign of our time has been the widespread celebration of the Orthodox event in the new Russian army not only by the soldiers, but also by the high command.

One of the most revered church Orthodox images is the Archangel Michael. On November 21, this saint is revered, and the holiday is called Michael's Day.

The history of the celebration of Mikhailov's day

The feast of the Archangel Michael was introduced in the middle of the 4th century, when they abandoned the false opinion that only Angels, as creators and rulers, needed to pray, and approved the correct teaching about Christ. According to the Julian calendar, Michaelmas day falls on November 8 (which corresponds to November 21 in our calendar). The choice of this date is not accidental, each number in it is symbolic:

• the number 8 is the eighth day in a row, when all the forces of Heaven will gather for the Last Judgment and it is the angels who will be the witnesses of the actions of each person;
• November symbolizes the number 9 - the number of ranks in the hierarchy of angelic forces (November is the ninth month from March, the beginning of the year in the old days).

Each person has his own Guardian Angel, and on the day of the Archangel Michael, each of them is glorified. All the angelic host is honored on this holiday, they invariably protect people from adversity, prevent their mistakes, protect them from troubles, guide them on the path of correction.

Saint Archangel Michael - who is he

The Orthodox Church presents the Archangel Michael as the "senior messenger", the leader over all the angels and calls the Archangel (the highest rank in the angelic hierarchy). The status of the Archangel indicates the role of Michael as a warrior and a great protector of people. In addition, he is considered the direct protector of the souls of the dead, fights against evil spirits and is the same angel with a fiery sword in his hands, which stands at the gates of paradise.

Archangel Michael is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible: he leads the angelic army during the battle with the dragon; recalled in the epistle of Jude during a dispute with the devil over the body of Moses; showed the way to the inhabitants of Israel during the exodus from Egypt. It is also believed that during the Last Judgment it will be he who will convene all the souls, pass a sentence on them, and then beg forgiveness for sinners.

The feat of the Archangel Michael

The first feat of the Archangel Michael was accomplished when the heavenly angel decided to rebel against God and brought many other angels with him. Then Michael gathered all the heavenly host and went against the rebellious, angry angels, overthrowing them from heaven.

In the "Revelation of John the Theologian" it is written that Michael led the war against the dragon and his servants. This dragon - Satan himself, the devil and the serpent, was expelled from heaven, and with him his evil angels.

Miracle in Khoneh

Legend has it that in the distant city of Phrygia there lived a man who had a mute daughter. Archangel Michael appeared to him in a dream and said that after drinking water from the source, his daughter would begin to speak. The girl was indeed healed by drinking the water, and the grateful father built a temple in the name of the Archangel Michael on the site of the source and converted to Christianity.

Many people came to the miraculous source, some of them were pagans who accepted the Christian faith. He conducted services in the temple of Arkhip, which led a large number of polytheists to faith in Christ. The pagans were angry, first of all, with the servant of God and decided to deal with Arkhip by destroying the temple with the help of water streams. To do this, they connected together the channels of two rivers and directed the flow to the temple.

Seeing the impending disaster, Arkhip prayed to the Archangel Michael for salvation. Saint Michael appeared right in front of the temple and opened a cave in the mountain with a rod, into which he rushed torrential stream advancing water. The temple was saved, and the pagans fled in fear.

The place where Michael performed the miracle was called Khon - a hole, a crevice, and the feast of the "miracle of the Archangel Michael in Khonekh" is honored on September 19.

Traditions and customs of the celebration of Mikhailov's day

In all the settlements, by November 21, the field work was completed, the entire crop was soundly sealed in jars and hidden in the cellars. The wedding season has also ended, and it was believed that after this day winter begins, even the bears go into hibernation. So, the time has come for cozy gatherings by the stove and intimate conversations.

Michaelmas day has always been a day of rest from hard work, delicious meals, full glasses and even the last opportunity to get married this year. The morning always began with a trip to the church and a sincere prayer to the Archangel Michael. Returning from the temple just in time for dinner, they sat down at a heartyly laid table, received guests and celebrated until evening.

The tables were bursting with an abundance of dishes and drinks, the main of which were jelly, noodles, pies and beer. There was even a saying: “It is no wonder that beer is brewed, but it is no wonder that it is not drunk.” They did not hesitate to eat that day because the Filippov fast, strict and important to observe, will begin very soon.

It was also important to take a steam bath, because it was the key to health for the whole next year.

Folk omens for November 21

Attentive great-grandfathers noted the weather on Mikhailov's Day and what winter and spring would be like after that. In November, the weather is unpredictable, so there are both thaws and frosts. If the temperature rose and the mud became impassable, they said that "Mikhailo destroyed the path." If, on the contrary, it froze, then “Mikhailo is building bridges,” and the snowfall caused exclamations of “Archangel Michael has arrived on a white horse.” Everyone was interested in the upcoming winter season, so many weather signs are associated with November 21:

• the morning frost in the yard spoke of a snowy winter, and if it snowed that day, then in winter the snowdrifts would be as high as the edge of the fence and lie until the end of February;
• and if the fog descended in the morning, then the winter will be late this year, there will be a thaw ahead and real cold will begin only a month later, after the feast of St. Nicholas;
• dawn was a harbinger of a harsh and cold winter - if the sun rose earlier than usual, it would be early winter. This is echoed by a small crop of acorns, and a large number of cones;
• snowfall during the day foreshadowed a rich harvest in next year and good health to the inhabitants all winter;
• the weather on Michaelmas day also determined the coming spring, sleet indicating a "wet", rainy spring.

As for life folk signs associated with Michael's Day, the following are considered the most important:

• washing his head on this day "washes" his mind along with the dust;
• the ringing of the bell heard on November 21 speaks of an approaching disaster;
• but family problems And sharp questions on this day are easily solved;
• all work done during the day should be disinterested, charity and sincere help are welcome;
• a child born on this day will have good health, and by nature he will be laid to become a good doctor.

What do they pray for on holiday?

The special status of the Archangel Michael - the Archangel, the commander of the incorporeal angelic heavenly forces, allows you to address him with special requests in prayer. So, Michael is prayed for physical strength and recovery, strengthening existing forces and moral deliverance from sorrows.

Also, as a warrior, they asked him for protection: from obvious enemies and mentally wishing evil, about saving life, family and state. They asked the Archangel for intercession from evil spirits, not only during wakefulness, but also in a dream.

HAPPY ANGEL DAY, dear readers!

Today great holiday for the entire Orthodox Church - the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other incorporeal Heavenly Powers. Archangels Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jehudiel, Barahiel and Jeremiah.

The Council, that is, the union, the totality of all the holy Angels, headed by the Archangel Michael, for they collectively and unanimously glorify the Holy Trinity, unanimously serve God.

The Angelic ranks are divided into three hierarchies - the highest, the middle and the lowest. Each hierarchy is made up of three ranks. The higher hierarchy includes: Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones.
Closest to the Most Holy Trinity are the six-winged Seraphim (Flaming, Fiery) (Is6.2). They burn with love for God and incite others to it.
After the Seraphim, the Lord will have many-eyed Cherubim (Genesis 3:24). Their name means: an outpouring of wisdom, enlightenment, because through them, shining with the light of the knowledge of God and the understanding of the mysteries of God, wisdom and enlightenment are sent down for true knowledge of God.
Behind the Cherubim are the Thrones, God-bearing by grace given to them for service (Col 1.16), mysteriously and incomprehensibly bearing God. They serve the justice of God.

The average Angelic hierarchy is made up of three ranks: Dominions, Forces and Powers.
Dominions (Col 1.16) rule over the successive orders of Angels. They instruct earthly rulers appointed by God in wise management. Dominions are taught to control feelings, to tame sinful desires, to enslave the flesh to the spirit, to dominate one's will, to overcome temptations.
Powers (1 Peter 3:22) do the will of God. They work miracles and send down the grace of wonderworking and clairvoyance to the saints of God. Forces help people in bearing obediences, strengthen them in patience, bestow spiritual strength and courage.
The authorities (1 Pet 3:22; Col 1:16) have the power to tame the power of the devil. They repel demonic temptations from people, affirm ascetics, protect them, and help people in the fight against evil thoughts.

The lower hierarchy includes three ranks: Principals, Archangels and Angels.
The principles (Col 1.16) rule over the lower angels, directing them to the fulfillment of Divine commands. They are entrusted with managing the universe, protecting countries, peoples, tribes. The Principles instruct people to give each one the honor due to his rank. Leaders are taught to do official duties not for the sake of personal glory and benefits, but for the honor of God and the benefit of others.
The archangels (1 Thess. 4:16) preach the great and glorious gospel, reveal the secrets of faith, prophecy and the understanding of the will of God, strengthen the holy faith in people, enlightening their minds with the light of the Holy Gospel.
Angels (1 Peter 3:22) are closest to people. They proclaim the intentions of God, guide people to a virtuous and holy life. They keep believers, keep from falling, raise the fallen, never leave us and are always ready to help if we wish.

All ranks of the Heavenly Forces bear the common name of Angels - in essence of their service. The Lord reveals His will to the highest Angels, and they, in turn, enlighten the rest.
Above all nine ranks, the Lord placed the holy Archangel Michael (his name in Hebrew is “who is like God”) - a faithful servant of God, for he cast down from Heaven the proud Dennitsa with other fallen spirits.

Time did not yet exist, there was no earth and stars, people were not created, when the voice of the Archangel Michael sounded in Heaven, calling the spirits of light to loyalty to their Creator.
This was when the “rebellion of angels” broke out, splitting the universe. The most beautiful, brightest, most powerful of the Celestials was the first-born of creation - the Archangel Dennitsa. (This name means: Morning Dawn.) But pride and envy of the Heavenly Father darkened the light of Dennitsa, weakened and deprived him of wings, made him an ugly monster that carried away a third of the luminaries: a third of the Celestials, seduced by him into pride. In his madness, Dennitsa wanted to rise above the God who created him. He was above all the Angels, closest to the Throne of the Most High.
It was not the Almighty God Himself who cast down from Heaven the proud Dennitsa with his treacherous legions. According to the testimony of Holy Scripture: "There was a war in Heaven.
Archangel Michael was the first to rise up against the traitorous spirits and raised behind him the angelic army faithful to the Lord, exclaiming: “Let us hear! Let us become kind before our Creator and do not think of what is displeasing to God!
This Seraphim was not as bright and powerful as Dennitsa once was, but Saint Michael was unshakable in fidelity, great in humility, flaming with love for God the All-Loving. There is nothing in the universe stronger than love for the Almighty Creator Himself is Love.
"And inspired by Divine Love, the Archangel Michael and his army fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against them, but did not stand, and there was no longer a place for them in Heaven. And the great dragon was cast down, the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, and his angels are cast down with him" (Rev. 12:7-9). Having lost heavenly glory Dennitsa was no longer like a bright dawn - he became a dragon, the devil, Satan, the father of lies and all evil.
And Saint Michael began to be called the Archangel - the Commander, the Chief Leader of the Heavenly Forces.

Archangels are also known from Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition:
Gabriel - the fortress (strength) of God, the herald and minister of Divine omnipotence (Dan.8.16; Lk.1.26);
Raphael - God's healing, healer of human ailments (Tov3.16; 5:4-6; 6:8-9; 8:2-3; 9:6-7; 11:6-7,10-13; Tov12:6 -7.14-15.18);
Uriel - fire or light of God, enlightener (3 Ezr. 5.20; 4: 4.26-34-37.45-50; 5: 11; 1 Cor. 8.11);
Selaphiel - God's prayer book, inciting to prayer (3 Ezd.5.16; Genesis 21:14-19));
Jehudiel - glorifying God, strengthening those who work for the glory of the Lord and interceding for recompense for their deeds (Exodus 23:20-24);
Barahiel - the distributor of God's blessing for good deeds, asking people for God's mercy (Matt. 22:13; Tim. 2:4);
Jeremiel - exaltation to God (3 Ezd 4.36).

Flaming with love for God, Archangel Michael was inflamed with love for God's beloved creation - man. From ancient times, Holy Scripture keeps the memory of the blessings of this supreme Seraphim to people. Even in the Old Testament it is said about Michael, the great prince, who stands for the sons of the people (Dan.12:1). And after the Coming of Christ the Savior, when the Old Testament veil fell from the spiritual eyes of the faithful and the Divine Truth openly shone to the world, the Archangel Michael of God began to appear not only to the prophets, but also ordinary people. The most famous of these phenomena was the miracle of the Archangel in the Asia Minor city of Colossae (subsequently, in honor of the miracle revealed by the Archangel Michael, it received a new name - Hona, which means a crevice).

The city of Colossae is famous for the events of the early Christian times, the deeds of the Apostles of the Savior. Here the sermon of the holy Evangelists John the Theologian, Philip, Bartholomew sounded. The Spirit-bearing Apostle Paul addressed one of his Epistles to the Colossians with a call to act worthy of God, pleasing Him in everything, bearing fruit in every good deed and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened in every strength according to the power of His glory... (Col. 1, 10– eleven).
According to the prophecy of the holy Apostles, a miraculous spring flowed near Colossae, in the waters of which Christians found healing from diseases. Holy Tradition notes that New Testament surpasses the Old one, so this wondrous spring surpassed the Siloam pool, famous in antiquity, with healing power, for the Angel of the Lord descended into that pool only once a year and disturbed the water, but the grace of the chief of the Angels always dwelt here.
There, only the one who first entered the pool after the disturbance of the water was healthy, but here all those who came in faith, the first and last, became healthy. The grace of the chief of the Angels rested on the spring given to the Colossians: the loving Archangel did good deeds not only to Christians, but also to pagans, many of whom, having received healing from miraculous water, acquired saving faith and were baptized here in the name of the Most Holy Trinity.

Taking pity on one of the erring pagans who had a mute daughter, Archangel Michael appeared to him and said: "If you want your daughter's tongue to be resolved, give her water to drink from my source, and then you will see the glory of God."
This man believed the vision, fulfilled the command of the Archangel - from miraculous water his daughter gained the gift of speech, and her first words were: "Christian God, have mercy on me! Saint Michael, help me!" Shocked and overjoyed, her father, along with her and the whole family, immediately accepted Holy Baptism. As a token of gratitude for the healing of his daughter and the enlightenment of his soul, he built a temple of the Lord over the miraculous spring in the name of the Archangel Michael.

Almost a century later, a young zealot of piety, a ten-year-old boy named Archippus, came to this temple. His parents raised him in the holy faith of Christ, and with early childhood Archippus was inflamed with the desire to serve only the Most High God. The life of St. Archippus is the rarest example, even among the lives of saints, of how straight a person's path to the Kingdom of Heaven can be: a God-lover who has preserved childish purity is likened to an arrow flying into the Heavenly.
The prayer of the Monk Archippus was: “Do not let me, Lord, rejoice on earth with vain joy, let my eyes not see any blessings of this world, and let there be no joy for me in this temporary life. Fill, Lord, my eyes with spiritual tears, give me contrition in my heart, and make my ways well, that I may mortify my flesh and enslave its spirit until the end of my days. What good will this mortal flesh of mine, made of the earth, bring me? Like a flower, it blooms in the morning, but withers in the evening! But give me, Lord, to work diligently on what is useful for the soul and for Eternal Life.

Saint Archippus wanted nothing in this world. He longed to break away from the earth, from mortal dust, to go to Heaven, and therefore indulged in the strictest and most cruel asceticism. The ascetic did not eat meat or fish, he did not even eat bread - he ate only grass, desert greens. He slept on sharp stones, and a bag of thorny thorns served as a pillow for him, so that his rest was more torment than peace. Of course, asceticism is not an end in itself: the meaning of ascetic mortification of the flesh is that the exhausted body does not experience sinful lusts, and the soul is freed for pure prayer. According to the word of life, praying in this way and learning in this way, the blessed Archippus began to resemble the Angel of God, leading the Heavenly life on earth.
For most people, such a severe penance is impossible, and arrogant dreams of such a cruel life can turn into demonic delusions. There are only a few chosen ones like Saint Archippus in the world, but they are the light of the world! These are living manifestations of angelic purity in a weak human body.

In the person of the Monk Archippus, the temple of the Archangel Michael found a worthy servant. Nothing angers the wicked more than righteousness. The surrounding pagans fiercely hated Saint Archippus, beat him many times and tortured him in every possible way, demanding that he leave these places. However, with the firmness of adamant, the saint of God continued his ministry at the temple and the miraculous spring. Not only miracles of healing, but also the radiance of the highest virtue of the Monk Archippus attracted the hearts of people, turning them from sins and delusions to the Truth of God. Around the pagan temples were empty, losing their adherents, and the ranks of Christian communities were multiplying. The fanatical idolaters wanted to cover up the miraculous spring and kill the servant of the temple, but when the villains approached the Monk Archippus, their hands became dead, and fire came out of the miraculous waters, scorching and driving away the wicked.

This lesson did not enlighten the pagan "activists". They devised a large-scale plan to destroy both the healing spring, and the temple, and the holy of God. The Christian shrine was at the foot of the mountain, from which two powerful streams flowed: the attackers wanted to direct the waters of these rivers so that they would bury the temple of the Archangel Michael under them. In order to implement such a “water reclamation project”, the pagans had to dig a deep and wide channel: The wicked labored for ten days in this vain business. The Monk Archippus saw their deadly preparations and decided: I will not leave this place, I will not leave the church, but I will even die here, if the Lord allows this holy place to be flooded.

At last the evil work was completed. At night, sometimes the God-opponents destroyed the lintels between the riverbeds and the channel dug by them: the water, rushing down, rustled like thunder. Hearing this noise, the Monk Archippus did not flinch - he stood in the temple and sang psalms.
And above the noise of the streams a mysterious voice resounded, commanding Saint Archippus to leave the temple. He obeyed - at the entrance to the temple, the luminous Archangel Michael appeared to him, in the image described by the ancient prophets: "his body is like topaz, his face is like a kind of lightning; his eyes are like burning lamps, his hands and his feet look like shining bronze, and the voice of his speeches is like the voice of many people (Dan. 10:6). Heavenly manifestations are terrible for earthly eyes, and the Monk Archippus fell to the ground from fear. But the Head of the Powers of Heaven said to the earthly angel, Saint Archippus: "Do not be afraid “Get up, come to me here and you will see the power of God on these waters.”

And the blessed Archippus saw a pillar of fire rising from earth to heaven. It became as bright as day. Archangel Michael overshadowed the raging stream that ran down the mountain with the sign of the cross and commanded the waters: "Stop there!"
The waters stopped and rose up like a crystal wall. The Archangel of God again inscribed the sign of the Cross, this time on the rock, and the rock parted, forming a wide gorge. Archangel Michael raised his voice and said: "May every opposing force be destroyed here, and may all who come here in faith receive deliverance from all evils!" - and commanded the frozen waters: "Enter this gorge!"
The stream immediately rushed with noise into the crevice of the rock, formed by a wave of the hand Heavenly Archangel. The pagan intruders who saw all this were petrified with fear. Thus, the supreme Seraphim protected his temple and its servant from human malice, and the Monk Archippus thanked the Lord for the glorious miracle, glorified the great Archangel of God and the guardian of the shrines Archangel Michael.
"Rejoice, Michael, the great Archangel, with all the heavenly powers."
Upon learning of the miracles performed by the Archangel, the faithful rejoiced and the wicked were ashamed. Evidence of a miracle, visible, obvious, remained a gorge in the rock, along which a stream flowing down from the mountain rushed.
“The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you, and they were afraid, and the deep trembled” (Ps. 76:17), the Psalmist proclaims. The Supreme Creator created material world and laid down for him the laws which science calls natural. But both the essence of nature and its laws can be transformed by the will of the Creator through the prayers of His faithful servants - this is what is called a miracle.
Loyalty to God is an invincible weapon of both Heavenly Angels and righteous people.
The faithful Lord can fear neither the machinations of evil people, nor the violence of the elements, nor demonic hordes, nor the prince of darkness of the devil, for the Heavenly Host, overshadowed by the grace of the Almighty Lord, will rise to his defense. So, in order to protect the Monk Archippus, the Archangel Michael appeared from Heaven, stopping the waters with a wave and cutting through the rocks.
Sins, spiritual impurity, violation of the Law given by the Heavenly Father make a person miserable and weak, lonely and helpless. Sin, generated by an envious devil, is the cause of all human troubles, suffering, death and eternal hellish torment for those who persist in sin.

So, from the word of God, we know that the Lord, before the visible material world with its inhabitant, man, created the invisible, spiritual world, the world of pure, incorporeal Angels, several times greater in number than people. The holy prophet Moses, speaking about the creation of the world, says that in the beginning God created heaven and earth (Gen. 1:1). By heaven, the Holy Fathers mean not only the firmament, but also the spiritual, angelic world, the dwelling place of the incorporeal. Angels, surpassing man in their strength, strength and wisdom, were created by God, like man, for blessedness, for the glorification of the name of God. They, like the purest and most holy spirits, constantly contemplating the Face of the Heavenly Father, silently glorify His inscrutable majesty, and from the Throne of His grace are sent down to the earth to the world below to a needy person.

The Holy Apostle John the Theologian says that during one of his visions he heard the voice of many angels around the Throne of God (Rev. 5:11). What kind of voice is this, unceasingly glorifying God, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah explains to us, who saw how the Seraphim stood around the Throne of God and, calling to each other, said: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, fill all the earth with His glory”! (Isaiah 6:3)
The holy apostle Paul, with a feeling of gratitude to God for His love for man that surpasses comprehension, quotes the following words of the holy psalmist David: “What does a man mean that You remember him? or son of man, that you visit him? Not much did You humiliate him before the Angels; crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of your hands” (Heb. 2:6-7).

The Lord loved man so much that He placed His angels to guard him in all his ways.
The Psalmist depicts such an attitude of the Lord towards the human race in the following words: They will take you in their hands, but not when you stomp your foot on a stone ”(Ps. 90:11-12). How comforting this is for a man who outside world, and in his own heart is subject to a thousand times the attacks of the evil and strong enemies! These comforting words apply to each of us who have hope through faith in the Divine Redeemer to inherit eternal salvation, for the apostle Paul clearly says: “Are not all (angels) the ministry of the soul, sent into service for those who want to inherit salvation” (Heb. 1, 14)? Therefore, we all have Guardian Angels, strong in strength and always ready to help us.

According to the teachings of Divine Scripture, Angels are incorporeal, spiritual beings; consequently, their very communication with us must be only spiritual, that is, they can directly act only on our spiritual nature and already through it extend their beneficial effects to our entire bodily organism, and to all kinds of our activities.
The service of angels to man begins from the time of our rebirth from water and the Spirit. The pure soul of the newly baptized is taken by the Guardian Angel under his care, carefully guarded from all dangers and grows it until the newly baptized is strengthened by meaning and clearly distinguishes good from evil.

“The New Testament is full of Angels,” says St. Nicholas of Serbia. - They simply swarm around Jesus Christ, their Creator and beloved Lord, ready to serve Him from His very conception. They serve and worship Him on earth, just as they served and worshiped in Heaven, and love Him with the same fiery and exalted love as they loved Him in His heavenly glory.
They joyfully and tirelessly helped in His ministry - in the creation of His Church on earth. They still do it today and will do it until the end of time. When He was born in a wretched shepherd's cave, a choir of angelic forces appeared over it and glorified the Lord (Luke 2:13). After the temptation in the wilderness, when the devil left him, the angels came and ministered to him (Matthew 4:11).
If the Archangel or another Angel appeared, then he was always accompanied by a host of Angels, invisible to our human eye. We think that Archangel Gabriel was not alone when he brought the good news of the birth of the Messiah to the Holy Virgin Mary. And the Angel, who appeared during the prayer of the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane and strengthened Him, was accompanied by a host of invisible Heavenly Powers: where the King is, there is His army.

Whom Christ loves, His angels also love. He loves children and commanded the Angels to protect them. He said: "I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven" (Matthew 18:10). He doesn't just love children; He equates Himself with little children: having called a child, he placed him in the midst of them and said: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven; in the Kingdom of Heaven; and whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever offends one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he was drowned in the depths of the sea" (Matthew 18:2-6).
And he also said: "Do not forbid children to come to Me, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven", which means that bringing children to Christ God is the most healthy foundation of Christian education. This is the main reason why angels guard and love children.
And the psalmist says: “Praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest. Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His powers. Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all the stars and light (Ps. 148:1– 3).

Angels helped the holy apostles and Christians from the very foundation of the Church of Christ and in all subsequent times.

When the Jewish high priests put the apostles in prison, the Angel of God opened the doors of the prison at night, freed them and said: "Go to the temple and preach the words of life to the people."
When King Herod, the governor of Galilee, persecuting the Church, killed the Apostle James and was about to execute the Apostle Peter, the Angel of God stopped him: “But suddenly the Angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God; and he, having been eaten by worms, died” (Acts 12:23).
When Deacon Philip was preaching in Samaria, the Angel of the Lord told him: “Get up and go to noon, to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza, to the one that is empty. He got up and went. And so, an Ethiopian husband, a eunuch, a nobleman of Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia, the keeper of all her treasures, who came to Jerusalem to worship, returned and, sitting on his chariot, read the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join this chariot." Philip approached and, hearing that he was reading the prophet Isaiah, said: “Do you understand what you are reading?” He said, "How can I understand unless someone guides me?" (Acts 8:26-31).
So the Angels helped the apostles in spreading the gospel in distant countries.

The centurion Cornelius, praying for a long time, on a sunny afternoon saw the appearance of an Angel of God, who told him to call Peter from Joppa and be baptized. After Peter's sermon, Cornelius was baptized along with his entire family. And in this case, the Angel of the Lord contributed to the growth Christian Church and the spread of Christianity among the pagans.
During the sea voyage of the Apostle Paul and his companions to Rome, a strong storm arose, and the ship was in danger of sinking. Great excitement and fear seized the sailors, but the Apostle encouraged them with the words: “Now I convince you to take courage, because not a single soul from you will perish, but only the ship. For the Angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, appeared to me that night and said: Fear not, Paul! you must stand before Caesar, and behold, God has given you all those who sail with you” (Acts 27:22-24).

God's Angels are our friends. If we were purer and better than we are, we could say that the Angels are our brothers. Our flesh prevents us from seeing them. And sins do not allow us to feel their closeness. But if we are not allowed to see the Angels for the time being, we are punished for believing in them, and we are ordered to honor and glorify these wonderful singers of the glory of the Creator.
For the time being, we are not allowed to see the holy angels, but not forever. When death strips our soul of its mortal body, we will meet them face to face, and faith will give way to vision. What will be our joy when our souls, having returned from exile, meet with Heavenly citizens, with these sons of God, who are not aware of sin and old age, death and no other curses, along which we drag ourselves along our earthly path, as if along thorns!

But for now, only faith is given to us. Our faith in Angels is based not on human fantasy, but on the testimonies of God given through holy and righteous people who were given the opportunity to see Angels.

Three angels appeared to Righteous Abraham in broad daylight and announced to him the birth of his son Isaac. Sarah, Abraham's wife, also saw them and fed them. Later, an angel appeared bodily to Abraham again in order to prevent the sacrifice of his only son to God. Two angels appeared to the righteous Lot in Sodom, who led him out of the city before the wrath of God fell upon the sinful city.
In a dream, Jacob saw a ladder from earth to heaven, along which angels descended and ascended. Balaam on the way saw an angel with a drawn sword in his hand, which prevented him from preaching against the people of God.
An archangel appeared to Joshua, and when Joshua asked him who he was, the archangel said: "The leader of the army of God."
An angel of God appeared to Gideon and commanded him to lead the people against the enemy. Frightened Gideon, a simple farmer, exclaimed: “O Lord God, I saw Your Angel face to face!”

An angel of God appeared to Samson's parents and predicted to them the birth of their son Nason. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Saint Elijah the prophet when Elijah was sleeping, tired from the journey, and the Angel, awakening him, gave him water and bread.
The holy prophet Elisha with his servant saw the host of heaven with many horses and chariots. An angel of God appeared over Jerusalem when the Assyrian army surrounded the Holy City and defeated the army.
God's prophets saw angels and heard their voices. Blind Tobiah was healed of blindness by Archangel Raphael. Here are just a few examples from the Old Testament, not all, but just a few.

Let us remember how the Angel of God appeared in a dream to Righteous Joseph, how the Archangel Gabriel appeared in the temple to the High Priest Zechariah and announced to him the birth of Saint John the Baptist. How the same Archangel appeared to the Holy Mother of God and brought Her the most joyful news that She would give birth to the Savior of the World.
A host of angels appeared to the shepherds of Bethlehem and announced the Nativity of the God-man. God's Angel appeared to the Magi and told them not to go back through Jerusalem, fearing the malicious King Herod.
Every year the Angel went to the pool of Bethesda, making the water of the pool healing, from which we see that the healing waters do not work without the power and mercy of God.
An angel appeared to the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane and consoled Him. The angels announced to the myrrh-bearing women about the resurrection of the Lord. Angels announced to the apostles the ascension of Christ and His coming in power and glory, they led the apostles and led them out of prison. And, finally, the visions of St. John the Evangelist, described in his Revelation, the vision of Angelic circles, their prayers, their help to the Church of God on earth.

Remember all this and become stronger, and strengthen others in faith, remember that Angels are living and powerful beings, standing in the invisible Kingdom of God, and serve God's people on earth according to the will and commandment of the Most High Creator.
And here are the testimonies of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In the parable of the sower, He says: “I will tell the reapers,” and the reapers are angels, angels gather human souls after death and take them with them to the Heavenly limits. We find confirmation of this in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, when Lazarus died, “he was carried by the angels into the bosom of Abraham” (Luke 16:22).
And he said again: “See that you do not despise any of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). This suggests that every God-loving person has his own Guardian Angel, who directs him to every good, if the person himself does not oppose him.

He said that Angels "do not marry and are not given in marriage" (Mt. 12:55). He said that when He appears again to judge the world, He will appear in power and glory, and His holy angels will be with Him - “the Son of Man will come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him” (Matt. 25:31), then He will send His angels with a great trumpet voice and they will gather His chosen from all corners of the world, from end to end of heaven. To the apostle, who wanted to protect Jesus from Judas and his helpers with a sword, the Lord said: “Or do you think that I cannot now implore My Father, and He will present Me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53). From these words we see how great is the number of holy angels, we see how great is the power of Christ over the angels, and how great is the love of the Father and the Son.

These were the testimonies of Christ about the Angels, how can there be testimonies more correct than these?
Those to whom the vision of the holy angels was given testified of them, and their testimonies were recorded in Holy Scripture, and the crown of all testimonies is in the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
But all the testimonies about the Angels could not be written down in Holy Scripture, in the two testaments of God. Many and many testimonies of the saints and martyrs of Christ through many centuries have come down to us from reliable witnesses. Angels visited some of them in dungeons, others brought food in the desert, someone heard Angelic voices, someone received instructions, advice in a dream and in reality, someone was admired by the spirit in Heaven, and there they communicated with Angels.

But if visions are not given to everyone, then faith is offered to everyone. And the visions were given in order to strengthen in the faith those of little faith and the weak in faith. But faith is no less than vision, the Lord puts faith above vision and says: “You believed because you saw Me; blessed are those who have not seen and believed” (John 20:29).
This age is the age of faith. In the coming age, everyone will see if they are rewarded, but everyone who believes will be rewarded. “But without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6), says the Apostle. By faith we walk, by faith we are saved, by faith we will be judged. Faith is the rule and vision is the exception. No matter how precious the vision, it is only a servant of faith, its confirmation.

The Lord Jesus Christ explained His parable of the sower and the seed to His disciples as follows: And coming to Him, His disciples said: Explain to us the parable of the tares in the field. He answered and said to them, He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels (Mt. 13:36-39). And after that, the Lord foretold the future fate of good and evil seed: "Therefore, as they gather the tares and burn them with fire, so it will be at the end of this age: the Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather from His Kingdom all the stumbling blocks and those who do iniquity, and cast them into the furnace fiery; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:40-43).
But even before the end of the world, many of us have been sentenced, as is clearly seen from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus: The beggar died and was carried by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died, and they buried him. And in hell, being in torment, he raised his eyes, saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his bosom, and crying out, said: "Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame" (Luke 16:22-24).

Remember, human, that you determine your eternal destiny for yourself already in this world. It is up to you whether the angels or the demons will reap you. Blessed is he who believes in the mercy of God, but, trusting in mercy, to continue sinning and not repenting is real blasphemy. Here is what the Savior Himself says about the need for repentance: "So, I say to you, there is joy among the angels of God and over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10).
It is hard for the dead without repentance, this is the strict warning to Christians about repentance left by the apostle Peter: and did not spare the first world, but saved the family of Noah, the preacher of truth, in eight souls, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly; and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, condemning to destruction, turned into ashes, setting an example for the future wicked (2 Peter 2:4-6).
And the Lord will be much stricter towards those who bear the name of a Christian, and serve the devil in word and deed, and when such people repent, then, as was the case with Judas, it is often too late: “for the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His Angels and then he will reward each according to his deeds" (Matthew 16:27).

The Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will reveal Him to us in all his majesty and triumph. If in His First Coming, at His birth, many Angels appeared over the Bethlehem cave and announced the good, joyful news with their song, then the picture of His Second Coming will be much more majestic.
Here is how the apostle Paul writes about this: “The Lord himself, with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise” (1 Thess. 4:16). The Lord, with the sound of the trumpets of the Archangel, will gather His chosen ones from all sides of the world, from one end of the earth to the other, and then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. And many angels will become reapers of God in the field of the Lord."

But most high award which Christ promised to His elect and righteous, who lived according to His Gospel and suffered for Him on earth, will be the reward of equality with the Angels - equality of angelic dignity.
Answering the crafty question of the Jewish chief priests and scribes about whose wife would be, who was married in turn to each of the seven brothers, the Lord answered: “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are worthy to reach that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, and can no longer die, for they are equal to the angels and are the sons of God, being the sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:34-36).
Hearing these words, we are filled with reverence and awe. How can we be equal to the Angels? It is written about the Angels: God is a hundred in the assembly of gods, in the midst of the gods he will judge - and further: Bozi are, and the sons of the Most High (Ps. 81:1,6). Of course, the Angels are called gods not by their divine nature, but by their closeness to God.

How can people be equal with them? How can we be equal to the Angels who glorify Christ, we who hourly offend Him with our sins? First of all, the Lord Himself says to His faithful and to those who lovingly fulfilled His commandments: “and to understand the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19).
Let us console ourselves and listen to what another herald of the mysteries of heaven says: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Here lies the key to the mystery: those who revere and love God, whether angelic or human, are equal before God. And we also mean this meaning, calling the Angels our elder brothers, honoring them and praying to them from a vale of tears: "Holy Archangels and Angels, pray to God for us sinners."

Inexpressibly, dazzlingly beautiful are the luminous Angels of God. At the dawn of creation, these bright spirits retained their devotion to the Heavenly Father, once and for all eternity rejecting the crafty temptation, and since then they have been constantly growing in bliss, love for the Almighty, and mutual love. Man, the most beloved creation of the Creator, can reach an angelic height, even rise even higher.
Thus shone in the glory of the Queen of Heaven, the Immaculate Virgin Mary born on earth. So even in earthly life, ascetics became equal to the Angels of Heaven different centuries and peoples - such as St. Nicholas of Myra, St. Sergius of Radonezh, or St. Archippus of Kolos, whose assistant was Archangel Michael.

The testimonies of the miracles of the Almighty and His holy servants strengthen our faith, raise our hope and multiply love. The whole universe is full of miracles, divinely beautiful - and only pride and envy, hatred and lies, sinful abomination and impurity distort this world, plunge it into evil, give rise to death and eternal suffering.
The Kingdom of the All-Loving God breathes love, and the loving Celestials are always ready to come to the aid of earthly people, to save them from troubles, sorrows, and dangers. We ourselves repel the saving and almighty hand of Heaven: between us and the most pure children of God stand our sins, our impurity, our addiction to the devil's temptations. But if we are cleansed by repentance, turn to the path of truth, we will be accepted great family of God, and all the Heavenly Kingdom will rejoice over us.

Let us pray to the Most High Father and His saints for sending us admonition and grace-filled help;
“The heavenly armies of the Archangel, we implore you forever, we are unworthy: yes, with your prayers, protect us with the shelter of the wings of your insubstantial glory, preserving us crouching diligently, and crying out: deliver us from troubles like the officials of the Higher powers.
We magnify you, Archangels and Angels and the entire host, Cherubim and Seraphim, glorifying the Lord.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us keep faith in the holy angels of God such as it was given to us from the most reliable witnesses. Do not be tempted by the false speeches of false witnesses who deny everything that they cannot see with bodily eyes. The mind is also invisible. Ask them if they believe in the existence of their own mind, which is not visible, see what they answer you. The more sincerely you honor the Angels of God, the more you will feel their closeness.

And when the Son of God comes and all the holy angels with Him, then the Last Judgment will come. And the Lord will judge everyone according to faith and according to its fruits, for faith is the root of life, from which hope, love, humility, mercy, truth and all goodness grow, which has adorned the righteous of God from the beginning of the world.
He who does not have faith does not have the root of life, from where can hope and love and all the other virtues that make a person a man grow, which made many Christians like the Angels of Heaven?

O great Archangels and Angels of God, pray to God for us.
O holy Archangels and Angels of God, help our salvation.
O immortal Archangels and Angels of God, grant us your heavenly health. Become our shield and protection, and save us from the dark and evil spirits.

Glory and praise to our God, honor and worship to the angels of the saints, and to you, brothers and sisters, health, joy, peace and blessing. Amen".

Prayer to Archangel Michael

Oh, Saint Michael the Archangel, light-like and formidable voivode of the Heavenly King!
Before the Last Judgment, weaken to repent of my sins, from the net that catches, save my soul and bring me to the God who created it, sitting on the Cherubim, and praying for her diligently, but with your intercession I will follow to the place of the deceased.
O formidable governor of the Heavenly Forces, the representative of all at the Throne of the Lord Christ, the guardian, firm in all man and wise armourer, strong governor of the Heavenly King! Have mercy on me, a sinner who requires your intercession, save me from all visible and invisible enemies, moreover, strengthen me from the horror of death and from the embarrassment of the devil, and make me shamelessly present to our Creator at the hour of His terrible and righteous Judgment.
O all-holy great Michael the Archangel! Do not despise me, a sinner, praying to you for your help and intercession, in this world and in the future, but make me worthy to glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit with you forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to the Guardian Angel

Holy Angel, stand before my accursed soul and my passionate life, do not leave me a sinner, depart from me below for my intemperance. Give no place to the crafty demon to possess me, the violence of this mortal body; strengthen my poor and thin hand and guide me on the path of salvation.
To her, the holy Angel of God, the guardian and patron of my accursed soul and body, forgive me all, insult you with great insults all the days of my stomach, and if I have sinned this past night, cover me this present day, and save me from every temptation of the opposite, let me anger God in no sin, and pray for me to the Lord, let him confirm me in His fear, and worthy of showing me a servant of His goodness. Amen.

Compiled based on the materials of St. Nicholas of Serbia, Metropolitan of Tashkent and Central Asia Vladimir (Ikim), Archimandrite Kirill:
http://www.angelologia.ru/propovedi/41mihail.htm http://idrp.ru/svyatie-angeli-serbskii-lib22/