Archangels | Michael | Raphael | Gabriel | Archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel - September 29
Michael in Hebrew means the one who is like God, angel of courage, strength and protection. Michael is also known as the prince of the heavenly host. Gabriel means strength of God and messenger of God, angel of children, creativity and Good News. He is usually pictured as a strong warrior, dressed in armour and wearing sandals. Raphael means God has healed, healing power of God, angel of healing and abundance. Angels are messengers from God. They appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named. Michael appears four times, twice in the Book of Daniel, and one each time in the letter of Jude and the Book of Revelation. We invoke St Michael to help us in our fight against Satan; to rescue souls from Satan, especially at the hour of death. Michael appears in Daniel’s vision as ‘the great prince’ who defends Israel against its enemies; in The Book of Revelation, he leads God’s armies to final victory over the forces of evil. Michael was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God. He is the protector of all humanity from the snares of the devil. Gabriel makes an appearance in Daniel’s visions, announcing Michael’s role in God’s plan. Gabriel appears three times as a messenger. He had been sent to Daniel to explain a vision concerning the Messiah. He appeared to Zachary when he was offering incense in the Temple, to foretell the birth of his son, St John the Baptist. Gabriel’s best-known appearance is the encounter with Mary, who consents to bear the Messiah to announce to humankind the mystery of the Incarnation. Raphael makes an appearance in the Old Testament, in the book of Tobit. Raphael is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey. There he appears to guide Tobit’s son Tobias through a series of adventures which lead to a threefold happy ending: Tobias’ marriage to Sarah, the healing of Tobit’s blindness, and the restoration of the family fortune. Each of the Archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. Saint Michael is said to be the patron saint of Death, Grocers, Police Officers and Radiologists. Saint Gabriel is the Patron Saint of Broadcasters and Communicators. Saint Raphael is the Patron Saint of the blind travellers. These three archangels also remind us of our mission as disciples. We must be defenders of the weak and the lost, like St Michael. We must bring the Good News to the world, like St Gabriel. And we must be agents of healing to those who are broken, like St Raphael. Let us Pray O Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defence 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, cast into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who roam about the world, seeking the ruin of souls. O Saint Gabriel the Archangel, we implore you to intercede for us at the throne of divine mercy: As you announced the mystery of the Incarnation to Mary, may we receive strength of faith and courage of spirit, and thus find favour with God and redemption through Christ our Lord. O Saint Raphael the Archangel, we beseech you to help us in all our needs and trials of this life, as you, through the power of God, didst restore sight and gave guidance to young Tobit. We humbly seek your aid and intercession, that our souls may be healed, our bodies protected from all ills and through divine grace we may become fit to dwell in the eternal Glory of God in heaven. Amen. Pauline Sisters are canonically the Daughters of St Paul, a congregation of Pontifical right, founded in 1915. Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel using the means of communication available. We print and publish books, booklets, cards, mini-media in hard format and also in e-format. On Youtube you can subscribe to our channel... here where you are watching and get our videos , also from our other channel paulineindia.org/store