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September 29
Michael,
Gabriel and Raphael
Angels—messengers from God—appear
frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.
Michael appears in Daniel's vision as
"the great prince" who defends Israel against its enemies; in the
Book of Revelation, he leads God's armies to final victory over the forces of
evil. Devotion to Michael is the oldest angelic devotion, rising in the East in
the fourth century. The Church in the West began to observe a feast honoring Michael and the angels in the fifth century.
Gabriel also makes an appearance in
Daniel's visions, announcing Michael's role in God's plan. His best-known
appearance is an encounter with a young Jewish girl named Mary, who consents to
bear the Messiah.
Raphael's activity is confined to the
Old Testament story of Tobit. There he appears to
guide Tobit's son Tobiah
through a series of fantastic adventures which lead to a threefold happy
ending: Tobiah's marriage to Sarah, the healing of Tobit's blindness and the restoration of the family
fortune.
The memorials of Gabriel (March 24) and
Raphael (October 24) were added to the Roman calendar in 1921. The 1970
revision of the calendar joined their feasts to Michael's.
Comment:
Each of these archangels performs a different mission in
Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. Earlier belief
that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given
way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet
believers still experience God's protection, communication and guidance in ways
which defy description. We cannot dismiss angels too lightly.
Quote:
"The question of how many angels could dance on the
point of a pin no longer is absurd in molecular physics, with its discovery of
how broad that point actually is, and what part invisible electronic
'messengers' play in the dance of life" (Lewis Mumford).
Patron
Saint of:
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Germany
Grocers
Police officers
Radiologists
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