#saint raphael

“A Stellar View From The Cave”

Saint Raphael, France.

Anthony Lopez

Gazon synthétique et lieux très fréquentés : le chantier “Cap Esterel” signé Sud Gazon Synthétique

Quand un site accueille des vacanciers toute la journée, au bord d’une piscine, la question n’est pas “est-ce que c’est joli ?” mais plutôt : est-ce que ça tient dans le temps, est-ce que c’est confortable, et est-ce que ça reste propre ? C’est exactement le défi qu’a relevé Sud Gazon Synthétique au Cap Esterel (Saint-Raphaël, Var) avec un aménagement de 350 m² sur deux niveaux de restanques.

Happy Michaelmas to all who celebrate!

This year, I made three mini altar sections for all three archangels; Gabriel, Raphael and Michael (left to right).

I followed my white mass script order, and for the liturgy of the word section, I pulled readings from Scripture fitting each angel, followed by individual prayer and offering, ringing my glass bell after each prayer.

Saint Gabriel: Daniel 8: 15-18. Offering: water in a chalice. Blue candle.

Saint Raphael: Livre de Tobie, chapitre 5:10. Offering: frankincense stick incense, and myrrh perfume on my forehead and wrists (since I’m in surgery recovery and it’s going well). Green candle.

Saint Michael: Apocalypse 12: 7-11. Offering: Michaelmas daisies I had picked a few days ago. Red candle.

For my main prayers, I had this song play in the background. It hits hard and was very thematic for angel’s wings:

As for folklore surrounding this day, we have some!

Some weather sayings:

If it rains today without thunder, there will be a mild winter.

“Pluie de Saint-Michel sans orages, d’un hiver doux est le présage”

If the sparrow sees this day, no winter until Christmas day.

“Si l’hirondelle voit la Saint-Michel, pas d’hiver avant Noël”

The three Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, are the only angels named in Sacred Scripture and all three have important roles in the history of salvation.

Saint Michael is the "Prince of the Heavenly Host," the leader of all the angels.

His name is Hebrew for "Who is like God?" and was the battle cry of the good angels against Lucifer and his followers when they rebelled against God.

He is mentioned four times in the Bible — in Daniel 10 and 12, in the letter of Jude, and in Revelation.

Michael, whose forces cast down Lucifer and the evil spirits into Hell, is invoked for protection against Satan and all evil.

In 1899, Pope Leo XIII, having had a prophetic vision of the evil that would be inflicted upon the Church and the world in the 20th century, instituted a prayer asking for Saint Michael's protection to be said at the end of every Mass.

Christian tradition recognizes four offices of Saint Michael:

(i) to fight against Satan;

(ii) to rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death;

(iii) to be the champion of God's people;

(iv) to call away from earth and bring men's souls to judgment.

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"I am Gabriel, who stand before God." (Luke 1, 19)

Saint Gabriel, whose name means "God's strength," is mentioned four times in the Bible.

Most significant are Gabriel's two mentions in the New Testament:

(i) to announce the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zacharias, and

(ii) the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of Mary.

Christian tradition suggests that it is he who appeared to St. Joseph and to the shepherds. He was also the one who "strengthened" Jesus during his agony in the garden of Gethsemane.

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"I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord." (Tob 12:15)

Saint Raphael, whose name means "God has healed" because of his healing of Tobias' blindness in the Book of Tobit. 

Tobit is the only book in which he is mentioned. His office is generally accepted by tradition to be that of healing and acts of mercy.