St. Raphael The ArchangelRaphael is one of the three angels named in the Bible. He is one of the seven spirits who stand constantly before the throne of God. In the book of Tobit, Raphael takes human form and guides young Tobias to find a wife and retrieve money for his father. Raphael tells Tobias how to cure his father Tobias of blindness. The Israelites believed that Raphael was the angel who stirred the water of the healing pool which is mentioned in the Gospel of John. Raphael shares a feast with St. Michael and St. Gabriel on September 29. He is the patron of lovers, the blind, the sick, the mentally ill, and travelers. His name means “God heals or God has healed” in Hebrew. |