St Raphael the Archangel

St Raphael the Archangel is one of the three angels named in Scripture, the messenger God sent to heal blind Tobias, to deliver Sara, and to guide the younger Tobias safely on his journey. His very name means God has healed, and the Church has long invoked the saint Raphael archangel as patron of healing, of travellers, and of happy meetings. We keep his feast on the twenty-fourth of October.

Who St Raphael the Archangel Is

Of the countless angels who serve before the throne of God, only three are named in the canon of Scripture: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael (Tobias 12:15). Raphael declares himself plainly: "I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord" (Tobias 12:15). He belongs to that highest ministry of spirits whose office is to stand in the divine presence and to be sent forth on God's errands among men, one rank within the nine choirs of angels the Church has long set out.

His whole history is contained in the Book of Tobias. The elder Tobias, an Israelite carried into captivity at Ninive, was a man faithful to the law of God amid an idolatrous people, generous to the poor and reverent toward the dead. Stricken with blindness, and grieved by the mockery of those around him, he prayed to die. At the same hour and in the same spirit Sara, daughter of Raguel in distant Media, prayed in her affliction, for a demon had slain seven husbands successively on their wedding night. "And the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of the most high God: and the holy angel of the Lord, Raphael, was sent to heal them both" (Tobias 3:24-25).

Then God's providence joined two sorrows into one remedy. The elder Tobias sent his son into Media to recover a debt, and Raphael, in the form of a young man and under the name of Azarias, offered himself as guide and companion. On the road the youth was attacked by a great fish; the angel bade him keep its heart, gall, and liver, for these would serve against the demon and against blindness. At Raguel's house Raphael arranged the marriage of the younger Tobias with Sara, taught him to enter wedlock in prayer and continence, and bound the evil spirit so that it harmed them no more. Returning home, the young man anointed his father's eyes, and the blindness was driven away.

When father and son would have rewarded their guide, the angel revealed himself, told them he had borne their prayers before God, and charged them to bless and confess the Lord. "Peace be to you, fear not. For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God... It is time therefore that I return to him that sent me: but bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful works" (Tobias 12:17-20). So saying, he vanished from their sight.

What St Raphael the Archangel Is Patron Of

The patronage of the saint Raphael archangel grows directly out of this sacred history, not out of legend. We do not embroider what Scripture has given us; we read his office in his deeds.

Healing. His name, Raphael, means God has healed (or medicine of God), and his very mission was to heal: the blindness of the father, the affliction of Sara, the wound of a household. Tradition has further joined him to the angel who "moved the water" of the healing pool by which the sick were restored (John 5:4). He is therefore invoked by the sick and by those who tend them, and against bodily and spiritual ailments alike; and where a case seems past all human remedy, his healing office is joined to the intercession of St Rita of Cascia, the patroness of impossible and desperate causes. The faithful likewise seek out saints renowned for cures of the body, and may make a novena to St Charbel, the Maronite monk through whose intercession many healings have been reported. The Church reads the lesson of his feast from this very book, that we may learn from whom healing comes.

Travellers. Raphael walked the road from Ninive into Media at the side of a young man who did not know his guide was an angel. He protected him from the river's danger, brought him to safe lodging, and led him home again unharmed. For this the faithful have long sought his guard upon the road, and the pilgrim and the wayfarer have claimed him as their own. As we ask the protection of the Guardian Angel for every soul, so we ask Raphael's particular care for every journey. See the Guardian Angel prayer.

Happy meetings and Christian marriage. It was Raphael who brought Tobias to Sara, who delivered her from the demon, and who taught the young couple to begin their marriage in prayer rather than in passion: "Take the virgin with the fear of the Lord... For they who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves... over them the devil hath power" (Tobias 6:16-18). For this he is honoured as patron of happy meetings, of the betrothed, and of holy Christian marriage. Where two souls are joined under God's eye and not the demon's, Raphael's work is renewed; and as the fruit of such a marriage is sought, the faithful join to his patronage that of St Gerard Majella, the great patron of expectant mothers and of safe childbirth.

The Three Named Archangels

Raphael is not invoked alone. The Church sets before us three angels by name, each with his office. St Michael is the prince of the heavenly host, the warrior against the dragon, defender of the Church in her combat; we have set out his guard in the prayer to St Michael. St Gabriel is the angel of the Annunciation, the bearer of God's good tidings; his history we keep in St Gabriel the Archangel. And St Raphael is the healer and the guide. Michael strikes, Gabriel announces, Raphael heals — three ministries of the one divine mercy. To know one archangel well is to be led toward the others, for the three archangels stand together before the same throne.

A Traditional Prayer to St Raphael the Archangel

The faithful have honoured the saint with many invocations; this traditional St Raphael prayer asks his guidance on every road and his help in finding what God wills for us.

O God, send Raphael the Archangel to be our companion on the way; and as thou didst grant unto blessed Tobias his guidance, his healing, and his safe return, so guide us, heal us, and bring us home.

Glorious Archangel Saint Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, illustrious by thy gifts of wisdom and grace; guide of those who journey by land or sea, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners: we beg thee, assist us in all our needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as thou didst assist the young Tobias on his travels. And because thou art the medicine of God, we humbly pray thee to heal our souls of their many infirmities and our bodies of the ills that afflict them, if it be for our greater good. We ask in particular for that purity of soul which fitted thee to be the angel of health, and the grace to walk always in the fear of the Lord. Amen.

A shorter cry serves as well, fit for the road or the sickbed: Saint Raphael, healer of God, pray for us, and guide us home.

A Healing Prayer to Archangel Raphael

Because his name means God has healed and his mission was to drive away blindness and affliction, the faithful turn to him in sickness. We do not ask the angel to heal by his own power, as if he were a force to be tapped; we ask him to bear our petition before God, who alone heals, and to obtain what is for our good. This archangel Raphael healing prayer keeps that order:

O glorious Archangel Saint Raphael, whom God appointed the medicine of heaven and the bearer of his healing, look with pity upon the sick and the suffering. As thou didst restore sight to the blind Tobias and deliver Sara from her affliction, intercede for (name) before the throne of the Most High. Obtain, if it be the holy will of God, the healing of body and soul; and where bodily health is not granted, obtain instead the grace to bear the cross with patience, and the deeper healing of the heart that God desires above all. Pray that we may walk in the fear of the Lord, and be brought safely home. Amen.

In every such prayer we hold to the mind of the Church: healing is asked if it be for our greater good, and a cure of the soul is never weighed below a cure of the body. In time of plague or epidemic the faithful have long joined to his healing office the intercession of the martyr St Sebastian, invoked against contagious disease since the early ages of the Church.

A Novena to St Raphael the Archangel

A novena is a prayer of nine days. To make a novena to St Raphael the Archangel, one repeats a chosen prayer for nine days in succession, often the nine days before his feast on 24 October. There is no fixed text required; the Church asks perseverance, not a formula. We may use the prayer above each day, adding our particular intention.

A simple form for each of the nine days:

Saint Raphael, angel of health and guide of travellers, by thy faithful care for the household of Tobias, intercede for me in this my need (state intention). Obtain for me what God sees to be good, and lead me, as thou didst lead Tobias, by the surest road home. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

Saint Raphael, pray for us.

Archangel Raphael in the Bible

Apart from the Book of Tobias, Scripture does not name Raphael elsewhere, though the Church and her doctors have long seen his office reflected in two passages. The first is his own declaration: "I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, who present the prayers of the saints, and who go in and out before the glory of the Holy One" (Tobias 12:15, Douay-Rheims; the order of the verses varies between the Vulgate and the Greek). The whole of his action belongs to Tobias chapters 3, 5 through 12: he is sent in answer to two prayers (Tobias 3:24-25), travels as the guide Azarias (Tobias 5), binds the demon and teaches holy marriage (Tobias 6:16-18; 8), and reveals himself and ascends (Tobias 12). The second passage is the moving of the water at the pool of Bethsaida, where "an angel of the Lord descended... and the water was moved" and the sick were healed (John 5:4); tradition has joined this angel of the healing pool to Raphael, the angel of healing, though Scripture does not name him there.

A word on the Book of Tobias itself: it is held by the Catholic Church as canonical Scripture, received in the Vulgate and confirmed at the Council of Trent. Those outside the Church who reckon it among the apocrypha will not find Raphael named in their Bibles at all; for us he stands plainly in the inspired word.

Symbols and Images of Archangel Raphael

In Christian art the archangel Raphael is known by his attributes, drawn straight from the Book of Tobias. He is most often shown as a young man walking the road, for he came to Tobias "in the form of a beautiful young man" (Tobias 5). His chief symbols are these:

• The pilgrim's staff and gourd, marking him the guide of travellers and the patron of pilgrims.
• The fish, recalling the great fish caught in the Tigris, whose heart, gall, and liver served against the demon and against blindness (Tobias 6).
• A young companion at his side, the boy Tobias, sometimes with a small dog, for "the dog... ran on before" (Tobias 11:9).
• A box or vessel of medicine, or a flask of ointment, marking him the medicine of God who anointed the blind man's eyes.

These are the marks the faithful look for, and the reason an image of St Raphael is so often set in a traveller's bag or above a sickbed. A devotional image rightly used is a window, not an idol: we venerate the saint it represents, not the paper or paint, and we ask his prayers, never a power of its own. Those seeking an image or statue of St Raphael the Archangel for the home do well to choose one faithful to these Scriptural attributes rather than the vague winged figures of sentiment.

The Feast of St Raphael

The Church keeps the feast of St Raphael the Archangel on 24 October. Long venerated, especially in the East, his liturgy was extended to the whole Western Church in the early twentieth century, that the faithful everywhere might honour the angel of healing and journeying. His Mass is in white, and its lesson is taken from the Book of Tobias, recounting his self-revealing words: "I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord."

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is St Raphael the Archangel?

St Raphael is one of the three angels named in the canon of Scripture, alongside Michael and Gabriel. He himself declares, "I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord" (Tobias 12:15). His whole history is told in the Book of Tobias, where God sends him to heal the blindness of the elder Tobias, to deliver Sara from a demon, and to guide the younger Tobias safely on his journey.

What does the name Raphael mean?

The name Raphael means God has healed, or medicine of God. It is given to him because his very mission in the Book of Tobias was to heal — the blindness of a father, the affliction of Sara, and the wound of a household — which is why the Church invokes him as the angel of healing.

What is St Raphael the patron saint of?

His patronage grows directly from his deeds in Scripture, not from legend. He is invoked as patron of healing and the sick, of travellers and pilgrims, and of happy meetings, the betrothed, and Christian marriage — for he walked beside the young Tobias on the road, brought him to Sara, and delivered her from the demon.

When is the feast of St Raphael?

The Church keeps the feast of St Raphael the Archangel on 24 October. Long venerated, especially in the East, his liturgy was extended to the whole Western Church in the early twentieth century. His Mass is in white, and its lesson is taken from the Book of Tobias.

Where is St Raphael mentioned in the Bible?

St Raphael appears throughout the Book of Tobias, where he is sent by God to heal and to guide (especially Tobias 3:24-25; 6:16-18; 12:15-20). Tradition has also joined him to the angel who "moved the water" of the healing pool by which the sick were restored (John 5:4).

What is a traditional prayer to St Raphael?

A short cry serves well for the road or the sickbed: Saint Raphael, healer of God, pray for us, and guide us home. The faithful also pray a longer invocation asking him, as the medicine of God, to be our companion on the way, to heal soul and body, and to obtain for us the purity that fitted him to be the angel of health.

What is the difference between Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael?

The Church names three archangels, each with his own office: Michael strikes, Gabriel announces, Raphael heals. St Michael is the prince of the heavenly host and warrior against the dragon; St Gabriel is the angel of the Annunciation who bears God's good tidings; and St Raphael is the healer and the guide. Together they are three ministries of the one divine mercy.

How do you pray a novena to St Raphael the Archangel?

A novena is a prayer of nine days. To make a novena to St Raphael, choose a prayer and repeat it for nine days in succession — often the nine days before his feast on 24 October — adding your particular intention each day. No fixed text is required; the Church asks perseverance, not a formula. A simple form, with an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be each day, is given above.

What is a healing prayer to Archangel Raphael?

We turn to him in sickness because his name means God has healed and his mission was to drive away blindness and affliction. A healing prayer asks the archangel to bear our petition before God — who alone heals — and to obtain a cure of body or soul if it be for our greater good. We never treat the angel as a power to be tapped; he intercedes, and God grants. The full text is given above.

Who is Archangel Raphael and what is he the patron saint of?

Archangel Raphael is one of three angels named in Scripture, who calls himself "one of the seven holy angels... who go in and out before the glory of the Holy One" (Tobias 12:15). From his deeds in the Book of Tobias the Church draws his patronage: he is patron of healing and the sick, of travellers and pilgrims, and of happy meetings, the betrothed, and Christian marriage.

What are the symbols of Archangel Raphael?

In art he is shown as a young man on the road, bearing a pilgrim's staff and gourd, carrying a fish (from the great fish of the Tigris), accompanied by the boy Tobias and sometimes a small dog, and often holding a vessel of medicine or ointment — for he is the medicine of God. These attributes come straight from the Book of Tobias.

Why are so many churches named St Raphael the Archangel?

Because he is the angel of healing and of safe journeys, his name has long been given to parishes, hospitals, and chapels, especially those serving the sick or travellers. The naming honours the patronage; the devotion itself rests not on any building but on the Scriptural saint and the prayers of the faithful.

The angels are not distant. Raphael, who walked unseen beside a young man on a long road, walks beside the faithful still, healing what God permits to be healed and bringing us, by paths we do not foresee, to the home he was sent to lead us toward.

The Iter Fidei app carries the prayers to the saints, the litanies, and the traditional calendar of feasts. Download it here.

Sources. Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims, Book of Tobias (esp. 3:24-25; 6:16-18; 12:15-20); Gospel of St John 5:4. Alban Butler, Lives of the Saints, "St Raphael the Archangel," 24 October. Roman Missal and Roman Breviary, Feast of St Raphael the Archangel (24 October).