| content | ||||||||||||||||||
| Raphael | |
|---|---|
 The Archangel Raphael |
|
| Archangel | |
| Venerated in | Christianity, Judaism, Islam |
| Feast | September 29; October 24 (General Roman Calendar, 1921-1969) |
| Attributes | Angel holding a bottle or flask; angel walking with Tobias; Archangel; young man carrying a fish; young man carrying a staff |
| Patronage | against nightmares; apothecaries; blind people; bodily ills; doctors; druggists; archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa; eye disease; eye problems; guardian angels; happy meetings; insanity; love; lovers; mental illness; mentally ill people; nightmares, nurses; pharmacists; physicians; archdiocese of Seattle, Washington; shepherdesses; shepherds; sick people; sickness; travellers; young people |
 Saints Portal |
|
Raphael (Standard Hebrew רָפָאֵל, Rāp̄āʾēl, "It is God who heals", "God Heals", "God, Please Heal", and many other combinations of the two words, Arabic: رافائيل, Rāfāʾīl) is the name of an archangel of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, who performs all manner of healing. The Hebrew word for a doctor of medicine is Rophe connected to the same root word as Raphael.
Of seven archangels in the angelology of post-Exilic Judaism, only Michael, mentioned as archangel (Daniel 12:1) and Gabriel are mentioned by name in the scriptures that came to be accepted as canonical by all Christians. Raphael is mentioned by name in the Book of Tobit, which is accepted as canonical by Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Four others, however, are named in the 2nd century BC Book of Enoch (chapter xxi): Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Jarahmeel.
Contents |
Raphael in Christianity
The name of the archangel Raphael appears in the Deuterocanonical Book of Tobit. The Book of Tobit is considered canonical by Roman Catholic, Orthodox and some Protestant Christians. Raphael first appears disguised in human form as the travelling companion of the younger Tobias, calling himself "Azarias the son of the great Ananias". During the adventurous course of the journey the archangel's protective influence is shown in many ways including the binding of the demon in the desert of upper Egypt. After the return and the healing of the blindness of the elder Tobias, Azarias makes himself known as "the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord" Tobit 12:15. Compare the unnamed angels in John's Revelation 8:2.
Regarding the healing powers attributed to Raphael, we have little more than his declaration to Tobit (Tobit, 12) that he was sent by the Lord to heal him of his blindness and to deliver Sarah, his daughter-in-law, from the devil (Asmodeus) that was the serial killer of her husbands. Among Catholics, he is considered the patron saint of medical workers and matchmakers, and may be petitioned by them or those needing their services.
The feast day of Saint Raphael was included for the first time in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on 24 October. In 1969 it was transferred to 29 September for celebration together with St. Michael and St. Gabriel.[1] The Church of England has also adopted the 29 September date for celebrating "Michael and All Angels".[2]
Raphael has made an impression on Catholic geography: Saint Raphaël, France and Saint Raphaël, Quebec, Canada; San Rafaels in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines and in Venezuela as San Rafael de Mohán and San Rafael de Orituco. In the United States, San Rafaels inherited from Mexico survive in California (where besides the city there are San Rafael Mountains), in New Mexico, and in Utah, where the San Rafael River flows seasonally in the San Rafael Desert.
In the New Testament, only the archangels Gabriel and Michael are mentioned by name Luke 1:19-26, Jude 1:9. John 5:1-4 refers to the pool at Bethesda, where the multitude of the infirm lay awaiting the moving of the water, for "an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond; and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under". Because of the healing role assigned to Raphael, this particular angel is generally associated with the archangel.
Raphael is sometimes shown (usually on medallions) as standing atop a large fish or holding a caught fish at the end of a line. This is a reference to Book of Tobit (Tobias), where he told Tobias to catch a fish, and then uses the galbladder to heal Tobit's eyes, and to drive away Asmodeus by burning the heart and liver.[3]
Raphael in Islam
According to the Hadith, Raphael (Israfil in Arabic) is the Angel responsible for signaling the coming of Judgment Day by blowing the horn (namely Sûr) and sending out a "Blast of Truth". Unlike Gabriel (Jibrail) and Michael (Mikail), this archangel was not mentioned by name in the Quran.
The horn (sûr) will be blown two times. The first blow of the Sûr signals the beginning of the Judgment Day and with the second blow, all the souls are gathered somewhere between heaven and hell, and interrogated for their good deeds and sins.
Eude in angelology and the occult
According to the occultist Johannes Trithemius (1462–1516), Raphael is one of the 7 angels of the Apocalypse (this opinion is derived from Enoch 20) and numbered among the 10 holy sefiroth. Furthermore, Raphael is also denoted as one of the 7 Archangels who stand in the presence of God, as well as a ruler of the Cherubim and Archangel classes in the heavenly hierarchy. The Archangel, alongside Zarachiel, also holds dominion over Raquia, the Second Heaven.
Modern occultistswho? sometimes associate Raphael with the colors yellow or gold and emerald green, the direction East (or West)which?, the element Air, the crystal emerald and the Suit of Swords of the Tarot in traditions loosely derived from reports of Kabbalism. According to Francis Barrett (The Magus, vol. II, 1801), Raphael has also been denoted as the angel of science and knowledge, as well as the preceptor angel of Isaac. Other titles attributed to Raphael include the angel of prayer, love, joy, light, as well as the guardian of both the Tree of Life and humanity.
In Stregheria, Raphael's Grigori counterpart is Aldebaran.
Footnote 1: The archangel Rapha' El ("it is God who heals") is not to be confused with Ha'satan and other unclean spirits of the abyss. "Of" the abyss because unclean spirits are of one substance with it. Rapha' El stands apart, indeed holds the key to the abyss and is able to save and heal those afflicted by unclean spirits. Refer to footnotes 1 to 7 for the role of archangels in healing [1].
Raphael in the Book of Enoch
Raphael bound Azazel under a desert called Dudael according to Enoch 10:5-7:
And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light. And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire.
References
- ^ Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 143)
- ^ Calendar of saints (Church of England)#September
- ^ saintr02.htm Patron Saints Index
See also
- Angel
- Archangel
- List of names referring to El
- Angels in Islam
- Michael (archangel)
- Gabriel (archangel)
- Uriel (archangel)
External links
