Sts. MICHAEL, GABRIEL, and RAPHAEL, Archangels.

 

Angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only MICHAEL, GABRIEL, and RAPHAEL are named.

Michael [“Who is like God?”] 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 [“God is my Strength”]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 [“Healing of God”] activity is related in the Book 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.