In the Catholic faith, few figures inspire as much reverence and affection as the angels. Spiritual creatures, endowed with intelligence and will, they are the manifestation of God's perfection, infinity and power: each of them exhausts in him his own species. Sacred Scripture and the tradition of the Church reveal their existence to us as a truth of faith. In this heavenly choir, three figures stand out for their name and mission: the saints archangels St. Michael, St. Gabriel y St. Raphael.
On September 29, the Church celebrates these three faithful servants of God in a single feast, recognizing their role in the History of Salvation. From the CARF Foundation, we want to deepen in the identity and mission of these heavenly princes, powerful allies on the road to holiness, whose protective and messenger work is still valid today as in biblical times.
The Gospel passage proposed by the Church for this feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael is the meeting of Jesus with Nathanael, which St. John places at the beginning of his Gospel. "You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man" (Jn 1:47-51). Jesus makes himself known as the Messiah, and describes the mission of the angels, who are part of the history of salvation, carrying out different missions entrusted by God.
Before reviewing the specific missions of St. Michael, St. Gabriel y St. RaphaelWe must understand what the Church teaches us about angels. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CEC) clearly instructs us: "The existence of spiritual, non-corporeal beings, which Sacred Scripture usually calls angels, is a truth of faith" (CEC, 328).
They are not a mere abstraction or a conjunction of energy. They are personal and immortal creatures that surpass in perfection all visible creatures. Their purpose is to glorify God without ceasing and to serve as executors of his saving designs. Like their own Greek name -angelswhich means "envoy" or "messenger" - indicates that one of its primary functions is to communicate the divine will to mankind.
Tradition, based on the Scriptures, has organized the angels into different choirs or hierarchies. The archangels are those entrusted with missions of special transcendence. Although the Bible suggests the existence of seven, the Catholic Church venerates with their own names the three revealed in the canonical texts, as a sign of divine intervention in the world. Their work is a constant reminder that Heaven is not distant, but is actively involved in our history, a reality that sustains the formation of future priests who will one day preach these truths of faith.
The liturgy has unified in on september 29th, the feast of the holy archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Their names refer to their functions as intermediaries between God and men, as well as executors of his orders and transmitters of his messages.
Its name means Fortress of God. The archangel Gabriel was entrusted with the mission of announcing to the Virgin Mary that she would be the Mother of the Savior. The message it conveys is transcendental. Undoubtedly the most important in the History of Salvation; it is about the arrival of the Messiah, the Son of God, to the world.
It was "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he went in to her and said to her, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you....'". Luke 1:26-28.
In Hebrew it means Who is like God, an expression that is in harmony with his mission and interventions.
The archangel Michael is in command of the heavenly armies.. He is the defender of the Church and his name is the battle cry in the battle waged in Heaven against Satan. That is why St. Michael is depicted attacking the infernal serpent.
The Church has worshipped and prayed to him since the 5th century because of his protective role, both in the first reading and during the celebration of the Mass. Holy MassThe liturgy of the hours, in antiphons and in the Office of Readings.
"Archangel Michael, defend us in the struggle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. We beseech God to keep him under his empire; and you, O Prince of the Heavenly Militia, cast into hell with divine power Satan and the other evil spirits, who go about the world trying to lose souls. Amen.
The archangel Raphael is the friend of the wayfarers and physician of the sick. His name means Medicine of God or God has worked health. In the Bible he is presented as the protector and companion of all, and is one of the great angels present before the glory of the Lord.
It appears in the book of Tobit 12:17-20 that it is the Archangel Raphael himself who reveals his identity: "Do not be afraid. Peace be with you. Bless God forever. If I have been with you..., it has been by the will of God. To Him you must bless every day, to Him you must sing... And now bless the Lord on earth and confess to God. Behold, I go up to him who sent me...".
Devotion to the archangels is not a mere theological curiosity; it has been a source of strength for countless saints.
St. Thomas Aquinasthe Angelic Doctor, although he is not known to have a specific personal devotion to any of the three. archangels as well as other saints, is the most important intellectual figure in the understanding of the angelic nature. In his Summa Theologicadevoted an entire treatise to the angels, exploring with unparalleled depth their being, their knowledge and their will. His work provides the theological structure upon which the Catholic doctrine of angels rests, allowing us to appreciate more clearly the greatness of the angels. San Miguel, San Gabriel y San Rafael.
St. JosemaríaFrom the beginning of the foundation of the Work, he felt that he needed a lot of help from heaven to carry out the mission that God had entrusted to him: to transmit the message that it is possible to be a saint through work and ordinary life. Part of that help came from the holy archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
"I prayed the prayers of the Work of God, invoking the holy archangels, our patron saints: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael.... And how sure I am that this triple call, to such high lords in the Kingdom of Heaven, must be - it is- most pleasing to the Triune and One, and must hasten the hour of the Work!"(St. Josemaría Escrivá).
On Thursday, October 6, 1932, while praying in the chapel of St. John of the Cross during his spiritual retreat in the convent of the Discalced Carmelites in Segovia, St. Josemaría chose as patrons of Opus Dei the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael and the Apostles St. John, St. Peter and St. Paul. From that moment on, he considered them patrons of the different apostolic areas that make up Opus Dei.
Under the patronage of the archangel St. Raphael is the work of Christian formation of youth, from where they arise vocations in the early years, the years of great deeds. Under the patronage of the archangel St. Michael, we find the vocations who are formed spiritually and humanly in celibacy. As for the fathers and mothers of families who are part of the Work, their patron is the Archangel Gabriel.
Thus, we can then recall the passage from the Gospel of Luke that will be read on the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, and think that God has wanted all Christians to count on the help of the archangels and with the help of the guardian angels who know a lot about the task of kindling cold hearts and helping to make generous decisions.
