Saint Raphael the Archangel
S. Raphaelis Archangeli
Saint Raphael is one of the seven angels who stand before the throne of God, the heavenly companion and healer who guided the young Tobias and whose very name means “God heals.”
On the twenty-fourth of October the Church keeps the feast of Saint Raphael, one of the holy archangels. His name, which means “God heals,” declares his office; and he himself reveals to us in Holy Scripture that he is one of the seven angels who stand before the glory of the Lord and present the prayers of the saints. Among the angels named in the inspired writings — Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael — he is the one whose loving care for a single family is set before us in detail, that we may know how God watches over His children through the ministry of His angels.
The companion of Tobias
The Book of Tobias relates how the elder Tobias, a just man fallen into blindness and affliction, sent his son to a distant country, and how God in His mercy gave the young man a guide. This guide, who called himself Azarias, was in truth the archangel Raphael, sent to accompany the youth in safety, to deliver him from peril, to obtain for him a holy wife, and to bring healing at last to the blind father’s eyes. Only at the end, when the journey was accomplished and the family would have rewarded him, did the angel make himself known, saying: “I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the Lord,” and bidding them bless and thank God, who had sent him; and so saying, he ascended out of their sight.
In this gracious history the faithful behold the goodness of God, who does not leave His servants alone in their trials but sends His angels to guide, to protect, and to heal. Saint Raphael is honoured therefore as the angel of healing, of safe journeys, and of holy companionship; and the Church, contemplating his care for Tobias, is taught to trust in the unseen help of heaven that surrounds the people of God at every step.
The feast
Devotion to Saint Raphael is ancient, and his name has long been invoked by travellers, by the sick, and by those seeking a worthy marriage. The feast in his honour was extended to the whole Western Church and is kept on the twenty-fourth of October, near the feast of Saint Michael and the Guardian Angels, as the Church turns in the autumn season to the contemplation of the angelic ministry.
In honouring Saint Raphael, the Church gives thanks to God for the healing and protection He bestows through His angels, and invites the faithful to commend to this heavenly companion their journeys, their bodily and spiritual ills, and the well-being of their families. His feast is kept on the twenty-fourth of October.
The Collect
O God, who didst give blessed Raphael the Archangel to thy servant Tobias to be his companion on his journey: grant to us, thy servants, that we may ever be protected by his watchful care and strengthened by his help.
Deus, qui beátum Raphaëlem Archángelum Tóbiæ fámulo tuo cómitem dedísti in via: concéde nobis fámulis tuis; ut eiúsdem semper protegamur custódia et muniámur auxílio.
Patronage
He is invoked as the patron of travellers, of the sick and of physicians, of happy meetings and holy marriage, and of those seeking healing of body or soul.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar Saint Raphael is honoured together with Saints Michael and Gabriel in the single feast of the Holy Archangels on 29 September, rather than on his own day of 24 October.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Raphael the Archangel?
His feast is kept on 24 October in the calendar of the 1962 Roman Missal, as a Third Class feast. In the modern calendar he is honoured together with Saints Michael and Gabriel in the combined feast of the Holy Archangels on 29 September.
Who is Saint Raphael?
He is one of the seven archangels who stand before the throne of God, named in Holy Scripture. In the Book of Tobias he accompanies and protects the young Tobias, obtains a holy marriage for him, and brings healing to his blind father. His name means “God heals.”
What is Saint Raphael the patron of?
Because of his role in the Book of Tobias, he is invoked as the patron of travellers, of the sick and of physicians, of happy meetings and holy marriage, and of all who seek healing of body or soul.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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