Picking a version of a prayer

[yellow8yellowM]

I am curious how you all decide on a version of a prayer when learning a new one. For example, the St. Michael prayer has many different versions. I will bold some of the interchangeable words.

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the **ruin **of souls.

 

[Steady_Eddy]

Hello there,

You picked a really nice prayer as an example, one I use myself every morning after Mass and Rosary. I’m sure you’ll agree the exact wording doesn’t really matter at all. So long as you pray slowly, meditatively, and as only you yourself can do from your own heart and soul which most certainly are not interchangeable, they are unique to you and you alone. When God created us He wasn’t doing copies and I’m sure He doesn’t desire copies in one’s prayer life either. I for instance hardly ever pray audibly unless answering the prayers of the Mass, and even then I’m fairly quiet. And I certainly couldn’t keep pace with the Rosary as prayed in the Church. I’m glad I decided as a very young man to do my own thing.

I like what St Augustine said **“Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved.” **

2 Cor 13:13
Eddy Barry

 

[Theophorus]

I am curious how you all decide on a version of a prayer when learning a new one. For example, the St. Michael prayer has many different versions. I will bold some of the interchangeable words.

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the **ruin **of souls.

For personal prayers(rather than the public prayer of the church) As long as the prayer doesn’t contain questionable statments I simply look at as many versions as I can find and then go with the version which catches my attention the most, which is generally the more traditionally worded versions i.e.

Holy Michael the Archangel, defend us in our day of battle. Be thou our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust into hell Satan and all the wicked spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

As long as it is genuine prayer to God the format of personal prayer rarely matters to much

 

[yellow8yellowM]

I used the St. Michael prayer as an example since our pastor says it after every Sunday Mass. It doesn’t seem to matter that people use different words here or there as long as the tempo isn’t changed too much.

I guess my question is more one of being convenient in public prayer. Most people probably learned from their parents or local parish so everybody prays the same way.

 

[Rich_C]

I used the St. Michael prayer as an example since our pastor says it after every Sunday Mass. It doesn’t seem to matter that people use different words here or there as long as the tempo isn’t changed too much.

I guess my question is more one of being convenient in public prayer. Most people probably learned from their parents or local parish so everybody prays the same way.

Since these are just different, faithful translations of a traditional prayer, I don’t think too much concern is warranted. During the prayers after Low Mass I can hearing half a dozen versions of the St. Michael prayer, but everyone means the same thing and it’s not out of a disobedient spirit. The only place this has been an issue is saying the Rosary with my fiancee, but we naturally found a common middle ground way of saying it, without ever talking about it.