Feast of St. Raphael the Archangel

St. Raphael the Archangel, by Bartolome Esteban Murillo

Today, 24 October, is traditionally the feast of St. Raphael the Archangel; a feast extended to the universal church by Pope Benedict XV.  His commemoration was combined with that of St. Michael in the revision of the church calendar.  This feast is, however, still observed in the traditional rites of the Church, and he is an angel worth noting in his own right.

St. Raphael, whose name means "God heals" is mentioned in the book of Tobit, and is notable for being the angel that healed Tobias.  You can read the account of the Archangel Raphael here in Greek, Latin, and English: Tobit, Chapter 12

Of course, it is worth reading the entire book of Tobit, which is a charming account filled with so many splendid points of advice.

Let us pray with the collect of the feast:
"O God, who didst give blessed Raphael the Archangel to Thy servant Tobias, as a companion on his journey; grant to us, Thy servants, that we may always be guarded by his care and strengthened by his help.  Through Christ Our Lord.  Amen"

For more you might note:
Old Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Raphael

Catholic Saints Info: St. Raphael the Archangel

Live well!