Saint Raphael

There are seven special angels who stand before the throne of God. We know the names of three of them. They are: Saint Michael, whose name is a challenge and means Who is like to God?; Saint Gabriel, whose name is a message and means Strength of God (God going the limit by way of grace); and Saint Raphael, whose name is a comfort and means Healer of God or Medicine of God. In some loving way, Saint Michael is the angel of Saint Joseph, Saint Gabriel is the angel of Our Lady, and Saint Raphael is the angel of Our Lord.

Saint Raphael was the angel who came to console Our Lord in His bitter agony in the Garden of Olives, when Jesus sweat blood. Saint Raphael’s name is mentioned in Catholic prayers, including the Litany of the Saints. He is one of our special helpers in times of sickness and the hardships that go with it. His story in the Old Testament makes up nearly all of the Book of Tobias.

Tobias and the Angel Raphael by Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo

Tobias and the Angel Raphael by Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo

See also: The Holy Angels: Our Faithful Allies in the History of Salvation

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