St. Raphael the Archangel

Raphael's feast rests firmly on the book of Tobias, and that scriptural footing gives the whole page its strength. He is the healing archangel sent by God to guide the younger Tobias, protect Sara, and bring relief and joy to the elder Tobias in his blindness and distress. He is guide, protector, and healer, but never in a vague or sentimental way.

Everything remains under the sign of God's providence working through a heavenly messenger in the details of ordinary human suffering. Raphael's self-revelation as one of the seven who stand before the Lord and present human prayers keeps the devotion ordered and biblical. The result is a feast that is personal and warm without drifting loose from Scripture.