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St. Raphael, Archangel
Feast Day: September 29
Patron Saint of Travelers and of Good Health
Following from Catholic
Online
"St. Raphael is one of seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord. He was sent by God to help
Tobit, Tobiah and Sarah. At the time, Tobit was blind and Tobiah's betrothed, Sarah, had had seven bridegrooms perish on the night of their weddings. Raphael accompanied Tobiah into Media disguised as a man named
Azariah. Raphael helped him through his difficulties and taught him how to safely enter marriage with Sarah. Tobiah said that Raphael caused him to have his wife and that he gave joy to Sarah's parents for driving out the evil spirit in her. He also gave Raphael credit for his father's seeing the light of heaven and for receiving all good things through his intercession. Besides Raphael, Michael and Gabriel are the only Archangels mentioned by name in the bible. Raphael's name means "God heals." This identity came about because of the biblical story which claims that he "healed" the earth when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen angels in the apocryphal book of Enoch. Raphael is also identified as the angel who moved the waters of the healing sheep pool. He is also the patron of the blind, of happy meetings, of nurses, of physicians and of travelers. His feast day is celebrated on September 29th." |
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 Raphael
is the name given to one of the seven archangels who stand before the
throne of God. His name signifies 'God has healed,' and this healing
function is brought out by his role in the story of Tobias, where he
restores sight to the old man and guards the young one in his journey.
In the mass of his feast the Epistle is taken from the Book of Tobias,
and in the Gospel Raphael is identified with the angel who moved the
healing waters of the pool near Jerusalem--'and he that went down first
into the pool after the water had been moved was healed of his informity' (John 5:1-4).
Tobit is a man who has always obeyed the laws of God, yet in
his old age he has gone blind and is mocked by his townsmen. Sarah is a young
woman plagued by a demon; she has been married seven times, but each time the
demon has killed her husband on their wedding night. Both Tobit and Sarah pray
to God for deliverance, by death if necessary.
In answer to their prayers, the Lord sends his archangel Raphael, who presents
himself to Tobit as a kinsman named Azarias. Tobit sends his son, Tobias, with
Raphael to a town in Media on business. During their trip, they meet Raguel,
Sarah's father, who turns out to be a distant relation and invites them to stay
with him. As soon as Tobias meets Sarah, he demands her hand in marriage.
Initially reluctant, Raguel is persuaded by Raphael to allow it, and on their
wedding night Tobias follows Raphael's advice and drives off the demon.
When Tobias and his new bride return to his father, Raphael
tells him how to cure Tobit's blindness. Once Tobit's sight is restored, Raphael
reveals himself: "When you prayed with tears...I offered your prayers to the
Lord.... For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the
Lord." Tobit offers a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God, and the book
concludes with the happy news that he lived to see his great-grandchildren,
while his son Tobit lived to see his own great-great-great-grandchildren. |
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Tobit's
beautiful prayer of rejoicing is used in the Divine Office, and the
prayer Tobias and Sarah offered on their wedding night is used at many
wedding Masses:
Tobias said, "Lord God of our
father, may the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains,
and the rivers, and all your creatures that are in them, bless you. You
made Adam of the slime of the earth, and gave him Eve for a helper.
And now, Lord, you know, that not for fleshly lust do I take my sister
to wife, but only for the love of posterity, in which may your name be
blessed for ever and ever."
Sarah also said, "Have mercy on
us, O Lord, have mercy on us, and let us grow old both together in
health." [Tobit 7-10]
Some commentators have conjectured
that Raphael is referred to in the Gospel of John:
Now there is at Jerusalem a pond,
called Probatica, which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, having five
porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of
lame, of withered; waiting for the moving of the water. And an
angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond; and the
water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the
motion of the water, was made whole, of whatsoever infirmity he lay
under.
[John 5:2-4]
The conjecture is based on the meaning
of Raphael's name -- "God has healed" -- and on his role as
healer in Tobit. This passage from John is also the Gospel of the Mass
of St. Raphael, implying a certain official sanction of this conjecture.
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Litany of Saint Raphael, The Archangel
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Lord,
Christ,
Lord, |
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have mercy on us.
have mercy on us.
have mercy on us. |
Christ,
Christ, |
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hear us.
graciously hear us. |
God the Father of
Heaven,
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, One God, |
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have mercy on us.
have mercy on us.
have mercy on us.
have mercy on us. |
| Holy Mary, Queen of
Angels, |
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pray for us. |
Saint
Raphael,
Saint Raphael, filled with the mercy of God,
Saint Raphael, perfect adorer of the Divine Word,
Saint Raphael, terror of demons,
Saint Raphael, exterminator of vices,
Saint Raphael, health of the sick,
Saint Raphael, our refuge in all our trials,
Saint Raphael, guide of travelers,
Saint Raphael, consoler of prisoners,
Saint Raphael, joy of the sorrowful,
Saint Raphael, filled with zeal for the salvation of souls,
Saint Raphael, whose name means God heals,
Saint Raphael, lover of chastity,
Saint Raphael, scourge of demons,
Saint Raphael, in pestilence, famine and war,
Saint Raphael, angel of peace and prosperity,
Saint Raphael, endowed with the grace of healing,
Saint Raphael, sure guide in the paths of virtue and sanctification,
Saint Raphael, help of all those who implore your assistance,
Saint Raphael, who was the guide and consolation of Tobias on his
journey,
Saint Raphael, whom the Scriptures praise: Raphael, the holy angel of
the Lord, was sent to cure,
Saint Raphael, our advocate, |
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pray for
us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us.
pray for us. |
Lamb of God, Who takes
away the sins of the world,
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, |
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spare us, O Lord.
graciously hear us, O Lord.
have mercy on us. |
Christ,
Christ, |
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hear us.
graciously hear us. |
Pray for us, Saint
Raphael, to the Lord Our God,
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that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ. |
| Lord, Jesus Christ, by
the prayer of the Archangel Raphael, grant us the grace to avoid all sin
and to persevere in every good work until we reach our heavenly
destination, You Who lives and reigns world without end. |
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Amen. |
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