This week we celebrate (Sept 29) the feast of the archangels, Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Each of these heavenly figures, like all the Saints, are dedicated to special causes. The Church often chooses patronages based on events in the Saints’ lives. It works the same way with the Saintly archangels.
St. Michael
There are pious traditions detailing the special relationship between St. Michael and the Blessed Virgin Mary. One ancient story says he was the one who guided Mary to heaven at her Assumption. There are a few passages from the Bible that support this idea. First, Daniel 12:1 refers to St. Michael as a “guardian” of God’s people. Christian now apply this verse to the Church, of which Mary is considered the representative. Then, in Revelation 12 St. Michael confronts the dragon seeking to devour the woman and child. Christian have long interpreted the woman as Mary. Because St. Michael is described as fighting the devil over the body of Moses in Jude 1:9, this action was applied to Mary as her body assumed to heaven as well.
St. Gabriel
This is probably the most obvious connection between St. Gabriel and his patronage of communicators and postal workers. Gabriel is responsible for delivering the most important message in human history, nay Creation’s history, at the Annunciation in Luke 1:26-38. Besides this, St. Gabriel also delivers a message to St. Zechariah about the unlikely conception of his son, St. John the Baptist. Earlier, in the Old Testament book of Daniel (9:24), Gabriel also prophesied the birth of the messiah to Daniel in his “seventy weeks” timeline for the coming of the messiah. This makes his announcement to Mary a fitting full circle moment as well.
St. Raphael
Finally, the last named archangel in the Bible is only found in one relatively obscure book of the Bible, Tobit. While less popular, because Tobit is only found in Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments, St. Raphael is important for his role as healer, both physical and relational. St. Raphael is the patron of healers, specifically eye doctors, because he instructs Tobias on how to miraculously heal his father’s blindness (Tobit 6:9). Raphael is also instrumental in the exorcism of a demon that had been killing each of Sarah’s husbands on their subsequent wedding nights (Tobit 8). This is why St. Raphael is often invoked as a helper of struggling marriages as well. Even if one questions the literal historicity of the story of Tobit, one cannot deny the captivating and wise instruction that this parable provides.
Archangels Continue To Minister
While all of these examples happened thousands of years ago, God’s angels, including the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, continue to minister to his Church.
There is a lot of speculation about angels because they are mysterious creatures. Sometimes this speculation can be unfounded. It is important to ground one’s understanding in the biblical data, sound philosophical reasoning, and the established Tradition of the Church.
It is important that the Church continue to celebrate these holy figures who have moved Church history profoundly. We are invited to call upon these heavenly messengers, protectors, and healers in our lives so that we can embody their example on earth today.