We open every episode with the St. Michael prayer. You know the words by heart. But do you actually know who you are talking to?

James chats with Fr. Frederick Schmidt, a Norbertine priest and sacristan at St. Michael's Abbey in Southern California, to go deep on one of the most powerful and misunderstood figures in all of Scripture and Church history. Fr. Frederick and his fellow Norbertine Fr. Peregrine just released a children's book, "_St. Michael the Archangel Through the Ages_," and what comes out of this conversation is anything but child's play.

You will hear about the bishop who delayed consecrating a shrine St. Michael told him to build...so St. Michael just did it himself, left an altar, lit candles, and pressed his footprint into the stone. You will hear about another bishop who ignored St. Michael twice, so the archangel reached down and poked a hole in his skull...a hole still visible to this day. You will hear about the nine choirs of angels, what each one actually does, and where St. Michael fits in the hierarchy. You will hear the real story behind Pope Leo XIII's vision — Satan asking God for a hundred years to destroy the Church, God saying yes — and how the St. Michael prayer was born from that moment. And you will hear about seven ancient shrines built at different times across different centuries that form a perfectly straight line from Ireland to the Holy Land.

*💬 3 Powerful Quotes:*

_"When Lucifer chose against God — chose his own private good over the good of the whole universe — St. Michael was sent to rebuke him. And that is where we get the line in the prayer: the Lord rebuke you."_ — Fr. Frederick Schmidt

_"Evoke him often. He is a powerful protector and intercessor."_ — Fr. Frederick Schmidt

*🎯 Key Takeaway — Apply This Now:*

Add the St. Michael prayer to your daily routine — not just as a habit, but as an act of war. Pray the Angelus at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. and close each one with the St. Michael prayer. That is your two-punch combination. You are not fighting alone. You never were.

*📚 References & Resources Mentioned:*

* https://tanbooks.com/products/books/saint-michael-the-archangel-through-the-ages/ — Fr. Frederick Schmidt & Fr. Peregrine (TAN Books)
* St. Michael's Abbey — Silverado, California (Norbertine order) — http://stmichaelsabbey.com

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