Angels are pure
spirits, holy beings whom God created to have direct contact with Himself. The
word angel comes from the Greek word angelos, which means messenger.
These messengers of God are invisible, immortal, and extremely intelligent.
They worship God in His presence at all times. The Scripture teaches that God
sends angels from heaven to earth to deliver help, warnings, or exciting news
as they assist the Lord in His mission to save all people.
In the Bible angels appear in different ways. Sometimes they
appear in brilliant glory, which is how the angels appeared to the shepherds in
Bethlehem the night that Jesus was born.
Saint Michael the
Archangel is God’s most trusted angel, and he carries out heaven’s
commands. His name, Michael, means who is like God. A fierce warrior,
protector, and comforting guardian, Saint Michael is heaven’s most powerful
archangel.
The Old Testament prophet Daniel calls Michael “one of the
chief Princes.” Saint Michael is the guardian of the Israel, a champion of
goodness and justice who fights evil at every chance. When one of God’s angels,
Lucifer, started a war in heaven, Michael fought and defeated the rebels and
threw them out of heaven. Hence Michael is known as the “warrior angel” and is
often painted wearing a full suit of armor (as seen in our own holy cards).
The Archangel Gabriel,
mentioned several times in the Bible, was always a messenger of important news.
His name, Gabriel, means, the Hero of God, or God is my strength and
courage. He appeared to the prophet Daniel, and to Zechariah, the father of
Saint John the Baptist. He is best known as the angel who appeared to the
Virgin Mary and announced to her the breathtaking news that she would conceive
and bear the Son of God.
The Archangel Raphael’s name
means God heals. In the Bible, the book of Tobit tells the story about
Raphael and a man named Tobit, who lived long before Jesus was born. Tobit was
a good man who helped the poor, but one night he suddenly lost his sight. His
blindness was a great burden to him, and in desperation he prayed for
death. God heard his prayers and sent the archangel Raphael to help.
Tobit sent his son, Tobiah, to collect some savings from a place called Media.
Raphael appeared to Tobiah in human form, explained that he was a distant
relative, and went with him on the journey. One day Tobiah caught a
fish. Raphael told him to remove its insides and to rub the fish on his
father’s eyes. Miraculously, Tobit’s blindness was cured! Then Raphael
revealed his true identity: “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter
and serve before the Glory of the Lord” (Tobit 12:15). The angel told Tobit and
Tobiah to praise and thank God, and then he vanished, returning to heaven.
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