Raphael is known as “the healing angel”.

All of the angels are known as “ministering spirits”

(Hebrews 1:14). The city of San Rafael, California, north-northwest of San Francisco, is named
after Raphael. In the biblical tradition, illness is ascribed to demons, so diseases can be cured by
defeating the evil spirits. One of the Old Testament names of God is “Yahweh-Rapha”, which
means “The Lord That Heals You” (Exodus 15:26, “For I am the Lord that healeth thee.”), and this
is no doubt a reference to Raphael’s name as a healing angel of God (“Rapha” means “healing”,
and “el” means “of God”).

Raphael appears as a healing angel in the story of Tobit, which is an Old Testament book
from the Greek Septuagint. Some versions of the Bible follow the Septuagint, while others do
not. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament made in the third century BCE It
was once believed that seventy scholars made this translation, and septuagint means seventy.

The story of Tobit takes place in the ancient Assyrian capital of Nineveh, after the defeat
of the kingdom of Israel by Assyria in 722 BC, but before the destruction of Nineveh in 612 BC.
Modern scholars generally believe that Tobit is not genuine history, but a type of wisdom
literature. The book was probably written as late as the 2nd or 1st century BC in Palestine by an
unknown author. The Book of Tobit is not in the Hebrew Bible, and Protestant Bibles place it with
the Apocrypha. It is part of the Old Testament in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox versions of
the Bible. The Apocrypha are the 14 books of the Septuagint that were included in the (Latin)
Vulgate but considered uncanonical by Protestants because they are not part of the Hebrew
Scriptures. The Roman Catholic canon accepts 11 of these books and includes them in the
Douay Bible. Apocrypha comes from the Greek word for secret or hidden. The term was coined
by the 5th-century biblical scholar Saint Jerome for the biblical books received by the church of
his time as part of the Greek version of the Old Testament but not included in the Hebrew Bible.

Tobit is a pious Israelite who became blind while living in captivity in Nineveh. At the same
time, Sarah, a young relative of his living in Media, suffered the death of seven husbands in a row
at the hands the demon Asmodeus. The archangel Raphael is sent to help Tobit and Sarah (3:7-
17). Before Raphael’s appearance, Tobit and Sarah are both praying to God to let them die
because their lives are so miserable:

“At that very moment the prayers of both were heard in the glorious presence of God, and
Raphael was sent to cure the two of them: Tobit by removing the white patches from his eyes so
that he might see God’s light again, and Sarah daughter of Raguel by giving her in marriage to
Tobias son of Tobit and by setting her free from the evil demon Asmodaeus, for it was the destiny
of Tobias and of no other suitor to posses her. At the moment when Tobit went back into his
house from the courtyard, Sarah came down from her father’s roof-chamber.” (Tobias 3:-16-17)

Raphael appears in disguise to Tobit's son Tobias, who was sent to Media to recover ten talents
of silver that Tobias had on deposit with Gabael son of Gabri. Raphael persuades Tobias to
marry Sarah, providing him with the means of defeating Asmodeus, and helping him to restore
Tobit's sight. Tobit does not know the way to Media, and he is looking for someone to show him
the way, when Raphael appears to him on the road:

“Tobias went out to look for someone who knew the way and would accompany him to Media,
and found himself face to face with the angel Raphael. Not knowing he was an angel of God, he
questioned him: ‘Where do you come from young man?’ ‘I am an Israelite,’ he replied, ‘one of
your fellow-countrymen, and I have come here to find work.’ Tobias asked, ‘Do you know the
road to Media?’ ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I have been there many times; I am familiar with all the routes, I
know them well. I have frequently travelled into Media and used to stay with Gabriel our fellow-
countryman who lives there in Rages. . . .” (Tobit 4:4-6)
 Here, Raphael is referring to the archangel Gabriel but Tobias does not know it. He hires
Raphael to take him to Media, but first he must get his father’s approval. Tobit questions Raphael
to find out whether he can be trusted to be his son’s companion on the journey:

“When he entered, Tobit greeted him first. To Raphael’s reply, ‘May all be well with you!’ Tobit
retorted: ‘How can anything be well with me any more? I am now blind; I cannot see the light of
heaven, but lie in darkness like the dead who can no longer see the light Though still alive, I am
as good as dead. I her voices, but I cannot see those speaking.’ Raphael answered: ‘Take
heart; in God’s design your cure is at hand. Take heart!’” (Tobit 5:9)

When Tobit demands to know the young mans name, Raphael says that he is Azarias, the
son of Ananias, one of Tobit’s kinsmen (5:10). While they are on the road to Media, Tobias is
stepping into the Tigris River to bathe, when a large fish jumps out of the water and tries to
swallow his foot. Raphael tells Tobias to grab the fish, which he does. Tobias drags the fish up
onto the bank, and Raphael tells him how to prepare it to eat. Raphael tells the young man to
throw away the guts, but to keep the gall, the heart, and the liver because they have healing
properties. Tobias asks about the healing properties, and Raphael replies: “You can use the
heart and liver as a fumigation for any man or woman attacked by a demon or evil spirit; the
attack will cease, and it will give no further trouble. The gall is for anointing a person’s eyes when
white patches have spread over them; after one has blown on the patches, the eyes will recover.”
(6:7-8)

Tobias falls in love with Sarah and asks her father for permission to marry her, but then her
father tells him about the curse which caused her seven husbands to die. The young man is
disappointed, but then Raphael reminds him about the gall and heart of the fish. When Tobias
returns home with his new wife, he uses the liver of the fish to cure his father’s blindness. Tobit
tells his son Tobias to give Raphael half of everything that he gained on his journey, including the
wedding gifts form Sarah’s father. Tobias goes out and tells Raphael that he shall receive half of
everything, and the angel replies that he is an angel sent by God to answer the prayers of Tobit
and Sarah:

“I will tell you the whole truth, hiding nothing from you. I have already made it clear to you
that while a king’s secret ought to be kept, the works of God should be glorified in public. Now
Tobit, when you and Sarah prayed, it was I who brought your prayers to be remembered in the
glorious presence of the Lord. So too when you buried the dead: that day when without
hesitation you got up from your meal to go and bury the dead man, I was sent to test you. At the
same time God sent me to cure both you and Sarah your daughter-in-law. I am Raphael, one of
the seven angels who stand in attendance on the Lord and enter his glorious presence.” (11-15)

According to tradition, Raphael is one of the four archangels of God (along with Michael,
Gabriel, and Uriel) who led the angels of God in the war in Heaven against Lucifer, who was also
an archangel. Lucifer rebelled when God told him to serve Man (Adam). Lucifer refused to bow
his knee to a creature that was lower than himself, since Man was created a little bit lower than
the angels (Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:7). Thus, Lucifer committed the sin of pride.

Raphael is one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition. Michael is the leader of the
angels (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1) and guardian angel of Israel. He is considered the immediate
lawgiver to the prophet Moses on Sinai (Acts 7:38). His also known as the patron of the sick and
of grocers, sailors, and soldiers, and Michael is also the patron saint of Germany. Gabriel is an
archangel acting as the messenger of God. He is portrayed blowing a horn, especially a ram’s
horn. In the Old Testament, Gabriel explains the prediction for the length of the Jews' exile from
Jerusalem (Daniel 9:21-27). In the New Testament, he announces to Mary that she is to be the
mother of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-31). Uriel is one of the archangels named in the Apocrypha
and in Hebrew tradition. Another archangel is Zadkiel.
 Archangels are the eighth highest of the nine orders of spiritual beings in medieval
angelology (the study of angels). The word comes from Old French archangele, from Late Latin
archangelus, from Late Greek arkhangelos : Greek arkh-, archi- (ancient) + Greek angelos,
angel, messenger. Thus, it means literally “ancient messenger”. In Christian tradition, there are
nine choirs of angels: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominations, virtues, powers, principalities,
archangels, and angels. Seraphim are referred to in a vision by the Hebrew prophet Isaiah in the
Old Testament (Isaiah 6:2-6), as the highest in the order of angels. Cherubim (Cherubs) have
wings. God placed cherubim outside of Eden to prevent human beings from going back to the
garden. Cherubim also support or function as God's throne or chariot.

Here’s some additional info from two web sites:

A science / health web site:

http://www.pyracantha.com/raphael.html

ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL, PATRON OF

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Archangel Raphael is traditionally known as the patron of Healing, and thus he/she is also the
patron of the modern science of Biotechnology. The Archangel holds the double helix strand of
DNA in his/her hands, and the ornaments on his/her coat are diagrams of organic molecules,
cells, and genes. The border features stylized representations of cells, proteins, micro-organisms,
and a dividing cell with genetic material. The blue discs on the sides are the Western esoteric
symbols for Air, the element of Raphael. Air is also signified by Raphael's feathery wings and the
background of clear sky with floating fair-weather clouds. The color scheme of yellow and gold
signifies the solar, "sunny" aspects of the healing Angel.

The human images on FuturIkons are multi-racial and multi-cultural. In this FuturIkon, Raphael is
cast in the image of a fair-skinned, blonde, blue-eyed Northern European. He/she is dressed in
eighteenth-century European garb; it was in Europe, and in that century, the 1700s, when many
of the first modern biotechnologists did their work.

A Catholic web site:

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintr02.htm

RAPHAEL the Archangel

Also known as Azariah; Angel of Love; Angel of Joy

Memorial -- 29 September
Profile: One of the 3 angels known by name, and one of the 7 that stand before God's throne.
Lead character in the deutero-canonical book of Tobit in which he travelled with (and guarded)
Tobiah, and cured a man's blindness; hence his connection with travellers, young people,
blindness, healing and healers. The force behind the healing power of the sheep pool mentioned
in John 5:1-4.
Born -- wasn't [was created]
Died -- hasn't
Name Meaning -- God has healed or Healer of God
Patronage -- apothecaries, blind people, doctors, druggists, eye disease, eye problems, guardian
angels, happy meetings, love, lovers, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, travellers, young people

Representation -- archangel; young man carrying a staff; young man carrying a fish; angel
walking with Tobias; angel holding a bottle or flask

Prayer Links [go to the web site for these lines]

 Prayer I to...
Prayer II to...
Litany to...
Prayer for the Protection of...

Additional Information
Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society,
Catholic Online,
Catholic Encyclopedia text @ EWTN
Catholic Encyclopedia html
Tom Kreitzberg's site
Images

47kb jpg mural @ InternetArt

65kb jpg painted cross @ InternetArt
Storefront
Commercial Links related to Raphael
Reading
You should be aware that the word "angel" denotes a function rather than a nature. Those holy
spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they
deliver some message. Moreover, those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called
angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels.

Raphael means...God's remedy, for when he touched Tobit's eyes in order to cure him, he
banished the darkness of his blindness. Thus, since he is to heal, he is rightly caused God's
remedy.
-- from a homily on the gospel of Pope Saint Gregory the Great

Works Cited

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition. Copyright
1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from INSO Corporation.

Encarta 98 Desk Encyclopedia. Copyright 1996-97 Microsoft Corporation.

The Holy Bible: King James Version.

The Book of Tobit (Apocrypha, The Revised English Bible.)

A science / health web site:

http://www.pyracantha.com/raphael.html

A Catholic web site:

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintr02.htm