Walking with St. Raphael

Transcription

1 Walking with St. Raphael PART I: THE BOOK OF TOBIAS The Book of Tobias is one of the books of the Old Testament. It belongs to the time of the Assyrian domination, about 722 before Christ. It sets forth the ideal of a saintly family life. The story of the Angel Raphael and Tobias is contained in these memoirs of Tobias and his son. Among the captives who were carried off to Assyria there was a very saintly man named Tobias. He consoled his fellow captives and was very kind to them. God allowed Tobias to become blind. When Tobias was already old, fearing that he would soon die, he called his son and said, "Honor your mother always. Fear God and never sin. Gives alms to the poor. Keep yourself from all impurity. Never let pride rule you. Do not do to another what you would not like him to do to you. Seek the advice of the wise man. Pray to God at all times, and ask Him to direct your ways. We are poor, but we shall possess much if we fear God and hate sin." One day Tobias sent his son, also named Tobias, into a distant country to collect a debt. Since the young Tobias did not know the way, God sent him the Angel Raphael to be his guide. On the journey they stopped at the river Tigris to rest and bathe. A large fish plunged after Tobias and he was frightened. But the Angel told Tobias to seize the fish. When he had drawn the fish on to the bank, the Angel told him to take out its heart, gall, and liver to make a medicine. They then continued the journey and arrived at the home of a relative of Tobias. Tobias took his daughter as his wife because the Angel told him to do so. Tobias then returned home with his new wife, Sara. The Angel told him to apply the medicine made from the fish to the eyes of his old father. At once his father's sight was restored. Both father and son tried to prevail on the Angel to accept half of their new-found wealth. But he told them to give their thanks to the God of Heaven. "To Him," he said, "offer your praises for all men to hear: He it is that has shown mercy to you. When you, Tobias, were praying, and with tears, when you were burying the dead, leaving your dinner untasted, so as to hide them all day in your house, and at night give them burial, I, all the while, was offering that prayer of yours to the Lord. Then, because you had won His favor, it was necessary that trials should come and test your worth. And now, for your healing, for the deliverance of your son's wife Sara, from the attack of the evil spirit, He has chosen me for His messenger. Who am I? I am the Angel Raphael, and my place is among those Seven who stand in the Presence of the Lord." Upon hearing this, they were both filled with fear and fell down trembling with their faces to the earth. "Peace be with you," the Angel said. "Do not be afraid. It was God's will, not mine, that brought me to your side; to Him pay the thanks and praise you owe. I was at your side, eating and drinking, but only in outward show; the food, the drink that I live by, man's eyes cannot see. And now the

2 time has come when I must go back to Him Who sent me. Give thanks to God, and tell the story of His great deeds." With that he was caught away from their eyes, and they saw him no more. For three hours together, face to earth, they gave thanks to God; and when they rose up, it was to tell the story of all these marvels. PART II: THE ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL Archangel (from the Greek meaning "ruling angel") in its wider meaning, is an Angel of higher rank, thus all the higher orders of Angels. The Archangels are God's messengers to man in matters of graver importance, e.g., Raphael to Tobias. Also to the Archangels God entrusts the care of persons of exalted rank or sanctity. The name of the Archangel Raphael (Hebrew: "God has healed") occurs only in the Book of Tobias of the Old Testament, where the travelling companion of the younger Tobias makes himself known as "the Angel Raphael, one of the Seven, who stand before the Lord" (Tob. 12:15). As to the functions attributed to St. Raphael, we have little more than his declaration to old Tobias that when the latter was occupied in his works of mercy and charity, he, Raphael, offered his prayer to the Lord, and that he was sent by the Lord to heal him of his blindness and to deliver Sara, his son's wife, from the devil. Many identify Raphael with the "Angel of the Lord" mentioned in the fifth chapter of St. John's Gospel, because of the meaning of his name and because of his healing role in the Book of Tobias. Some theologians believed that Saint Raphael was Our Lord's own Guardian Angel. Of the Seven Archangels, who in both Jewish and Christian tradition are venerated as standing before the throne of God, three only are mentioned by name in the Bible: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. The other four are well-known from ancient tradition: St. Uriel, St. Barachiel, St. Jehudiel, and St. Sealtiel. These have been venerated in the Church from early times, especially in the East, but it was not till the pontificate of Pope Benedict XV that the liturgical feasts of St. Gabriel and St. Raphael were made obligatory throughout the Latin Church. Holy Mother Church has assigned St. Raphael's own feastday to October 24. Angel of Joy It would seem that God has appointed the Angel Raphael His minister for the province of joy. The Book of Tobias shows us unhappiness followed by happiness. It tells us how Raphael appeared to the pious family of Tobias and led them by the hand away from their sadness into the peace and the glory of joy. As Tobias begins his journey with St. Raphael, his father's last prayer is that his Angel accompany him. And when Tobias and Sara leave, Raguel and Anna make a similar petition. Belief, then, in the Holy Angels is a part of the faith of those who are being favored with the presence of one of Seven who stand before the throne of God. What a flood of light the Book of Tobias sheds on God and His hidden ways of directing men and their affairs! In this drama you observe that St. Raphael, magnificent in his humility, hides

3 himself while the characters suffer, in order that he may serve them better. The higher a creature, the more humble he is! That God increase and he decrease is the holy ambition which inflames his zeal. Veiling his real nature by the form of a man, and his activities by human circumstances, St. Raphael gently controls the outcome of events for those who follow his inspirations. Young Tobias obeys his unknown guide, and because he obeys, his path is made smooth before him. As he journeys beside the Angel in simple obedience, Raphael directs every moment in light, although to the young man all appears in darkness. Everything follows a marvelous plan. The marriage of the young man offers many dangers. But the Angel Raphael is there, and sadness vanishes. Although he is an Angel of Light, Raphael appears in no resplendent form; he uses no dramatic display of heavenly power. But working quietly through a series of human circumstances he brings to those who hire him for wages the promise of joy and healing. Although he is Angel of Travelers and Angel of Joy, the journey is not without hazard, not without bitter trials and tears. His beautiful role consists in directing Tobias to use wisely the dangers which he encounters. Evils yield blessings for himself and those whom he loves. By his journey the young man did all that he had intended, and much more than he could have planned. A series of glorious events owe their rise to successive angelic inspirations, faithfully obeyed. St. Raphael's first salutation upon entering the house of Tobias is "joy." Referring to the elder Tobias who lived forty-two years after his cure, Holy Scripture says, "The rest of his life was in joy, and with great increase of the fear of God he departed in peace." When St. Raphael's work is finished with marvelous completeness, and time brings back every joy which it took away and a thousand more, we read at the end of the Book these words about Tobias, his son: "With joy they buried him." St. Raphael's promise is indeed fulfilled! Return of joy redoubled is the theme of the Book of Tobias. From the moment that St. Raphael, Angel of Joy, makes his entrance into the drama of Tobias, deliverance is near and a triumphant ending is assured. God uses an Angel to manifest His power and glory. This "figure of His Providence" leads to health and happiness for those who trust him. Tobias is safely led back home, money is returned, sight is restored, and life is returned to Tobias when death threatened. At the end, when St. Raphael has led his charges to joy, he appears in order to give the only genuine glory there is glory to God. The glory of God made evident in the Book of Tobias consists in God's yielding to the prayers of His children. His glory and our joy become one. In all of Raphael's dealings with you, you will learn to view life from God's point of view. God to him is the only Reality. As he journeys disguised by your side, he points everywhere to God, he teaches you to appreciate His greatness everywhere, to see Him first and last. God sends His messenger to instruct and to comfort you if you yield to his holy influence as Tobias did. Thus St. Raphael brings you joy because he brings you to God. You are not spared your natural fears and doubts. But when confided to him, they soon vanish. Only as you journey on with him do you realize the preparations which were made. One lesson is evident you need faith! Sanctity is the perfection of this virtue which St. Raphael would have you practice at every step of your way. His promise is joy at the end. He will keep his promise for he is the Angel of Joy. Angel of Healing

4 Raphael is called "the Remedy of God." The names of the Archangels signify a single outstanding operation which each performs in fulfilling the designs of Providence. Thus St. Michael is commissioned to exercise the Power of God to ratify special decrees, to execute particular judgments, to prevent Satan and his hordes from transgressing too far. St. Gabriel is commissioned to announce the more important supernatural truths, to manifest mysteries, to strengthen faith and hope. Pope St. Gregory calls St. Raphael "the Remedy of God." His office is to heal. He is then by excellence the Angel of the Sick. Humanly speaking, we owe our rather complete revelation of St. Raphael's sojourn on earth to the piety of two persons: one, the elder Tobias; the other, his future daughter-in-law, Sara. Tobias had been stricken with blindness, and Sara had been persecuted by a devil. At the same time, though many miles apart from each other, they asked God to pity and help them. And the Scripture tells us (Tobias 11:24) "the prayers of them both were heard and the holy Angel of the Lord, St. Raphael, was sent to heal them both, whose prayers at one time were rehearsed in the sight of the Lord." St. Raphael's own account of himself and his mission to the Tobias family will bear repetition. "When you; Tobias, were praying, and with tears... I, all the while, was offering that prayer of yours to the Lord. Then, because you had His favor, it was necessary that trials should come and test your worth. And now, for your healing, for the deliverance of your son's wife Sara, from the attack of the evil spirit, He has chosen me for His messenger. Who am I? I am the Angel Raphael, and my place is among those Seven who stand in the presence of the Lord." From the beginning of history St. Raphael has been God's chief agent in administering to the sick. Perhaps the Archangel's most constant occupation among mortals was to guard the sick from the attacks of the evil spirits. On countless occasions he was sent to carry out Divine decrees of miraculous cures. In addition, he was, of course, regularly engaged in offering the prayers of those who were in good faith. In Her liturgy concerning the sick and the dying, the Church is most alert to danger from diabolical attack, and most insistent on the need we have of the help of the Angels. By Her advice and example she earnestly desires us to invoke their aid. We need them in our normal life, but we need them particularly when we are sick, for then we are definitely in danger. The Church's prayers for the sick and the dying contain so many petitions to keep demons away and send good Angels to protect the patient. The Angels know medicine as no physician can hope to know it, and in general their interest is to cure sickness and restore the patient to a complete use of all his faculties. We should enlist to our advantage this angelic activity, especially in the case of St. Raphael who has been chosen by God as the Healer of the Sick. When St. Raphael appears, all evils which he touches are healed by one means or another. The monstrous fish attacks Tobias on the first night that he travels with St. Raphael. But the enemy proves to be his salvation, when he follows the counsels of his guide who tells him to grasp it by the gill and draw it toward him. The Angel instructs Tobias to take out the entrails of the fish and lay up the heart and gall and liver. "For these," he said, "are necessary for useful medicines." Tobias does not foresee any use for the heart and liver of the fish. But when he is told to marry Sara, "remembering the Angel's word, he took out of his bag part of the liver, and laid it upon the

5 burning coal." Later it is used as a cure for the blindness of his father. The fish is the symbol of Christ to whom Raphael leads us at once as the Medicine of all our ills of soul and body. Moreover, Raphael acts with singular simplicity, though the affairs in question are in themselves very complicated. "I am," says the Angel, "Azarias, son of Ananias; I am the help of the Lord, coming out of the Cloud." He conceals himself under the form of a man's name; likewise he conceals his angelic action under the form of man's human adventures. He gives fortune, health, a wife, light, vision, joy. He shows that God is there, present and willing to help. He gives these blessings as coming from God. Things which are impossible to men are possible to God. When Omnipotence speaks, there is no room except for simplicity. The Book of Tobias suggests that it is God's will to cure the maladies of mankind through the Angel Whom He wished to call Raphael, which in Hebrew means, "God has healed." But many identify St. Raphael with the "Angel of the Lord" mentioned in the fifth chapter of Saint John's gospel, because of the meaning of his name and because of his healing role in the Book of Tobias. The Gospel of the Mass is taken from Saint John's Gospel referring to the pool called Probatica, where the multitude of the infirm lay awaiting the moving of the water, for "An angel of the Lord used to come down at certain times in the pool, and the water was moved. And the first to go down into the pool after the moving of the water was cured of whatever infirmity he bad." The hymns used in the Office of St. Raphael's feast recall the healing power of the Archangel and his victory over the demon. In fact, the two proper hymns dwell on this mission alone, for example, the hymn for Vespers contains the following prayer: "May the Angel Raphael, physician in care of our health, come down from Heaven to cure all who are sick and to solve the difficult problems of life." And the hymn at Lauds makes this direct appeal: "Be with us, O Archangel, called the Medicine of God; drive away diseases of the body and bring good health to our minds." As these prayers indicate, the Remedy of God is for both the soul and body. A troubled mind, especially a conscience burdened with sin, is the first concern of the Angelic Healer. We are "sick" not only when we labor under some bodily affliction, but also when we suffer from pride, sensuality, spiritual discouragement, indifference to actual grace, lack of charity, of courage, of fervor in prayer. Even when we are bewildered by the problems of life, even when domestic cares seem too much for us, even then we need the care of St. Raphael. Indeed, he never considers us "cured" until he has brought us "the peace of God which surpasses understanding." If to that end a miracle is required, we may rely on him to procure it. Over a long period of nineteen centuries the cult of St. Raphael among Christian peoples was restricted and informal. In fact, it was Pope Benedict XV who established universally the Archangel's feast with a proper Mass and Office. God has selected these times of ours to institute a universal and concentrated movement to foster the great Archangel's love for us and secure his powerful intercession. There was never a time when healing the sick was not dear to the Heart of God, so it is significant that the twentieth century should have been chosen as the dawn of an era of more intense, more extensive devotion to St. Raphael. If the faithful follow the inspired lead of the Church in furthering this devotion, the coming years will see miracles of healing multiplied everywhere. Heavenly Physician, Angelic Healer, the Remedy of God these certainly are titles to challenge our faith in the ways of Providence. They are not man-given titles; they are simply

6 equivalents of the name God Himself revealed. St. Raphael is God's Own prescription for our ills, for the complete cure of a world that is sick. Entrust your pains and illnesses to St. Raphael. He will teach you why you suffer. To know this "why" will make your pain more endurable. Although you do not naturally like suffering, you can reconcile yourself to it if you are convinced that it leads to joy, and that the light and strength of God are with you at the moment of need if you ask for these gifts. Pain is power if you bear it for the love of God. Pain with love is a beautiful sacrifice to God, a fruitful means of sanctification for your soul and of merit for eternity. St. Raphael will give you peace of mind. The fruits of the spirit are charity, joy, peace and patience. Patience will bring you peace, and peace with its resultant joy will conduct you to love, your aim and goal. Your trouble may continue, but a work of surpassing beauty will meanwhile be accomplished within your soul. Quietly the Angel of Peace will prepare the way for God to come more intimately into your life, and to your utter surprise you will discover suddenly that you are above the pain. You can at last look upon the cause of the affliction and rest calmly undisturbed, for the strength of peace has come. As you deal with the Angel Raphael, you always see afterwards that the time at which he worked was beautifully right. Tobias finds Raphael outside his very door and ready for a journey. No time is consumed searching for him. You would suppose that Raphael, with special power over the evil spirit, Asmodeus, would cast him out immediately, or that this Heavenly Physician would cure instantaneously the blind eyes of the old Tobias. Both of these actions require time: the first, three days and nights: the second, half an hour. You can say that events do not happen "on time" according to our earthly views, but just at the favorable moment ordained by God. Never can you guess when St. Raphael will work. It is best then to leave the time and manner of action to his wisdom; yet on your own part do all that you feel inspired to do to obtain help, and bear all delays bravely. God's thoughts are not your thoughts, nor His ways your ways, therefore, you need to readjust your plans constantly as you travel with St. Raphael, the figure of God's Providence. Because of the cure of blindness mentioned in the Book of Tobias, St. Raphael is invoked as Patron of physicians and of those who are afflicted with illness, especially with any eye disease. Invoke him in any illness or affliction of the mind or body. God has ordained that St. Raphael should ever remain "the Remedy of God" for suffering mankind. This kind Angel can perform cures for you, too, if you confide in his intercession as Tobias did. Angels, like all intelligent creatures, possess individual traits. It may be that from the beginning St. Raphael was endowed with a special sympathy for human suffering and was thus providentially equipped for his office of "physician in care of our health." At any rate, his constant attendance at the bedside of the sick, and his frequent response to the prayers of those who were troubled in mind and spirit, must have fostered in his heart an increasing kindness and tenderness toward mankind. "A brother helped by a brother is like a strong city." St. Raphael proves himself to be truly a brother sometimes by his own direct inspirations, sometimes by arranging that others aid you and invariably you find him "a tower of strength and a kindly light," especially in illness. You see

7 in his care for you, the care of our all-merciful Heavenly Father, Who uses him as an instrument either to cure you or to help you to take up your cross daily and follow Jesus. The important task of bearing your cross will not be quite so difficult if you walk with St. Raphael. Angel of Happy Meetings Among the Angels, Saint Raphael is a special patron of youth. God has made this known by the beautiful Biblical account of St. Raphael's devotedness to the youth Tobias. The Angel Raphael took Tobias under his special care and protected him from the dangers that beset his journey to a strange country. He preserved Tobias pure in a pagan world, and delivered Sara from the power of the evil spirits. He will also help you in the struggle against your three greatest enemies: the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The decision of supreme importance in the life of a young man or woman is the choice of a lifetime helpmate. The consequences of that choice are serious and far-reaching; they penetrate into the whole of their earthly life, even into eternity. Upon that selection hinge to a large extent the hopes of their happiness both here and hereafter. Hence that decision should be made with the greatest care, prudence, and wisdom of which a person is capable, and, above all, in the spirit of earnest prayer. Saint Raphael is the Angel of happy meetings and a wise choice. Through him the young Tobias was led to his future bride. Although there were many suitable young women to choose from, he had never felt sure of himself till St. Raphael arranged a meeting with Sara, a person of rare beauty and high moral qualities. She was God's choice of a companion for His servant Tobias, and through the Angel Raphael He made His choice known. Today, as in the long ago, Raphael helps people to find peace and happiness. He has a way of uniting people. Just as he unites, so he separates individuals when it is a matter of wisdom, when their union would result in harm to either one or to them both. But you must trust your Angel-Friend as Tobias did. Bring your difficulties to his attention in earnest prayer. Seek his protection against the temptations that may lie in your path. He will protect you with as much devotion as he protected young Tobias if only you make him your patron and your friend. You will never go wrong trusting this Angel who in the Providence of God may have been destined to guide you safely through the dangerous time of courtship to a happy marriage. Angel of Everyday Life A list of the archangel's activities would be incomplete without mention of his "visits" to ordinary households. Merely paying visits seems to be an unimportant occupation for so great a personage, and yet by his own testimony such acts of kindness were probably frequent. St. Raphael's devotedness to young Tobias shows itself in the ordinary daily things of life. Tobias obeys the Angel under all circumstances and in spite of his own inclinations. He obeys the Angel and subdues the monster which then yields food and medicine. He obeys the Angel and meets Raguel, and finally Sara who brings him happiness and prosperity. He obeys the Angel and hastens on ahead of Sara to meet his father and mother. At the end when Tobias obediently offers St. Raphael gifts, he finds out that his guide is an Angel of the Lord.

8 Among the most lovely revelations of St. Raphael are those courtesies of his which are connected with your own ordinary daily life. He uses any circumstance, for grace can attach itself to anything. In all types of needs from getting relief from a headache to getting a death-bed conversion, St. Raphael will manage you and your affairs magnificently if only you trust and obey him as Tobias did on his journey. His judgment is always excellent, and his methods are irreproachable. You will discover that this powerful spirit can understand your problems and feelings in the trivial affairs of your everyday life, and he does so with sweet and tender care. He eases troubles, sends little inspirations, gratifies little desires, revives and fulfills hopes that seemed dead and buried, and humors your very whims, until he attracts your love and confidence. Something that you have asked for or that you need in your work or living seems suddenly beset by difficulties. You are overwhelmed with the impossibility of the thing. Then suddenly all obstacles are somehow cleared away. The desired end comes about, apparently in all simplicity and naturalness. At such times you will know that St. Raphael was at work. His every act is characterized by sincerity and directness. But he does let you see the obstacles which stand in the way of what you want. The wide scope of St. Raphael's activity in the affair of salvation may be seen from young Tobias' grateful acknowledgement of all the Archangel did for him and his family: "He it was that escorted me safely, going and coming; recovered the debt from Gabelus; won my bride; rid her of the evil spirit's attack, engaged the gratitude of her parents; rescued me from the fish; and restored to you the light of day. Through him, we have been blessed with great benefits. Is it possible to make any return for all these?" And we should add to this list of benefits a very important one which the Archangel mentioned to the elder Tobias: "When you, Tobias, were praying, and with tears... I, all the while, was offering that prayer of yours to the Lord." Turn with increasing confidence to your heavenly Guide as you walk with him on your journey through life, and beg him to supply your known wants and, above all, those of which you are ignorant. Your need will be supplied in a most unexpected manner. In the end he will never disappoint your trust. St. Raphael is the patron of those who travel, and with even more Divine approval than even dear St. Christopher. With accidents in travelling as numerous as they are, one feels safer after calling for the aid of the Angel whom God chose to guide Tobias on his perilous journey. The Church has long sanctioned the practice of praying to St. Raphael before setting out on a trip. If you choose Raphael as your Angel Guide and obey him as young Tobias did, he will set the eyes of your soul on the Heavenly City toward which he is guiding you. Walk with St. Raphael who directs your steadfast gaze ever toward Him Who is the Light, the Soul of your soul. The Sacred Humanity of Christ, symbolized by the fish whose gall gave vision to old Tobias, will then become your Light, as well as your Healing from sin. As Angel of the Last Anointing, Raphael will be with you to assist your soul as it makes the final journey from Time to Eternity. If during your sojourn here on earth he has been most solicitous for your welfare, who can tell the power and goodness which you will experience as you are about to journey toward God, to Whom you have waited for a lifetime to be united, but Who on His part has

9 waited for you from eternity? It will be St. Raphael's hour of triumph. He will then receive the wages for his efforts, if he can bring you secure at last before the Face of Him on Whom the Angels desire to gaze. PART III: VARIOUS PRAYERS Prayer for Purity Saint Raphael, Patron Angel of Youth, I beg thee to plead with God for me that I may always keep my life pure and holy. As thou didst guard the young Tobias from dangers of soul and body on his journey to a strange land, protect me from the many dangers that confront me in my life. Strengthen me in my struggle against the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the Devil. I pray and beg thee, glorious Saint Raphael, to be my Patron Angel of purity. By thy great love for Jesus, the King of the Angels, and for Mary, the Immaculate Queen of the Angels, keep me from all uncleaness, and grant that my mind may be untainted, my heart pure, and my body chaste. May I receive the "Bread of Angels" in Holy Communion frequently, that It may be an effective remedy and protection against the temptations that press round about me, and seal my heart forever against the suggestions of sinful pleasures. Help me always to serve Jesus and Mary in perfect chastity, so that one day I may merit to belong to those of whom Jesus spoke: "Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God." Amen. Prayer for the Wise Choice of a Marriage-Partner Glorious Saint Raphael, patron and lover of the young, I feel the need of calling to thee and of pleading for thy help. In all confidence I open my heart to thee to beg thy guidance and assistance in the important task of planning my future. Obtain for me through thy intercession the light of God's grace so that I may decide wisely concerning the person who is to be my partner through life. Angel of Happy Meetings, lead us by the hand to find each other. May all our movements be guided by thy light and transfigured by your joy. As thou didst lead the young Tobias to Sara, and opened up a new life of happiness with her in holy marriage, lead me to such a one whom in thine angelic wisdom thou judgest best suited to be united with me in marriage. Saint Raphael, loving Patron of those seeking a marriage partner, help me in this important decision of my life. Find for me as a help-mate in life the person whose character may reflect the traits of Jesus and Mary. May he (she) be upright, loyal, pure, sincere and noble, so that with united efforts and with chaste and unselfish love, we both may strive to perfect ourselves in soul and body, as well as the children it may please God to entrust to our care. Saint Raphael, Angel of chaste courtship, bless our friendship and our love, that sin may have no part in it. May our mutual love bind us so closely that our future home may ever be most like the home of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Offer your prayers to God for the both of us and obtain the blessing of God upon our marriage, as thou wast the herald of blessing for the marriage of Tobias and Sara.

10 Saint Raphael, Friend of the young, be thou my Friend, for I shall always be thine. I desire ever to invoke thee in all my needs. To thy special care I entrust the decision I am to make as to my future husband (wife). Direct me to the person with whom I can best cooperate in doing God's Holy Will, with whom I can live in peace, love, and harmony in this life, and attain to eternal joy in the next. Amen.