St. Raphael
Feastday: September 29
Patron of Travelers
Raphael, "God has healed", is one of the seven chief angels. He is known as the Semitic God of Air and one of the four presences set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men.
Raphael is charged to heal the earth and has a special charge of protecting the young, the innocent, and travelers. He is the regent of the sun, Patron of Travelers, Chief of the order of virtues and overseer of the evening winds. He is the angel of prayer, love, joy, providence, healing, light, science, and knowledge. He is associated with Spring and rebirth. Golden vial of balm, aids in healing and master of healing the earth. Above all, he is the angel of healing.
This Angel first appears in Holy Scripture in the Book of Tobit. He acts as a guide to young Tobiah on his journey to Rages, a city in the country of Medes, east of Nineveh, to collect a debt owed to his father. The Angel binds the demon Asasel in the desert of Egypt, helps Tobiah to find a wife and recover the debt, and heals Tobit from his blindness. He then reveals his identity: "I am the Angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the throne of God."
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.
In the Book of Euocb, Raphael is the guide to Sheol, the Judaic underworld, and it was he who was sent to bind the fallen 'watcher' Azazel, burying him under rocks in a desert place on earth. According to the Talmud, he is one of the three angels who visited Abraham after his circumcision.
A legend taken from the book of Solomon says that when Solomon prayed to God for help in the building of a temple, God answered with the gift of a magic ring brought to the Hebrew king personally by Raphael. The ring, engraved with the pentalpha, (5-pointed star), had the power to subdue all demons. It was with the "slave labor" of demons that Solomon was able to complete the building of the temple. It was also Raphael who gave Noah, after the flood, a medical book said to have been the famous "The Book of the Angel Raziel".
He is often shown carrying a pilgrim's staff.
The Feast of St. Raphael is October 24.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, filled with the mercy of God, etc.
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,
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Pray for us, Saint Raphael, to the Lord Our God, 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. Amen.
'You are Raphael the Healer,
You are Raphael the Guide,
You are Raphael the Companion
Ever at Human sorrow's aide.'
On the small beads:
3 'Hail Marys' to Mary, the Queen of angels.
On the 9 beads:
On each bead in honor of the nine angelic choirs, one in honor of each choir, namely: Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Principalities, Powers, Cherubim and Seraphim say:
'Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your Glory!
Glory be to the Father:
Glory be to the Holy Spirit!'
Concluding Prayer:
'Saint Raphael, angel of health, of love, of joy and light, pray for us'.
To be said on the Archangel Raphael Chaplet
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