God's Heavenly Messengers, the Archangels

September 29th is the Feast of the Holy Archangels, which celebrates Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. These are familiar names to us as Catholics, but what do we know about them, and angels more generally? Keep reading to learn what the Church teaches us!

What are angels, and who are the archangels?

The Catholic Church definitively teaches that angels exist. They are non-corporeal beings, meaning they don't have a body; they are pure spirit. They were created before the physical universe, and were given the free will to irrevocably either follow God or reject Him. Some angels chose to reject Him—the fallen angels, led by Lucifer. Revelation tells us about the great war between the angels, where Michael and the good angels defeated the fallen angels, casting them out of heaven. 

Here's what the catechism has to say about angels: 

“The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls “angels” is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition. St. Augustine says: “‘Angel’ is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel’: from what they are, ‘spirit’, from what they do, ‘angel.'” With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they “always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven” they are the “mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word”. As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.” –CCC 328-330

Angels are grouped into nine different classes, called choirs. These choirs are grouped once more into three hierarchies based on their spiritual proximity to God. The first hierarchy includes the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones; the second includes the Dominions, Virtues and Powers; the third includes the Principalities, Archangels and Angels.  This third hierarchy is the closest to mankind, and so God has commanded them to watch over the human race and act as messengers when need be. The Principalities watch over kingdoms and nations. The Archangels are God's special messengers, who deliver important revelations. The Angels are the spiritual beings assigned to each human person as a Guardian Angel, guiding them spiritually through their earthly life. To read more about the hierarchy and their abilities, click here.

The three Archangels recognized by the Church, and the three that we celebrate on September 29th, are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

But wait, aren't there 7 archangels?

Based on Tobit 12:15 and Rev. 8:2, Scripture seems to imply that there are seven Archangels; however, because only three are directly named, those are the only three the Roman Church allows us to venerate. The Eastern Catholic churches name the other four as Uriel, Selaphiel, Jegudiel, and Barachiel.  

Tell me more about St. Michael.

St. Michael is one of the most powerful saints (a term that can be used for humans and angels alike) in Catholic tradition. He is mentioned by name multiple times throughout Scripture, often as a warrior or defender (such as when he cast Satan out of heaven). It is therefore only fitting that he is often invoked for help in spiritual warfare and is the patron saint of soldiers, police officers, and anyone charged with defending life. His title is “prince of the heavenly host” and tradition teaches that he has four main roles: Defender of the Church, Leader of the Heavenly Army, Weigher of Souls (assisting Jesus at the Final Judgement), and Angel of Death (protecting souls at the hour of death). 

St. Michael is most often depicted in art wielding a sword and crushing the head of Satan with his foot. One of the most beloved prayers in Catholic tradition, the St. Michael prayer is often said at the close of Mass:

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Check out our wide array of St. Michael gifts here.

Tell me more about St. Gabriel.

St. Gabriel is God's messenger Archangel; his appearances in Scripture are important moments of revelation. In some of these instances, he is named specifically (as in in the Annunciation, when he appeared to Mary to foretell the birth of Jesus), and in others, he is often thought to be the unnamed angel mentioned as the messenger (as in the appearance to to Zachariah to announce the birth of St. John the Baptist). Therefore, St. Gabriel is the patron saint of messengers, telecommunication workers, and postal workers. Tradition also holds that St. Gabriel was the angel present at the Garden of Gethsemane to provide strength and comfort to the grieving Jesus. 

The name Gabriel means "hero of God," and in art, St. Gabriel is often depicted with a lily, as a reference to the Annunciation and Mary's purity, and a staff or trumpet, to symbolize his authority as God's messenger. 

Check out our St. Gabriel gifts here.

Tell me more about St. Raphael.

St. Raphael is named only once in Scripture, in the Old Testament Book of Tobit. Here, he leads Tobias into a happy marriage with a grieving woman named Sarah, rids Sarah of a demon, and heals Tobit's (Tobias's father) blindness. Fittingly, the name Raphael means "God heals," and he is commonly associated with healing powers. He is named as the angel who heals the earth after the fallen angels defile it in the Book of Enoch (an apocryphal book that is not considered inspired scripture), and is thought to be the angel who stirs the healing waters at the pool of Bethsaida in John 5. He is appropriately the patron saint of healing and medical workers, as well as travelers.  He is often depicted holding a fish, a reference to his role in Tobit's healing (as he instructs Tobias to use the gall of a fish to heal Tobit's blindness).

Check out our St. Raphael gifts here.

Is Michaelmas the same as the Feast of the Holy Archangels?

In the traditional calendar, September 29th is only the feast day for St. Michael; St. Gabriel and St. Raphael were honored respectively on March 24th and October 24th. St. Michael's feast, also called Michaelmas, was widely celebrated in the Catholic world, especially during the Middle Ages; it was even a Holy Day of Obligation until the 18th century. Michaelmas follows the ember days of autumn, which required certain fasting; because Michaelmas ended this fasting and also coincided with the autumnal harvest, Michaelmas tended to be a celebration of both St. Michael as well as the bounty of God's creation. 

The liturgical changes post-Vatican II consolidated the feasts of the three Archangels to all be celebrated on September 29th, but it's still perfectly acceptable to recognize and celebrate Michaelmas! To read a little bit more about the feast, click here.

Make sure to send up a prayer to our heavenly protectors, the Archangels, on September 29th!