On September 29, the Church celebrates the holy archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, drawing us into a spiritual and, at the same time, very real dimension. In his goodness, God has chosen to help his children also through spiritual beings who can accompany them on their journey through life. Let’s get to know them together!

An important premise

The existence of angels is a truth of faith; in the Creed, in fact, we profess our faith «in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible…».
The word “angel” means “messenger”, and throughout Sacred Scripture we find these figures who, in God’s name, help and guide people. They are God’s messengers, God’s servants, spiritual, immortal beings with individual personalities.

And who are the archangels?

The angels are organized in a heavenly court; they therefore occupy different positions and are entrusted with different missions. The three archangels are in the highest spheres of this hierarchy, and God has given each of them a particular task. Their very names suggest their task and nature: they all end with “El,” meaning “God.”
Catholic tradition recognizes three archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Let’s discover who they are!

Michael

He is the warrior who fights against Satan and his messengers (Jude 9; Rev 12:7; cf. Zech 13:1-2), the defender of those who love God (Dan 10:13,21), and the protector of the people (Dan 12:1).
His name means “who is like God?” He is depicted as a warrior with a sword, or in the act of piercing a dragon with a spear, symbolizing the Devil. Indeed, he is asked to fight the rebellious angels led by Lucifer.
Michael is sent from heaven to protect and guide people, teaching them to distinguish good from evil and truth from lies. He is considered the defender of the righteous and the protector of the holy Church.

Gabriel

He is one of the spirits closest to God, before his heavenly throne (Lk 1:19), the one who revealed to Daniel the secrets of God’s plan (Dn 8:16; 9:21-22); he is the revealer of the central event in the history of salvation
Gabriel means “Strength of God”. He announces the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah (Lk 1:11-20), Christ’s birth to Mary (Lk 1:26-38) and the shepherds, reveals the mystery of Mary’s motherhood to Saint Joseph, and warns Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt and later return to Palestine. In the Bible, the archangel Gabriel has always had the role of announcer, messenger, and promulgator of the Word of God.

Raphael

He stands before the throne of God (Tb 12:15; cf. Rev 8:2), accompanies and protects Tobiah on his journey, and heals his father of blindness and his future bride of the devil’s influence.
Raphael, in fact, means “God heals” , and his mission is to bring healing. His role as a healer must always be understood as the will to relieve the soul of its suffering so that it may be open to welcoming God. By restoring Tobit’s father’s sight, Raphael opens his eyes to the truth of the Most High; likewise, by driving away the demons tormenting his future bride, he makes their love possible. For this reason, he is considered the protector of engaged couples, married love, travelers, and physicians. Many hospitals are dedicated to him, demonstrating his continual intervention in earthly matters concerning the health of soul and body.

Without a doubt, the archangels are angels with a capital “A”.
Michael is our defender: let us pray to him to keep us far from evil and sin and to draw us ever closer to God.
Gabriel is our counselor: let us pray to him so that we may always be inspired to do good deeds and acts pleasing to God and our neighbor. Raphael is our physician: let us pray to him for good physical, mental, and spiritual health.