Medal of Honor Recipient Credits St. Michael Prayer for Protection

“I prayed the St. Michael prayer while moving into the toughest missions I faced,” Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Edward C. Byers Jr. said in his acceptance speech for the Medal of Honor, “and it does start by saying ‘St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection…'”

The Medal of Honor is the U.S. military’s highest honor, given for acts of braver above and beyond the normal call of duty. Byers received the award for “his valiant rescue efforts during a hostage situation in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in December 2012.”

He explained the importance of his Catholic faith. “Hand in hand with my family is my faith. While it has had a more quiet aspect of my life, it has always played a significant role.”

“I grew up Catholic and continue to grow in my faith, thanks especially to my brother, Trevor. He taught me to turn my heart and soul to Christ when I have strayed or lost my way. Prayer has always provided calm amidst chaos for me.”

He told how he came to have a particular devotion to St. Michael the Archangel during his first deployment to Iraq.

“On my first deployment to Iraq, some 11 years ago, I arrived in [the] country, and I saw another SEAL, standing there with a St. Michael the Archangel patch on his shoulder. I’m not sure what drew me to it, but I walked up to him and asked him if I could have it. He was leaving the combat zone and made it through a safe deployment, so he was absolutely willing to give it to me. He handed it to me without hesitation.”

“I’ve worn that patch on my kit on every single mission I’ve ever been a part of.”

“On that day in December 2012 – the day you heard recounted several times about my team, and the way we carried out the mission to rescue [an] American hostage – on that day, just like every day, I prayed. I prayed on the way to my target, and again I prayed over my brother Nicholas Checque, for his soul, as he gave his life to save another American.”

He also humbly deflected special credit for the brave act that earned him the medal, saying, “I want to emphasize that I’m no different than any one of my teammates. I’m certain that any one of them would have taken the same exact actions I did that day. I’ve seen countless heroic acts in my time working with the nation’s most elite operators.”

“May God bless you,” he said in closing, “and may St. Michael the Archangel protect our warriors in battle. Long live the brotherhood. Thank you.”

Chaplet Prayer for Saint Michael the Archangel — Very Powerful Prayer!

Invocation on the Medal
O God, come to my assistance! O Lord, make haste to help me! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

First Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Seraphim, may it please God to make us worthy to receive into our hearts the fire of his perfect charity. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)

Second Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Cherubim, may God in his good pleasure, grant us grace to abandon the ways of sin, and follow the path of Christian perfection. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)

Third Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the sacred Choir of Thrones, may it please God to infuse into our hearts the spirit of true and sincere humility. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)

Fourth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of the Dominations, may it please God to grant us grace to have dominion over our senses, and to correct our depraved passions. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)

Fifth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of the Powers, may God vouchsafe to keep our souls from the wiles and temptations of the devil. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)

Sixth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the admirable heavenly Choir of the Virtues, may it please God to keep us from falling into temptation, and may He deliver us from evil. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)

Seventh Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Principalities, may it please God to fill our souls with the spirit of true and sincere obedience. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)

Eighth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Archangels, may it please God to grant us the gift of perseverance in the faith, and in all good works, that we may be thereby enabled to attain the glory of paradise. Amen.
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)

Ninth Salutation
By the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of all the Angels, may God vouchsafe to grant us their guardianship through this mortal life, and after death a happy entrance into the everlasting glory of heaven. Amen
(1 Our Father and 3 Hail Marys)

Say an Our Fathers on each of the four large concluding beads:
The first one to St. Michael,
The second one to St. Gabriel,
The third one to St. Raphael,
The fourth one to our Guardian Angel.

End this Chaplet with the following Anthem and prayer.

Anthem
Michael, glorious prince, chief and champion of the heavenly Host, guardian of the souls of men, conqueror of the rebel angels, steward of the palace of God under Jesus Christ, our worthy leader, endowed with superhuman excellence and virtues: vouchsafe to free us all from every ill, who with full confidence have recourse to thee; and by thy incomparable protection enable us to make progress every day in the faithful service of our God. V. Pray for us, most blessed Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ. R. That we may be made worthy of his promises.

Prayer
Almighty and Eternal God, who is thine own marvelous goodness and pity didst, for the common salvation of man, choose the glorious Archangel Michael to be the prince of the Church: make us worthy, we pray Thee, to be delivered by his beneficent protection from all our enemies, that, at the hour of our death, none of them may approach to harm us; rather do Thou vouchsafe unto us that by the same Archangel Michael, we may be introduced into the presence of thy most high and divine majesty. Through the merits of the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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