By Father Fred Edlefsen

Monday is the Solemnity of the Archangels. First, a good word about angels in general. St. Thomas Aquinas said that every angel is its own “species.” No two angels operate in the same way. Angels are pure spirit and intuitive. Like humans, they administer God’s Providence. They also learn from the Church: “Through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…” (Ephesians 3: 10-11).

Archangels and Guardian Angels often cooperate with the Holy Spirit, prompting us to make good choices and navigate life. Jesus identified angels with a child’s innocence and docility: "Their angels… always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

I would like to focus on Raphael because of his role in life’s everyday issues and problems. “Raphael” means “God’s Remedy.” He heals – physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. He resolves things. He gently inspires trust in God, even when all seems lost. He brings us inner peace and serenity, even when we feel anxiety, sadness, or confusion. He guides us through life’s most difficult tangles. Some say that Raphael was Christ’s personal Guardian Angel. “An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him” (Luke 22:43). He’s the patron of youth, family life, and matchmaking. I say he is the patron saint of “making things turn out well.” The Old Testament novella, The Book of Tobit, reveals Raphael to us.

Mary was close to the Archangels. Gabriel announced that she would virginally conceive the Christ. Michael protects Mary and her supernatural offspring in the Church (see Revelation 12). In the popular novena to “Our Lady Undoer of Knots,” Raphael guides us, like Tobias, through Mary’s intercession. This is illustrated in a painting that has hung in St. Peter’s church in Augsburg, Germany since 1700. Mary is depicted as the “Woman of the Apocalypse.” Beneath the moon, upon which Mary stands, the earth is in darkness. Raphael leads Tobias to his future bride’s home – and his future home – in Ecbatana. Though Tobias thinks his guide is a helpful young man, it is in fact the Archangel Raphael steering him through the impasses of despair to a bright wedding feast. It heals his family. Many misfortunes are resolved. Tobias’ joy foreshadows Heaven.