Lives Of The Saints
October 24
St. Raphael the Archangel
This is a feast rather than an ordinary single saint’s life, and its strength is biblical clarity. St. Raphael is honored as guide, healer, protector, and heavenly messenger, always under the larger truth of God’s providence.
Tobias and Archangel Raphael, Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo
Brief life
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.
Historical note
Because Raphael is treated here as a feast rather than a normal life, this life stays close to the book of Tobias and to the Church’s long scriptural veneration of the archangel.
Next step
Novena to St. Raphael the Archangel
A novena connected to this saint is in the library.
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Nearby saint lives
Move through the calendar without leaving the saint library. These nearby feast-day lives help keep the reading trail connected.
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