Feast of the Archangels

Today is the feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. These archangels, messengers sent by God, are the only ones named in the Bible. Holy Archangels, pray for us!

St Michael (Who is like God?) was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God.  He is the protector of all humanity from the snares of the devil.

Gabriel (Strength of God) announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus. His greeting to the Virgin, “Hail, full of grace,” is one of the most familiar and frequent prayers of the Christian people.

Raphael (Medicine of God) is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey.

Powerful Prayer to the Archangels

Heavenly King,You have given us archangels
to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth.

Saint Michael is our protector;
I ask him to come to my aid,
fight for all my loved ones,
and protect us from danger.

Saint Gabriel is a messenger of the Good News;
I ask him to help me
clearly hear Your voice
and to teach me the truth.

Saint Raphael is the healing angel;
I ask him to take my need for healing
and that of everyone I know,
lift it up to Your throne of grace
and deliver back to us the gift of recovery.

Help us, O Lord,
to realize more fully the reality of the archangels
and their desire to serve us.

Holy angels,
pray for us.

Amen.

What does the Catechism say about angels?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that,”he existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls “angels” is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.”

Angels are pure, created spirits. The name angel means servant or messenger of God. Angels are celestial or heavenly beings, on a higher order than human beings.

Angels have no bodies and do not depend on matter for their existence or activity. They are distinct from saints, which men can become. Angels have intellect and will, and are immortal.

They are a vast multitude, but each is an individual person. Archangels are one of the nine choirs of angels listed in the Bible.

In ascending order, the choirs or classes are 1) Angels, 2) Archangels, 3) Principalities, 4) Powers, 5) Virtues, 6) Dominations, 7) Thrones, 8) Cherubim, and 9) Seraphim.

(Source: https://www.vaticansite.com)