Raphael

Raphael

     Raphael is an Archangel- the ruler of the angels of healing. He is one of the few mentioned by name in the bible. Raphael means “God has healed” or “the shining one who heals”.

     In Catholicism, he is Saint Raphael, the patron of healing, physicals, travelers, and matchmakers.

     Raphael also appears in the Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish text that is considered canonical by Beta Israel Jews and Christians in the Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox churches.

     The Hadith, a collection of the Islamic prophet Muhammad’s traditions, names Raphael (who is called “Israfel” or “Israfil” in Arabic) as the angel who will blow a horn to announce that Judgment Day is coming. Islamic tradition says that Raphael is a master of music who sings praises to God in heaven in more than 1,000 different languages.

     But, Raphael is first mentioned in the Book of Tobit, which is accepted as canonical by Catholics, Orthodox, and some Anglo-Catholics and as useful for public teaching by Lutherans and Anglicans. In this book Raphael travels with Tobit’s son in disguise until the journey’s end. He shows Tobias, who caught a huge fish how to use each part of the creature “the heart, the gall and the liver…these are necessary for useful medicines…and the gall is good for anointing in the eyes, in which there is a white speck, and they shall be cured.” At the end of the journey he reveals himself as “one of the seven holy angels” that attend the throne of God.

     Many believe that his name is derived from the Hebrew word Rophe, which means "medicine doctor or it could just be one crazy coincidence. You never know…