Angels play an important role in our salvation. The word “angel” means “one who is sent.” Indeed, throughout the Scriptures angels are sent by God with important messages for mankind. But they also serve other purposes in God’s plan. Scripture tells us that an angel was sent to guard the entry to the Garden of Eden after man was cast out for disobeying God (Gen. 3:24). Every person is guarded by an angel who protects him/her from the demons, and guides him/her on the path that leads to God (cf. Matt. 18:10). We are escorted into God’s presence by the angels when we die (Lk. 16:22). Entire nations and even institutions have angels assigned to them to guard them from danger and the sway of evil (Dan. 12:1). And, on a more terrifying note, angels unleash plagues and devastation at God’s command (e.g. the seven angels that unleash the seven plagues in Revelation). Satan and the other demons are also revealed to be fallen angels (Rev. 12:7-9).
This is just a small sampling of the passages in Scripture that refer to the role of angels in God’s plan. But with all the references to angels in the Bible, only three are ever given proper names: Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael. Because of this, we honor these angels in a special way every year on September 19. What does the Bible tell us about these three angels? Well, pull out your Bible, blow the dust off of it, and let’s have a look!
St. Raphael
Although angels are spoken of in the Bible from the earliest chapters of Genesis, the first angel to be
named is Raphael. The name “Raphael” means “God has healed,” and that’s exactly what this angel does. Raphael is one of the main characters in the Book of Tobit, and first appears in chapter 3 when he is sent to heal Tobit’s blindness and to give Sarah as bride to Tobias, Tobit’s son. Raphael is a central figure throughout the rest of the Book of Tobit.
Why is an angel sent to give this woman as bride to Tobias? Earlier in chapter 3 we are told that “the worst of demons,” Asmodeus, killed seven of Sarah’s bridegrooms on their wedding night before they could consummate their marriage. This had caused Sarah so much distress that she had planned on hanging herself, but repented of her plan for the sake of her father, Raguel.
So the healing that Raphael brings is a physical healing for the blind Tobit, and a spiritual healing from the oppression of the demonic spirit, Asmodeus. Later tradition would also connect Raphael to the pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-4, where an angel would stir up the waters, and the first person to enter the bath would be healed of his physical ailments.
Because he was a fellow traveler with Tobias, and because of the healings that he performed, St. Raphael is honored as the patron saint of travelers, the blind, doctors, and nurses. And because of his role in delivering Sarah from the demon Asmodeus so that she and Tobias could consummate their marriage, St. Raphael is also the patron of matchmakers.
St. Gabriel
Gabriel means “Power of God,” and when we see his role in salvation history, it’s no wonder that he is so closely associated with God’s power. Although he is most famous for his role in announcing to Mary that she will be the mother of the Messiah, the angel Gabriel appears in the Bible long before his visit to Mary. However, his message is always tied to the coming of the Messiah, even in the Old Testament.
Gabriel first appears in the Book of Daniel (8:15-26), where he is sent to interpret Daniel’s vision of “the End”—not as in the end of time, but the end of one era and the beginning of a new; i.e. the end of the Babylonian captivity and the restoration of Israel to the Holy Land. Gabriel’s very presence is so terrifying that Daniel falls senseless to the ground. Gabriel touches him, restoring his consciousness just long enough to explain the vision. Then Daniel falls unconscious yet again and was sick for several days afterward.
Gabriel appears in the next chapter in response to Daniel’s prayer and in verses 24-27 offers a more explicit Messianic prophecy. It’s worth opening your Bible and reading the entire passage as a whole.
The next time Gabriel appears is at the end of another era (the Old Testament era) and the beginning of another new era (the New Testament era). We see Gabriel next in Luke’s Gospel (1:11) when he announces to Zechariah that he will be the father of St. John the Baptist—the one who will prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. It’s a little humorous that Luke only describes Zechariah as “disturbed” at the sight of Gabriel, when Gabriel’s first appearance was so intimidating that it caused Daniel to lose consciousness and then be sick for several days.
The last appearance of Gabriel is when he announces to Mary that she has been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah himself, and we are given the first words of a prayer so dear to our Catholic tradition: “Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you.” With this annunciation, Gabriel’s mission of announcing the coming of the Messiah is fulfilled.
Because of this connection to the coming of Jesus, Gabriel is honored as the angel of mercy. He is the patron saint of postal workers, messengers, and telecommunications.
St. Michael
Michael—meaning “Who is like God?”—is probably the most famous of the three archangels, thanks to the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel that is offered in many parishes immediately after Mass. We remember him mostly for his role in driving Satan and the other fallen angels out of heaven (Rev. 12:7-9). But the passage in Revelation that reveals his role in driving the demons out of heaven tells us in the next verse that he continues to pursue and battle the devil and his fallen angels here on earth.
Like Gabriel, Michael also appears first in the Book of Daniel, where the angel Gabriel tells Daniel that Michael is the guardian and protector of the people of Israel and that he will deliver Israel from the power of the Persian empire (Dan. 10:13ff).
Michael is honored in tradition as the angel of judgment since he is the one who cast the devil and his angels out of heaven, and wages war with them here on the earth. He is the patron saint of soldiers, sailors, paratroopers, and police officers.
These three angels together are great intercessors for healing, mercy, and protection; and all of them played key roles in our deliverance from the devil and our salvation from sin. It’s appropriate that in these difficult times we learn and pray once more the Prayer of St. Michael the Archangel:
Prayer to St. Michael St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection 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 evil spirits,
who wander throughout the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.