At another nearby parish, the pastor, one year older than myself, also has the congregation recite the prayer at the end of Mass. This "fashion" is making a comeback with some of our younger priests, and I do not think it bodes well. I am all for a Marian hymn after Mass. But, bringing my namesake into strikes me as evidence of an agenda or, perhaps, an ideology.I don't understand the point of the post, which opens by invoking Pope Francis' alleged view that young people liking the Extraordinary Form mass is just a fad but turns into a rant against anyone praying to St. Michael. The connection being, EVERYONE prayed the St. Michael prayer in the old days, so ANYONE praying it now must be up to no good.
I'm not sure what difference it makes if the EF mass or St. Michael prayer IS a fad. So what? It's a big church, people can have the devotions they wish -- that seems to be the Pope's point, no? He doesn't think the EF is going anywhere long-term and he may or may not be right, but he doesn't show any appetite for crushing it either. In any case, why would you stop anyone from praying -- and especially to your own namesake?
What would be the dangerous ideology Winters fears? Belief that the devil is real and should be opposed? (Since St. Michael is invoked against "the snares of the devil.")
My reason for bringing this up, however, is that whatever the Pope thinks of the EF Mass, you cannot invoke him against the prayer to St. Michael, seeing as how last July he consecrated the entire Vatican to St. Michael.
Michael - which means "Who is like God" - is the champion of the primacy of God, of His transcendence and power. Michael struggles to restore divine justice and defends the People of God from his enemies, above all by the enemy par excellence, the devil. And St. Michael wins because in him, there is He God who acts. This sculpture reminds us then that evil is overcome, the accuser is unmasked, his head crushed, because salvation was accomplished once and for all in the blood of Christ. Though the devil always tries to disfigure the face of the Archangel and that of humanity, God is stronger, it is His victory and His salvation that is offered to all men. We are not alone on the journey or in the trials of life, we are accompanied and supported by the Angels of God, who offer, so to speak, their wings to help us overcome so many dangers, in order to fly high compared to those realities that can weigh down our lives or drag us down. In consecrating Vatican City State to St. Michael the Archangel, I ask him to defend us from the evil one and banish him.So there. If you're going to comment on the pope's doings, at least pay attention to them.
