# The charity of St. Thomas of Villanova and the prayer to the Queen of Angels
*2015-09-10*

> Bill Young reflects on the selfless life of St. Thomas of Villanova and shares a powerful prayer to Mary, Queen of Angels, for spiritual protection.

## The Almsgiver: St. Thomas of Villanova

Today is September 10th, the feast day of St. Thomas of Villanova, who lived from 1488 to 1555. St. Thomas served as an Archbishop in Spain, but his heart was always with the marginalized. When he was offered the position of Archbishop, he accepted on one condition: that all the money he received for his stipend and furniture be donated to the local hospital.

Throughout his life, his primary concern was giving to the poor. Every day, hundreds of people would gather at his doorstep to be fed or to receive small amounts of money. He did not concern himself with whether each person truly had a need, stating that such decisions were for the local authorities; his own promise and life's mission were simply to give.

## A Model of Humility

This spirit of poverty and service reminds me of Pope Francis. Like St. Thomas, the Pope does not seek fancy places to stay or the luxury of palaces within the Vatican headquarters. He avoids pomp and pageantry, choosing instead to live as a humble servant of Jesus Christ.

## The Prayer to the Queen of Angels

I want to share a prayer to Mary, Queen of Angels. This prayer originates from an account from January 1863, involving a soul who received a vision of divine light. In this vision, the soul saw demons causing ruin and misery upon the earth. The Holy Virgin appeared and explained that because demons had broken loose in the world, it was time to invoke her as Queen of Angels and ask her to send legions of angels to combat and annihilate the powers of hell.

When the soul asked if the Virgin could simply send the angels without being asked, she replied that there are prayer conditions established by God Himself to obtain graces. She then dictated the following prayer:

'O August Queen of heaven, and our Lady of Angels, who received from God the power and the mission of crushing the head of Satan, we humbly beg you to send us heavenly legions with St. Michael the Archangel as the head, so that under your orders, they may seize the demons, combat them everywhere, repress their boldness, and drive them back into the abyss. Who is like God? O good, O tender Mother, you shall always be our love and our hope. O divine Mother, send your holy angels to defend us and to drive away the cruel enemy. Holy angels and archangels, defend us and guard us. Amen.'

*By following the example of St. Thomas of Villanova's charity and seeking the protection of the Queen of Angels, we can better serve the poor and defend our souls against the enemy.*