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September 29th: Feast of the Archangels

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:00:36 +0000

Ave Maria Meditations

St. Michael the Archangel

The name Michael signifies “Who is like to God?” and was the warcry of the good angels in the battle fought in heaven against satan and his followers. Holy Scripture describes St. Michael as “one of the chief princes,” and leader of the forces of heaven in their triumph over the powers of hell. He has been especially honored and invoked as patron and protector by the Church from the time of the Apostles. Although he is always called “the Archangel,” the Greek Fathers and many others place him over all the angels – as Prince of the Seraphim. St. Michael is the patron of grocers, mariners, paratroopers, police and sickness.

On Sunday April 24th 1994, Pope John Paul II recommended this prayer be used by all Catholics as a prayer for the Church when he said: ‘”May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told about in the Letter to the Ephesians: ‘Draw strength from the Lord and from His mighty power’ (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel (Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special prayer to St. Michael throughout the Church. Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world.”‘

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;

and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host

– by the Divine Power of God –

cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,

who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

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St. Raphael the Archangel

St. Raphael is one of seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord. He was sent by God to help Tobit, Tobiah and Sarah. At the time, Tobit was blind and Tobiah’s betrothed, Sarah, had had seven bridegrooms perish on the night of their weddings. Raphael accompanied Tobiah into Media disguised as a man named Azariah. Raphael helped him through his difficulties and taught him how to safely enter marriage with Sarah. Tobiah said that Raphael caused him to have his wife and that he gave joy to Sarah’s parents for driving out the evil spirit in her. He also gave Raphael credit for his father’s seeing the light of heaven and for receiving all good things through his intercession.

Besides Raphael, Michael and Gabriel are the only Archangels mentioned by name in the bible. Raphael’s name means “God heals or The Remedy of God.” This identity came about because of the biblical story which claims that he “healed” the earth when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen angels in the apocryphal book of Enoch. Raphael is also identified as the angel who moved the waters of the healing sheep pool. He is also the patron of the blind, of happy meetings, of nurses, of physicians and of travelers.

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St. Gabriel the Archangel

The name Gabriel means “man of God,” or “God has shown himself mighty.” It appears first in the prophesies of Daniel in the Old Testament. The angel announced to Daniel the prophecy of the seventy weeks. His name also occurs in the apocryphal book of Henoch. He was the angel who appeared to Zachariah to announce the birth of St. John the Baptizer. Finally, he announced to Mary that she would bear a Son Who would be conceived of the Holy Spirit, Son of the Most High, and Saviour of the world. St. Gabriel is the patron of communications workers.

Who Is Like Unto God?

(As) we celebrate the Feast of the holy Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Each year, this feast gives us a golden opportunity to renew our friendship with the angels who are given for our spiritual benefit and are eager to assist us in our battle against the principalities and powers of the world of darkness. We need only to ask their assistance and their guidance on our way to heaven.

Let us take a moment to reflect on the glorious prince of the heavenly host, St. Michael the Archangel, the most potent of all God’s helpers. We start with his name: “Michael” is of Hebrew origin and, literally translated, means, “Who Is Like Unto God?” It is actually a composite of three little Hebrew words that form one phrase: “Mi” (pronounced “mee” and meaning “who?”); “cha” (pronounced “ka” and meaning “like”), and “el” (the Hebrew name for “God.”) The phrase, “Who is like unto God?” is not a statement about this angel being so close or similar to God – no one can claim that. Rather, it is a rhetorical question. It is what Michael uttered in his disbelief that someone would claim to be like God. That someone was another angel named Lucifer.

Tradition has it that Lucifer, the sublime Seraphim, ranked highest in the order of angels and proudly asserted that he wanted to “be like the Most High” (see Isaiah 14:14 for this). One faithful angel of a lower rank, unable to countenance the impudence of a creature thinking he were equal to God, courageously stood up in the divine assembly to defend the rights of God with a rebuke that issued from the depths of his being as a question something like: “And just who could possibly claim to be like God?” And so “Mi-cha-el” became his name.

Michael then cast Lucifer out of heaven with all his rebellious companions. No creature that rejects the sovereignty of God could ever remain in heaven. Michael is thus the defender of the rights of God and the one who manhandles the strongest of the demons. We have him to thank for showing us that proud Satan can actually be defeated and that the rights of God can be vindicated against all blasphemers.

Does God really have rights? You better believe it! The Lord of Heaven and Earth has, above all, the supreme right to be worshipped by all creation. God doesn’t need our worship in an absolute sense, but all creatures need very much to worship Him and keep Him in the first place in our lives because that is how the order of the universe is maintained. When creatures replace Him with idols or arrogantly suppose that they, as creatures, are gods, then all things fall apart and man loses the very meaning of his life. God is the divine center that holds all things together and, as such, He has an absolute right to be worshipped by His creation.

Today we need St. Michael’s aid more than ever. Never in the history of humanity has Satan convinced so many people to set up false idols to replace the worship of the True God. Never has Satan been so successful in getting people to abandon the worship of God and obedience to the moral law on such a massive scale. In the same way, never have we seen so much blasphemous conduct disseminated with such intensity throughout the human community by the power of modern communications; nor have we ever seen the glorification of Satan given such pride of place in the entertainment business.

We need a powerful and glorious angel to teach us to defend the rights of God again. St. Michael has been doing this since before time began and is eminently equipped to teach us to make sure that God remains as the absolute center of our lives and our society. Let us turn to St. Michael on his feast day and thank him for defending God and us against “the wickedness and snares of the devil.” Let us invoke his protection over our loved ones and renew our friendship with him again on his feastday.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

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The Archangels!

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:00:35 +0000

Ave Maria Meditations

Prayer to the Archangels:

Bless the Lord, all you His Angels, you who are mighty in strength and do His Will.
Intercede for me at the throne of God, and by your unceasing watchfulness protect me in every danger of soul and body. Obtain for me the grace of final perseverance. Amen.

St Michael the Archangel …

Saint Michael, the Archangel! Glorious Prince, chief and champion of the heavenly hosts; guardian of the souls of men; conqueror of the rebel angels! How beautiful art thou, in thy heaven-made armor. We love thee, dear Prince of Heaven! We, thy happy clients, yearn to enjoy thy special protection. Obtain for us from God a share of thy sturdy courage; pray that we may have a strong and tender love for our Redeemer and, in every danger or temptation, be invincible against the enemy of our souls. O standard-bearer of our salvation! Be with us in our last moments and when our souls quit this earthly exile, carry them safely to the judgment seat of Christ, and may Our Lord and Master bid thee bear us speedily to the kingdom of eternal bliss. Teach us ever to repeat thy sublime cry: “Who is like unto God?” Amen.

Prayer for Help against Spiritual Enemies. Glorious Saint Michael, Prince of the heavenly hosts, who stands always ready to give assistance to the people of God; who fought with the dragon, the old serpent, and cast him out of heaven, and now valiantly defends the Church of God that the gates of hell may never prevail against her, I earnestly entreat you to assist me also, in the painful and dangerous conflict which I sustain against the same formidable foe. Be with me, O mighty Prince! that I may courageously fight and vanquish that proud spirit, whom you, by the Divine Power, gloriously overthrew, and whom our powerful King, Jesus Christ, has, in our nature, completely overcome; so having triumphed over the enemy of my salvation, I may with you and the holy angels, praise the clemency of God who, having refused mercy to the rebellious angels after their fall, has granted repentance and forgiveness to fallen man. Amen.

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St Gabriel: O God, who from the angelic ranks didst choose the archangel Gabriel to herald the mystery of thy incarnation, grant us this favor, that we who keep his feast on earth may feel the power of his advocacy in heaven: thou who art God.

St Gabriel the Archangel

O God, who amongst all the Angels didst choose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the mystery of Thine Incarnation; mercifully grant, that we who solemnly keep his feast on earth may feel the benefit of his patronage in heaven: who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

Strength of God

(by A. A. Procter)

Be still, ye clouds of heaven!

Be silent, earth!

And hear an angel tell

Of Jesus’ birth.

While she, whom Gabriel hails

As full of grace,

Listens with humble faith

In her sweet face.

Hail Mary! lo, it rings

Through ages on;

Hail Mary! it shall sound,

Till time is done

St Raphael the Archangel

Patron of blind people, doctors, eye diseases and those with them, happy meetings, lovers, mental illnesses and those with them, nurses, pharmacists, sickness, travelers, etc.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to send unto our assistance Saint Raphael the Archangel: and may he, who, we believe, evermore standeth before the throne of Thy Majesty, offer unto Thee our humble petitions to be blessed by Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Oh, St Raphael, Medicine of God, Angel of happy meetings, of peace and of joy, we beseech thee, cure our infirmities of soul and body in virtue of the Divine Blood, source of all healing graces.

O God who in Thy ineffable goodness hast rendered blessed Raphael the conductor of thy faithful in their journeys, we humbly implore Thee that we may be conducted by him in the way of salvation, and experience his help in the maladies of our souls. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

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This is a great day to read the Book of Tobit, which relates at length the ministry of St Raphael to Tobit and his son Tobias, as well as Tobias’ wife-to-be, Sarah. St Raphael is associated with the angel who healed the sick at the pool of Bethsaida because of the knowledge he demonstrates of healing and medicine and the actual cures worked through his activity in the Book of Tobit. Thus John 5:1-4 is the Gospel reading for the day, whereas the first reading is Tobit 12:7-15.

O God, Who didst send the blessed archangel Raphael to accompany thy servant Tobias on his journey, grant that we thy servants may ever be guarded by his care and strengthened by his aid.

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Sep 29 – Homily – Fr Dominic: Call the Angels

apostolate — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 11:49:09 +0000

Homily #120929 ( 07min) Play– On this feast of St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael, archangels, Fr. Dominic encourages us to be mindful of the real presence of the angels, our powerful protectors, fighters, healers, and perfect examples of servants of the Queen of Heaven. Ave Maria!

Mass: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael – Feast – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: dan 7:9-10, 13-14
Resp: psa 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5
Gsp: joh 1:47-51

Audio (MP3)

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Sep 29 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: Three Archangels and Mary, Full of Grace

apostolate — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 10:47:12 +0000

Fr. Ignatius on the three archangels, Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. He links St Michael whose name means “Who is like God?” to Our Lady because she is full of grace and this is the title that St. Gabriel gives to Mary at the Annunciation when he says, “Hail full of Grace”. He links St Raphael to the sacrament of Confession to heal us of our transgression because we are not full of grace.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (alt Reading) – Feast
Readings:
1st: rev 12:7-12
Resp: psa 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5 0
Gsp: joh 1:47-51

Audio (MP3)

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Sep 29 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: Angels Put to Test

apostolate — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 11:08:49 +0000

Fatima 100th Oct 7 Celebration Event:
http://livingfatima.com/october7/

Fr. Ignatius on the Feast of the Archangels Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael and how they were put to the test by God and passed. Some of the angels failed because they said, like many today, it is better to reign in Hell then serve in Heaven. Yet, we reign with God when we serve Him and this will bring everlasting happiness.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (alt Reading) – Feast
Readings:
1st: rev 12:7-12
Resp: psa 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5 0
Gsp: joh 1:47-51

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Angelic Choices – Sep 29 – Homily – Fr Ignatius

apostolate — Sat, 29 Sep 2018 16:03:55 +0000

Fr Ignatius gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Sep 29 on the feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael the Archangels and how all angels were given a choice to love, serve and honor God or not. This decision determined whether they were to go to heaven or hell. Listen as Father explains the role of each of the archangels in helping us get to heaven and in helping us to avoid the efforts of the fallen angels to tempt us into sin.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (alt Reading) – Feast
Readings:
1st: rev 12:7-12
Resp: psa 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5 0
Gsp: joh 1:47-51

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Archangels Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael – Sep 29 – Homily – Fr Ignatius

apostolate — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 14:38:49 +0000

Fr Ignatius gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Sep 29, 2020, feast of the Archangels Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, on how these spiritual beings are our helpers in our spiritual battle that is rooted in following the moral laws of God which are, in turn, rooted in the order established by God in His creation.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (alt Reading) – Feast
Readings: – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/092920.cfm
1st: rev 12:7-12
Resp: psa 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5 0
Gsp: joh 1:47-51

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Sts. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael for the Win – Sep 29 – Homily – Fr Ignatius

apostolate — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 11:08:39 +0000

Fr Ignatius gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Sep 29, 2021, on how the archangels Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael help the Church here on earth as we fight the long battle against the fallen angels culminating in Armageddon.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael – Feast
Readings: – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/092921.cfm
1st: dan 7:9-10, 13-14
Resp: psa 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5
Gsp: joh 1:47-51

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Tobit: Healing, Resurrection and Salvation – Jun 07 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence

apostolate — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 19:00:13 +0000

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Jun 07, 2023, on how today’s readings from Tobit and Mark relate to healing, resurrection and salvation

The Sadducees try to refute the doctrine of resurrection using a story similar to the tale of Sarah, a seven-times widowed woman from the Book of Tobit, despite their disbelief in its content. Tobit’s suffering, similar to Job, leads him to prayer, pleading mercy from God, asking for an end to his misery, if not from his sins, perhaps from those of his ancestors. He asks God for death as a release from his unbearable life [Tobit 3:6 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/3?6].

Simultaneously, Sarah, facing a different kind of suffering, prays for death as well, both prayers being heard by God, but instead of granting death, He sends healing through the intercession of Raphael [Tobit 3:17 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/3?17]. Raphael, “medicine of God,” proves that good deeds, like Tobit’s charity, empower prayers. It is important to note that Biblical figures such as Job, Moses, Elijah, and Jonah, despite praying for death, did not receive what they asked for, underlining God’s divine plans beyond their comprehension.

The narrative further uncovers Tobit’s revelation of a substantial sum of money left in another country twenty years ago. Believing that God would answer his prayer for death, he leaves instructions for his son Tobias to retrieve it. He also leaves his testament, advising righteousness, mercy, and charity [Tobit 4 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/4].

Their companion on the journey turns out to be the Archangel Raphael, unknowingly, till their safe return. This story is interpreted by St. Bede as a representation of the Lord as the bridegroom (Tobiah) and the spirit (Raphael). The victory over the demon signifies Christ’s triumph over the devil through divine power, thereby uniting pagan peoples with Himself.

Raphael as the healing angel epitomizes the Lord, bringing salvation to the Jews from unbelief and Gentiles from idolatry. Christ brings healing and liberation from spiritual blindness and idolatry. These teachings are reminders of God’s faithfulness and the strength of prayer while shedding light on Christ’s relation to His church.

00:00 – Introduction: The Case of the Sadducees and Sarah
00:41 – Tobit’s Suffering and Prayer
02:03 – The Parallel Struggles of Sarah and Tobit
02:57 – On Praying for Death and Divine Plans
03:40 – Intercession of Raphael and the Power of Almsgiving
04:08 – Tobit’s Wealth and Testament to His Son
05:27 – Spiritual Meanings and Parallels to Christ
07:36 – Healing and Redemption of the Jewish People and Gentiles

Ave Maria!

Mass: Wednesday 9th Week of Ordinary Time – Wkdy
Readings: – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/060723.cfm
1st: tob 3:1-11, 16
Resp: psa 25:2-9
Gsp: mar 12:18-27

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Three Archangels and Their Roles – Sep 29 – Homily – Fr Joseph Michael

apostolate — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:50:48 +0000

Fr. Joseph Michael delivers the homily at Bloomington, IN, on September 29, 2025, on how we honor today St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael, who assist us in our spiritual journey as revealed through sacred scripture and tradition.

Today, Father highlights the significance of the three archangels in our spiritual lives. St. Michael, known as ‘who is like God’ (Daniel 10: 13, Revelation 12: 7), is celebrated for his role in defending against evil, a devotion deeply rooted in sacred tradition (CCC 335). St. Gabriel, ‘God’s strength’ (Luke 1: 26-38), announced the divine plan to Mary at the Annunciation, bringing salvation through Jesus Christ. St. Raphael, ‘God heals’ (Tobit 12: 15), is recognized for his healing powers and guidance towards God’s grace. These angels, as revealed in scripture, ascend to worship God and descend to assist us, aiding in our path to heaven (John 1: 51). Father encourages us to seek their intercession to join them in eternal praise.

Daniel 10: 13 – NAB – Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/10?13
Revelation 12: 7 – NAB – War broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/12?7
Luke 1: 26-38 – NAB – The Annunciation to Mary by Gabriel. – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?26
Tobit 12: 15 – NAB – I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord. – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/12?15
CCC 335 – The Angels in the Economy of Salvation – http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/335.htm
CCC 350 – Angels as Purely Spiritual Creatures – http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/350.htm
CCC 332 – The Existence of Angels – http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/332.htm
Wikipedia – Archangels in Christianity – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archangel

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (Jn 1) – Feast – http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=308
Readings: – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/092925.cfm
1st: dan 7:9-10, 13-14
Resp: psa 138:1-5
Gsp: joh 1:47-51

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