NV-St Raphael Archangel

NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
Feast Day October 24th

What is a Novena?
A novena is a traditional devotion consisting of specific prayers recited on nine successive days. Besides being a form of praise, a novena is frequently offered for a particular intention. The first novena took place in the Cenacle, during the nine days preceding Pentecost, or the coming of the Holy Ghost. As a regular popular custom, this practice began in 12th century Christianity and continues to be beneficial today as a way of praying for healing, protection or other blessings for ourselves or others.

This particular novena is prayed to God in honor of and thanksgiving for the role St. Raphael the Archangel plays in our welfare and redemption. In praying this Novena, as in the case of all prayer, it is good to begin by opening ourselves wholeheartedly to God's will, offering a simple act of trust in God's wisdom and in His providential love for us all, that disposes all things for the ultimate benefit of our souls and their salvation, especially through His use of His angels.

How to Pray This Novena
This novena is based on the teaching of the Church on St. Raphael the Archangel, including accounts of various apparitions of St. Raphael and the help he has given to both Church and the faithful. Each day of the novena is divided into the following parts: (1) a passage from the Book of Tobias which deals with St. Raphael’s intervention and help in the life of Tobias; (2) a look at some aspect of teaching on St. Raphael; (3) an short meditation on St. Raphael; (4) Prayers to St. Raphael; (5) after mentioning your intention, pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary; (6) a Closing Prayer.

LITANY IN HONOR OF
ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, pray for us.
St. Raphael, perfect adorer of the Divine Word, pray for us.
St. Raphael, terror of demons, pray for us.
St. Raphael, scourge of demons, pray for us.
St. Raphael, filled with zeal for the salvation of souls, pray for us.
St. Raphael, our advocate, pray for us.
St. Raphael, filled with the mercy of God, pray for us.
St. Raphael, exterminator of vices, pray for us.
St. Raphael, whom the Scriptures praise: “Raphael, the holy angel of the Lord, was sent to cure,” pray for us.
St. Raphael, endowed with the grace of healing, pray for us.
St. Raphael, whose name means “Medicine of God,” pray for us.
St. Raphael, health of the sick, pray for us.
St. Raphael, our refuge in all our trials, pray for us.
St. Raphael, sure guide in the paths of virtue and sanctification, pray for us.
St. Raphael, guide of travelers, pray for us.
St. Raphael, who wert the guide and consolation of Tobias on his journey, pray for us.
St. Raphael, help of all those who implore thy assistance, pray for us.
St. Raphael, in pest, famine and war, pray for us.
St. Raphael, angel of peace and prosperity, pray for us.
St. Raphael, joy of the sorrowful, pray for us.
St. Raphael, consoler of prisoners, pray for us.
St. Raphael, lover of chastity, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, St. Raphael, to the Lord Our God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus Christ, by the prayer of the Archangel Raphael, grant us the grace to avoid all sin and to persevere in every good work until we reach our heavenly country, Thou who livest and reignest world without end. R. Amen.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)

Theme: The Guide Sent by God

Scripture Reading:

The name of this archangel―Raphael―does not appear in the Hebrew Scriptures, and in the Septuagint but only in the Book of Tobias. There he first appears disguised in human form as the traveling companion of the younger Tobias (or Tobias Jr.)―the son of the older Tobias (or Tobias Sr.). The archangel calls himself “Azarias the son of the great Ananias”. The story of the adventurous journey during which the protective influence of the angel is shown in many ways including the binding “in the desert of upper Egypt” of the demon who had previously slain seven husbands of Sara, daughter of Raguel, is picturesquely related in chapters 5 to 11 of the Book of Tobias―which will form part of the Scripture readings for this novena.

“Tobias the Elder spoke to Tobias his son, saying: ‘I tell thee also, my son, that I lent ten talents of silver, while thou wast yet a child, to Gabelus, in Rages a city of the Medes, and I have a note of his hand with me. Now therefore inquire how thou mayest go to him, and receive of him the aforesaid sum of money, and restore to him the note of his hand!’
“Then Tobias answered his father, and said: ‘I will do all things, father, which thou hast commanded me. But how I shall get this money, I cannot tell! He knoweth me not, and I know not him! What token shall I give him? Nor did I ever know the way which leads there!’
“Then his father answered him, and said: ‘I have a note of his hand with me, which, when thou shalt show him, he will presently pay it. But go now, and seek thee out some faithful man, to go with thee for his hire, so that thou mayest receive it, while I yet live!’
“Then Tobias going forth, found a beautiful young man, standing girded, and as it were ready to walk. And not knowing that he was an angel of God, he saluted him, and said: ‘From whence art thou, good young man?’
“But he answered: ‘Of the children of Israel!’
“And Tobias said to him: ‘Knowest thou the way that leads to the country of the Medes?’
“And he answered: ‘I know it―and I have often walked through all the ways thereof, and I have abode with Gabelus our brother, who dwelleth at Rages a city of the Medes, which is situate in the mount of Ecbatana!’
“And Tobias said to him: ‘Stay for me, I beseech thee, till I tell these same things to my father!’
“Then Tobias going in told all these things to his father. Upon which his father being in admiration, desired that he would come in unto him.
“So going in he saluted him, and said: ‘Joy be to thee always!’
“And Tobias said: ‘What manner of joy shall be to me, who sit in darkness, and see not the light of Heaven?’ [He refers to his having been struck blind].
“And the young man [Raphael the Archangel] said to Tobias the Elder: ‘Be of good courage! Thy cure from God is at hand!’
“And Tobias the Elder said to him: ‘Canst thou conduct my son to Gabelus at Rages, a city of the Medes? And when thou shalt return, I will pay thee thy hire!’
“And the angel said to him: ‘I will conduct him thither, and bring him back to thee!’
“And Tobias said to him: ‘I pray thee, tell me, of what family, or what tribe art thou?’
“And Raphael the angel answered: ‘Dost thou seek the family of him thou hirest, or the hired servant himself to go with thy son? But lest I should make thee uneasy, I am Azarias, the son of the great Ananias!’ [Azarias, in Hebrew, signifies the help of God, and Ananias the grace of God].
“And Tobias answered: ‘Thou art of a great family! But I pray thee be not angry that I desired to know thy family!’
“And the angel said to him: ‘I will lead thy son safe, and bring him to thee again safe!’
“And Tobias answering, said: ‘May you have a good journey, and God be with you in your way, and his angel accompany you!’
Then all things being ready, that were to be carried in their journey, Tobias bade his father and his mother farewell, and they set out both together” (Tobias 4:22-23; 5:1-21).

Spiritual Reading:

The old, charitable, and pious man Tobias is blind and feels that his days are numbered. He gives his young son Tobias some godly admonitions and tells him of some money he had lent to Gabelus of the city of Rages in Media, many years back, for which he had a regular note with Gabelus’ signature. He wants his son to go and collect that money, but he first wants him to find a man to accompany him on the long journey: “Go now and seek thee out some faithful man, to go with thee for his hire, that thou may receive it, while I yet live.”

While this was going on in Tobias’ home, Heaven was listening in and preparing the companion, the “faithful man” young Tobias was looking for. The Lord gave the Archangel Raphael the command to appear as a young man named Azarias, to accompany young Tobias to the land of the Medes, and to bring peace and happiness to two God-fearing but very unhappy families.

As the young man stepped out of his house in search of a companion, one morning, the Archangel Raphael was there as if waiting for him, in the disguise of “a beautiful young man.” “And not knowing that he was an Angel of God, he saluted him, and said: ‘From whence art thou, good young man?’ But he answered: ‘Of the children of Israel.’” In a very short time the Archangel informed young Tobias that he knew the road to Gabelus, and knew Gabelus himself, having spent some time there; he knew all that country very well. Tobias could hardly believe in such a happy coincidence. Immediately he took his new friend and companion and returned to his blind father. The Angel who well knew the purpose of his mission, implicitly announced it in his words of greeting directed to the blind old man, when he said: “Joy be to thee always!”

Not knowing who was he who wished him joy, old Tobias replied: “What manner of joy shall be to me, who sit in darkness, and see not the light of heaven.” Here the Archangel Raphael became more explicit, making both a promise and a prophecy: “Be of good courage, thy are from God [God heals, was Raphael’s own name] is at hand.” He could not say more without engendering suspicion and betraying his own identity.

Old Tobias regarded those kind words as an expression of good will and paid no particular attention to them; he had heard such expressions so often in the past. His interest is now in the voyage of his son, and he wants to know in whose hands he is committing the life of his only child and part of his own fortune. Upon hearing that the young guide is no less than Azarias, the son of the great Ananias, he remarks: “Thou art of a great family.”

Old Tobias, like his kinsman Gabelus, later on in this story, expresses his belief in the protection and guidance of guardian Angels. Not knowing that an Archangel is actually accompanying his son, he says: “May you have a good journey, and God be with you on your way, and his Angel accompany you.” Had this circumstance been known to him, both he and his wife would have been spared all the worry and the sleepless nights during the long absence of their son. One thought, however, sustained the mind of old Tobias during his waiting: “Our son is safe: that man with whom we sent him is very trustworthy.”

How carefree, and how joyful must have been that journey for young Tobias. To travel in the happy company of an Angel! He knew the road so well. He was never in doubt about anybody or anything they met on the road; always cheerful, never tired or sleepy; so sweet and kind in his conversation, yet always full of respect and attention. He was deeply spiritual and profoundly devout in his prayers, pure in all his words and actions. How true and inspired were the words of old Tobias when, comforting his weeping wife, he said to her: “I believe that the good Angel of God doth accompany him, and doth order all things well that are about him, so that he shall return to us with joy.”

Meditation:

The name Raphael means “God has healed” Raphael is well worth our while getting to know―since he is the patron saint of the blind, healing of bodily ills, nurses, physicians, medical workers, happy meetings, matchmakers, finding one’s future spouse, Christian marriage, and Catholic studies. St. Raphael’s life is revealed in the Book of Tobias. He is “One of the Seven who stand before the Lord” (12:15), and is one of the three Archangels mentioned in Holy Scripture and honored by the Church. The other two are St. Gabriel and St. Michael.

The story recounted in the Book of Tobias takes place during the time of the revolt of the Machabees. Tobias, the boy’s father, is a generous man who gives of himself to alleviate the suffering of his fellow Jews during the period of the deportation in Assyria. He shares his goods with the poor, gives alms prodigally, and punctually pays tithes on the income he receives from his land and his cattle. His piety goes so far as to lead him to bury the abandoned dead. In the twists and turns of life, Tobias loses all that he has, including – following an act of charity – his sight.

You would think that God would have treated Tobias more kindly in view of all the good that Tobias had done! Yet God’s ways are not our ways and our ways are not God’s ways: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are exalted above the Earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts!” (Isaias 55:8-9). God is always trying to bring a greater good out of all the evil that He permits to come our way, or the evil we inflict upon ourselves through sin.

The tragedy that Tobias is forced to undergo―by being blinded by bird-dung falling into his eyes while he sleeping―is merely a platform for a far greater good that God is preparing for him! Do we see the evils of this life as being potential “clouds with a silver lining”? Or do we curse our rotten luck when things go badly for us?

Prayer:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Glorious Archangel St. Raphael! Great prince of the heavenly court! You are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the trials and sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias in all the dangers during his travels.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe and cure our pain. Since thou art the “physician” of God, and because you are the “medicine of God,” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. Heal and console the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. I especially ask of you the favor and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to direct thy Holy Archangel Raphael to our help, and may he, whom we believe to be ever in attendance on Thy majesty, present our poor prayers to thee for Thy blessing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Be my safeguard in danger! Be my health in sickness! Be my guide in uncertainty, doubt and darkness!

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PRAYERS TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL:

Prayer to St. Raphael

O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.

Prayer for Safe Travel

The following prayer is an adaptation of the itinerarium―the prayer said by clerics to invoke God’s protection before beginning a journey. The faithful who are about to travel may use this form to pray for God’s blessing on their journeys.

Along the ways of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us, and may the Angel Raphael accompany us on the journey. So may we in peace, health, and joy return unto our own.

Let us Pray: O God, who didst lead the sons of Israel through the sea over a dry path, and didst reveal the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; vouchsafe to grant us a happy journey and a peaceful time, that accompanied by Thy angel we may safely reach our present destination, and come finally to the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, who didst lead Thy servant, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans, safeguarding him on all his wanderings―guide us Thy servants, we implore Thee. Be Thou unto us support in battle, refuge in journeying, shade in the heat, covering in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, protection in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a harbor in shipwreck; so that under Thy leadership we may successfully reach our destination, and finally return safe to our homes.

Give ear, we pray Thee, Lord, to our entreaties! And direct the steps of Thy servants on the paths of righteousness, that in all the vicissitudes of the journey and of life, we may have Thee as our constant protector.

Grant, O almighty God, that Thy children march forth on a successful journey; and heeding the exhortation of Blessed John, the Precursor, let them come safely to Him whom John foretold, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Christe, Sanctorum

Christ, of the Angels praise and adoration.
Father and Savior Thou, of every nation,
Graciously grant us all to gain a station,
Where thou art reigning.

Angel Physician, health on man bestowing,
Raphael send us from the skies all glowing,
All sickness curing, wisest counsel showing
In doubt and danger.

May the fair Mother of Light be o’er us,
Virgin of peace, with all the Angel Chorus,
And may the heavenly army go before us,
Guiding and guarding.

O May the Godhead, endless bliss possessing;
Father, Son, Spirit, grant to us this blessing;
All his creation joins his praise confessing,
Now and forever. Amen.

SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR DAY TWO OF THE NOVENA

LITANY IN HONOR OF
ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)

Theme: The Medicinal Angel of God

Scripture Reading:
“And Tobias went forward, and the dog followed him, and he lodged the first night by the river of Tigris. And he went out to wash his feet, and behold a monstrous fish came up to devour him. And Tobias being afraid of him, cried out with a loud voice, saying: ‘Sir, he cometh upon me!’ And the angel said to him: ‘Take him by the gill, and draw him to thee!’ And when he had done so, he drew him out upon the land, and he began to pant before his feet. Then the angel said to him: ‘Take out the entrails of the fish, and lay up his heart, and his gall, and his liver for thee―for these are necessary for useful medicines!’ And when he had done so, he roasted the flesh thereof, and they took it with them in the way―the rest they salted as much as might serve them, till they came to Rages the city of the Medes. Then Tobias asked the angel, and said to him: ‘I beseech thee, brother Azarias―tell me what remedies are these things good for, which thou hast bid me keep of the fish?’ And the angel, answering, said to him: ‘If thou put a little piece of its heart upon coals, the smoke thereof driveth away all kind of devils, either from man or from woman, so that they come no more to them. And the gall is good for anointing the eyes, in which there is a white speck, and they shall be cured!’” (Tobias 6:1-9).

Spiritual Reading:
Many commentators, however, identify Raphael with the “angel of the Lord” mentioned in John 5. This conjecture is based both on the significance of the name and on the healing role attributed to Raphael in the Book of Tobias. The Epistle of the Mass for St. Raphael is taken from the twelfth chapter of Tobias, and the Gospel from John 5:1-4, 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 descended at certain times into the pond; and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under.”

Thus the conjecture of the commentators, that Raphael was the “curing” angel in chapter 5 of St. John, is confirmed by the official Liturgy of the Church, whereby the hymns of the Divine Office recall the healing power of the archangel and his victory over the demon. The lessons of the first Nocturn of Matins for the feast of St. Raphael and the Antiphons of the entire Office, are taken from the Book of Tobias, and the lessons of the second and third Nocturns of Matins for the feast of St. Raphael are taken from the works of St. Augustine, namely, for the second Nocturn a sermon on Tobias (sermon 1 on the fifteenth Sunday), and for the third Nocturn of Matins, a homily on the opening verse of John 5.

The sacred text remarks that when young Tobias started on his journey with his Angel companion, his pet dog followed him all the way to the East. Tobias was one of the thousands of Israelites living in the Babylonian captivity. Some of them had settled down in neighboring provinces, such as Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Media. It was exactly in this last province of Media that Tobias’ kinsman Raguel lived with his family. This was not really the goal of his trip to the East, but it was here that God and His Angel wanted him to go; whereas his father had sent him to collect his money from Gabelus in the city of Rages in the mountains of Ecbatana, in Media. The Angel by diverting his trip accomplished more fully his mission, bringing unexpected joy and happiness to three families.

Having left his home town, the great city of Ninive, that morning, Tobias and his guide reached the river Tigris just before dark. They decided to spend that night by the bank of the Tigris. Here the Archangel Raphael began to reveal medical knowledge and experience. At the same time he provided food for that evening and for the rest of the journey. Weary of walking all day, young Tobias went to wash his feet in the cool water of the river before retiring.

Here the sight of a monstrous fish that seemed to be coming up to devour him, frightened him exceedingly and made him cry for help: “Sir, he cometh upon me!” The Angelic guide, without coming to his rescue, instructed him on what to do, both giving him directions and inspiring him with confidence. At the end of the first day young Tobias had not yet acquired familiarity with his guide, so he calls him, Sir. Later he will call him brother.

When the monstrous fish had been successfully drawn out of the river, it was cut open, roasted, and salted. “Take out the entrails of this fish,” ordered the Angel, “and lay up his heart, and his gall, and his liver for thee, for these are necessary for useful medicines.” These, no doubt, may have seemed strange medicines to young Tobias and he wanted to know when and how to use them. Here he begins to show more confidence and affection for the heavenly guide: “I beseech thee, brother Azarias, tell me what remedies are these things good for, which thou hast bid me keep of the fish.” The Angel explains the medical virtue of those parts of the fish. More practical details are imparted as the proper time for their use approaches. The liver of the fish was needed as a material ingredient for an exorcism in order to free Tobias’ future wife Sara from the evil influence of the devil; the gall was to be used for the cure of the blindness of old Tobias.

Meditation:
Sickness is an evil. What do we mean by “evil”? In philosophy, the term “evil” is defined as “the absence of a good, or a quality, or a perfection that is due to something.” Health is a good, or a quality, or a perfection that should normally be found in us―if health is absent, that is an “evil”; an absence of something that should be there, but is not there.

Taking this thought a step further, we can say that the “evil” of sickness or lack of health is the result of another “evil”, which is the lack of goodness, or grace or virtue―or, in even simpler terms, it is the result of sin. That was the ruling from the very beginning of the human race, when God told Adam and Eve that as long they did not sin against God’s command of not eating the forbidden fruit, then all would go well for them―but, if they disobeyed God and sinned, then they would have to die―and people usually die of some kind of sickness. Therefore, you could say that sickness of the soul (sinfulness of the soul) causes sickness in the body by way of a just punishment from God’s Providence.

We also see this idea repeated by God in the Book of Leviticus: “If you walk in My precepts, and keep My commandments, and do them, then I will give you rain in due seasons. And the ground shall bring forth its increase, and the trees shall be filled with fruit. The threshing of your harvest shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land without fear. I will give peace in your coasts―you shall sleep, and there shall be none to make you afraid. I will take away evil beasts: and the sword shall not pass through your quarters. You shall pursue your enemies, and they shall fall before you. Five of yours shall pursue a hundred others, and a hundred of you ten thousand: your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. I will look on you, and make you increase: you shall be multiplied, and I will establish My covenant with you. You shall eat the oldest of the old store, and, new coming on, you shall cast away the old. I will set My tabernacle in the midst of you, and My soul shall not cast you off. I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be My people” (Leviticus 26:3-13).

“But if you will not hear Me, nor do all My commandments, if you despise My laws, and contemn My judgments so as not to do those things which are appointed by Me, and to make void My covenant, then …” (Leviticus 26:14-15) … then, for not “paying the price”, God says:

“I will quickly visit you with poverty, and burning heat, which shall waste your eyes, and consume your lives. You shall sow your seed in vain, which shall be devoured by your enemies. I will set My face against you, and you shall fall down before your enemies, and shall be made subject to them that hate you, you shall flee when no man pursueth you. I will break the pride of your stubbornness, and I will make to you the Heaven above as iron, and the Earth as brass! Your labor shall be spent in vain, the ground shall not bring forth her increase, nor the trees yield their fruit. I will bring seven times more plagues upon you for your sins! And I will send in upon you the beasts of the held, to destroy you and your cattle, and make you few in number, and that your highways may be desolate. And I will bring in upon you the sword that shall avenge My covenant. And when you shall flee into the cities, I will send the pestilence in the midst of you, and you shall be delivered into the hands of your enemies! I will destroy and break your idols. You shall fall among the ruins of your idols, and My soul shall abhor you. I will bring your cities to be a wilderness, and I will make your sanctuaries desolate, and will receive no more your sweet odors. And I will destroy your land, and your enemies shall be astonished at it, when they shall be the inhabitants thereof. And I will scatter you among the Gentiles, and I will draw out the sword after you, and your land shall be desert, and your cities destroyed. You shall perish among the Gentiles, and an enemy’s land shall consume you. And if of them also some remain, they shall pine away in their iniquities, in the land of their enemies, and they shall be afflicted for the sins of their fathers, and their own―until they confess their iniquities and the iniquities of their ancestors, whereby they have transgressed Me, and walked contrary unto Me. Therefore I also will walk them, and bring them into their enemies’ land until their uncircumcised mind be ashamed: then shall they pray for their sins!” (Leviticus 26:16-41).

Prayer:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Glorious Archangel St. Raphael! Great prince of the heavenly court! You are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the trials and sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias in all the dangers during his travels.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe and cure our pain. Since thou art the “physician” of God, and because you are the “medicine of God,” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. Heal and console the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. I especially ask of you the favor and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to direct thy Holy Archangel Raphael to our help, and may he, whom we believe to be ever in attendance on Thy majesty, present our poor prayers to thee for Thy blessing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Be my safeguard in danger! Be my health in sickness! Be my guide in uncertainty, doubt and darkness!

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PRAYERS TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL:

Prayer to St. Raphael

O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.

Prayer for Safe Travel

The following prayer is an adaptation of the itinerarium―the prayer said by clerics to invoke God’s protection before beginning a journey. The faithful who are about to travel may use this form to pray for God’s blessing on their journeys.

Along the ways of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us, and may the Angel Raphael accompany us on the journey. So may we in peace, health, and joy return unto our own.

Let us Pray: O God, who didst lead the sons of Israel through the sea over a dry path, and didst reveal the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; vouchsafe to grant us a happy journey and a peaceful time, that accompanied by Thy angel we may safely reach our present destination, and come finally to the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, who didst lead Thy servant, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans, safeguarding him on all his wanderings―guide us Thy servants, we implore Thee. Be Thou unto us support in battle, refuge in journeying, shade in the heat, covering in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, protection in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a harbor in shipwreck; so that under Thy leadership we may successfully reach our destination, and finally return safe to our homes.

Give ear, we pray Thee, Lord, to our entreaties! And direct the steps of Thy servants on the paths of righteousness, that in all the vicissitudes of the journey and of life, we may have Thee as our constant protector.

Grant, O almighty God, that Thy children march forth on a successful journey; and heeding the exhortation of Blessed John, the Precursor, let them come safely to Him whom John foretold, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Christe, Sanctorum

Christ, of the Angels praise and adoration.
Father and Savior Thou, of every nation,
Graciously grant us all to gain a station,
Where thou art reigning.

Angel Physician, health on man bestowing,
Raphael send us from the skies all glowing,
All sickness curing, wisest counsel showing
In doubt and danger.

May the fair Mother of Light be o’er us,
Virgin of peace, with all the Angel Chorus,
And may the heavenly army go before us,
Guiding and guarding.

O May the Godhead, endless bliss possessing;
Father, Son, Spirit, grant to us this blessing;
All his creation joins his praise confessing,
Now and forever. Amen.

SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR DAY THREE OF THE NOVENA

LITANY IN HONOR OF
ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)

Theme: The Wise Counselor and Guide

Scripture Reading:

And Tobias said to Raphael: “Where wilt thou that we lodge?”

And the angel answering, said: “Here is one whose name is Raguel, a near kinsman of thy tribe, and he hath a daughter named Sara, but he hath no son, nor any other daughter, besides her. All his substance is due to thee, and thou must take her to wife. Ask her therefore of her father, and he will give her thee to wife!”

Then Tobias answered, and said: “I hear that she hath been given to seven husbands, and they all died: moreover I have heard, that a devil killed them. Now I am afraid, lest the same thing should happen to me also: and whereas I am the only child of my parents, I should bring down their old age with sorrow to Hell!”

Then the angel Raphael said to Tobias: “Hear me, and I will show thee who they are, over whom the devil can prevail! For they who receive matrimony in such manner as to shut out God from themselves and from their mind, and to give themselves to their lust, just as the horse and mule, which have not understanding―over them the devil hath power. But thou when thou shalt take her, go into the chamber, and for three days keep thyself continent from her, and give thyself to nothing else but to prayers with her. And on that night lay the liver of the fish on the fire, and the devil shall be driven away. But the second night thou shalt be admitted into the society of the holy Patriarchs. And the third night thou shalt obtain a blessing that sound children may be born of you. And when the third night is past, thou shalt take the virgin with the fear of the Lord, moved rather for love of children, than moved by lust, so that in the seed of Abraham thou gayest obtain a blessing in children!” (Tobias 6:10-22).

Spiritual Reading:

As night was falling, at the end of another day of their long journey, young Tobias turning to his guide asked him the customary question: “Where wilt thou that we lodge?” Here begins the first part of Raphael’s mission. He must induce young Tobias to marry Sara, Raguel’s daughter, and at the same time deliver her from all diabolical influence and vexation.

Tobias and Raphael took lodgings in the house of Raguel, who was of the same tribe as Tobias and who had an only daughter, named Sara, whom Raphael advised Tobias to take for his wife. This was a very delicate matter, for sinister rumors about this young lady, as being the cause of death to seven husbands had reached Ninive and young Tobias himself knew all about her and was deathly afraid of associating with her. Therefore Tobias feared to do this, because he had heard that Sara had already been given in marriage to previous seven husbands. “I hear,” answered Tobias, “that she hath been given to seven husbands, and they all died; moreover I have heard, that a devil killed them.” Raphael, however, said: “Hear me, and I will tell thee who they are, over whom the devil can prevail. It is they who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from their heart and mind.”

Nevertheless, upon arriving, Tobias obediently asks for the hand of Sara in Holy Matrimony. The parents consent to give up their beautiful daughter, who has suffered so much for having lost her previous seven prospect husbands. However, before retiring that night and consummating the marriage, both Sara and Tobias burn some of the gall of the fish—to ward away the evil spirits. But even more importantly, they both pray that God will protect them and bless their marriage. This being done in the name of God, the two are united in holy matrimony and the evil spirits take flight. Most likely, the other prospects died because they sought her for lustful motives rather than noble motives of pure love. A great message today for our youth! Thanks be to God and thanks be to the intercession of the Archangel Raphael, “God Heals”, Sara’s problem was brought to a successful conclusion.

Tobias exactly followed the directions of his holy companion, and remained unharmed. From how many evils would persons about to be married be saved if they had first received and followed suitable instructions from their pastors who, in regard to them, take the place of Raphael, advising them what they should do in order to enter the state of holy matrimony properly prepared. They should purify their heart by a good general confession and be married, not like heathens in the darkness of night, but at Holy Mass receiving the blessing of the priest at the altar.

After marriage they should live as becomes the marriage state, faithfully fulfilling the admonition of St. Paul, sanctifying each other and taking care that their children shall become without delay children of God through baptism. Indeed how much displeased must be the guardian Angels of new-born children at seeing them, through the neglect of their parents to have them baptized in time, left in the power of the devil, in Original Sin and in danger of eternal perdition.

Consider what the holy Angel says of those who commit sin: “They are enemies to their own souls,” which, after God, they should hold most dear. The sinner himself does more harm to his own soul, than all men, and all demons can do: and because he is an enemy to his own soul, he is also an enemy to his own body: for when the soul is lost, whither can the body go? Certainly, not to Heaven, but to Hell.

Young Tobias listened intently to his heavenly guide and later carried out his instructions most faithfully, first repeating them to his bride: “We are the children of the saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens that know not God.”

Meditation:

No more useful lesson can be given to you than the above lesson which St. Raphael has given. Read carefully the first instructions that young Tobias received, and learn from them how, and to what purpose, men ought to enter matrimony, and what they ought to avoid. The instructions on marital union given by the Archangel Raphael to young Tobias on this occasion remain an ideal of moral perfection for married couples for all time. Prayer, continence, and pure intention dispose the soul for God’s blessings and thwart all influence of the evil spirit.

Most memorable are those words in which he explains why the seven husbands of the pious Sara had all been strangled by Satan. The devil had power over them on account of the unchaste and lustful thoughts with which they entered the state of matrimony.

Much greater, however, is the devil’s power over those who, under the pretext of their future marriage, commit sin without any compunction, because they pretend that they are already united before God, which is false, and can only have come from the spirit of Hell, the father of lies, to ruin thousands of souls. The devil has power over those who act on such criminal principles. And what can be expected for those over whom the devil has power? Can such people promise themselves that their marriage will be happy and have God’s blessing, or can they expect eternal salvation, unless they do severe penance?

We do well to remember the somber and sobering warning that Our Lady of Fatima gave, through little St. Jacinta, when she revealed to her that most souls, these days, end up in Hell because of sins of impurity by thoughts, words and actions.

Prayer:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Glorious Archangel St. Raphael! Great prince of the heavenly court! You are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the trials and sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias in all the dangers during his travels.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe and cure our pain. Since thou art the “physician” of God, and because you are the “medicine of God,” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. Heal and console the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. I especially ask of you the favor and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to direct thy Holy Archangel Raphael to our help, and may he, whom we believe to be ever in attendance on Thy majesty, present our poor prayers to thee for Thy blessing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Be my safeguard in danger! Be my health in sickness! Be my guide in uncertainty, doubt and darkness!

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PRAYERS TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL:

Prayer to St. Raphael
O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.

Prayer for Safe Travel
The following prayer is an adaptation of the itinerarium―the prayer said by clerics to invoke God’s protection before beginning a journey. The faithful who are about to travel may use this form to pray for God’s blessing on their journeys.

Along the ways of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us, and may the Angel Raphael accompany us on the journey. So may we in peace, health, and joy return unto our own.

Let us Pray: O God, who didst lead the sons of Israel through the sea over a dry path, and didst reveal the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; vouchsafe to grant us a happy journey and a peaceful time, that accompanied by Thy angel we may safely reach our present destination, and come finally to the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, who didst lead Thy servant, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans, safeguarding him on all his wanderings―guide us Thy servants, we implore Thee. Be Thou unto us support in battle, refuge in journeying, shade in the heat, covering in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, protection in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a harbor in shipwreck; so that under Thy leadership we may successfully reach our destination, and finally return safe to our homes.

Give ear, we pray Thee, Lord, to our entreaties! And direct the steps of Thy servants on the paths of righteousness, that in all the vicissitudes of the journey and of life, we may have Thee as our constant protector.

Grant, O almighty God, that Thy children march forth on a successful journey; and heeding the exhortation of Blessed John, the Precursor, let them come safely to Him whom John foretold, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Christe, Sanctorum
Christ, of the Angels praise and adoration.
Father and Savior Thou, of every nation,
Graciously grant us all to gain a station,
Where thou art reigning.

Angel Physician, health on man bestowing,
Raphael send us from the skies all glowing,
All sickness curing, wisest counsel showing
In doubt and danger.

May the fair Mother of Light be o’er us,
Virgin of peace, with all the Angel Chorus,
And may the heavenly army go before us,
Guiding and guarding.

O May the Godhead, endless bliss possessing;
Father, Son, Spirit, grant to us this blessing;
All his creation joins his praise confessing,
Now and forever. Amen.

SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR DAY FOUR OF THE NOVENA

LITANY IN HONOR OF
ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme: The Marriage Arranging Archangel

Scripture Reading:
Raphael and Tobias went in to Raguel’s home, and Raguel received them with joy. And Raguel looking upon Tobias, said to Anna his wife: “How like my cousin is this young man?” And when he had spoken these words, he said: “Whence are ye young men our brethren?”

But they said: “We are of the tribe of Nephtali, of the captivity of Ninive.”

And Raguel said to them: “Do you know Tobias my brother?”

And they said: “We know him!”

And when he was speaking many good things of him, the angel said to Raguel: “Tobias, concerning whom you inquire, is this young man’s father.”

And Raguel went to him, and kissed him with tears, and weeping upon his neck, said: “A blessing be upon thee, my son, because thou art the son of a good and most virtuous man!”

And Anna, his wife, and Sara, their daughter, wept. And after they had spoken, Raguel commanded a sheep to be killed, and a feast to be prepared. And when he desired them to sit down to dinner, Tobias said: “I will not eat nor drink here this day, unless thou first grant me my petition, and promise to give me Sara thy daughter!”

Now when Raguel heard this, he was afraid―knowing what had happened to those seven husbands that went in unto her―and he began to fear lest it might happen to Tobias also in like manner. And as he was in suspense, and gave no answer to his petition, the angel said to him: “Be not afraid to give her to this man! For to him, who feareth God, is thy daughter due to be his wife! Therefore another could not have her!”

Then Raguel said: “I doubt not―but God hath regarded my prayers and tears in His sight! And I believe He hath therefore made you come to me, that this maiden might be married to one of her own kindred, according to the law of Moses! And now doubt not, but I will give her to thee!”

And taking the right hand of his daughter, he gave it into the right hand of Tobias, saying: “The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob be with you, and may He join you together, and fulfill His blessing in you!”

And taking paper they made a writing of the marriage. And afterwards they made merry, blessing God.

And Raguel called to him Anna his wife, and bade her prepare another chamber. And she brought Sara her daughter in there, and she wept. And she said to her: “Be of good cheer, my daughter! The Lord of Heaven gives thee joy for the trouble thou hast undergone!”

And after they had supped, they brought in the young man to her. And Tobias, remembering the angel’s word, took out of his bag part of the liver, and laid it upon burning coals. Then the angel Raphael took the devil, and bound him in the desert of upper Egypt. Then Tobias exhorted the virgin, and said to her: “Sara, arise! And let us pray to God today, and tomorrow, and the next day―because for these three nights we are joined to God! And when the third night is over, we will be in our own wedlock. For we are the children of saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens that know not God!”

So they both arose, and prayed earnestly both together that health might be given them.

And Tobias said: “Lord God of our father, may the Heavens and the Earth, and the sea, and the fountains, and the rivers, and all Thy creatures that are in them, bless Thee! Thou madest Adam of the slime of the Earth, and gavest him Eve for a helper. And now, Lord, Thou knowest, that not for fleshly lust do I take my sister for a wife, but only for the love of posterity, in which Thy Name may be blessed for ever and ever!”

Sara also said: “Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, and let us grow old both together in health!” (Tobias 7:1-20; 8:1-10).

Spiritual Reading:
If you are praying for a spouse and you want help in discerning wisely, pray the Prayer to St Raphael for the Wise Choice of a Marriage Partner. Sometimes we choose the wrong spouse out of desperation. In women, that biological clocks starts ticking, which can frighten you into making a hasty decision. Both men and women experience pressure from our parents, which can cause us to look frantically for spouses without remembering to pray.

Marriage is not only about the prestige of being able to say you are now a husband or wife. Marriage is about daily sacrifice that comes about as the spouses try live holy lives and help each other get to Heaven. This is why it is vitally important to choose the right spouse.

If you choose the wrong spouse, you might be setting yourself up for a lifetime of suffering. “Suffering is good,” you say? Although resigning ourselves to God’s will by accepting the suffering he sends can help us grow in sanctity, there is a difference between accepting God’s mortifications and creating our own mortifications through bad decisions. Let God give you the suffering that will be beneficial to you instead of making hasty decisions that are not good for you.

When Should You Pray the Prayer to St Raphael for the Wise Choice of a Marriage Partner. You can pray this prayer as soon as you have discerned that marriage is vocation that you hope to pursue. After all, it’s your future that you’re praying for. The prayer says: “In all confidence I open my heart to thee, to beg thy guidance and assistance in the important task of planning my future.” You can also pray this prayer when you are in the friendship stage and discerning courtship.

Prayer To St Raphael For The Wise Choice Of A Marriage Partner
O Glorious St. Raphael, Patron and Lover and Help of the Young, I call upon thee and plead with thee 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. O 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 thy joy. As thou didst lead the young Tobias to Sara and opened up for him a new life of happiness with her in holy marriage, lead me to such a one whom in thine angelic wisdom thou dost judge best suited to be united with me in marriage.

St. Raphael, loving patron of those seeking a marriage partner, help me in this supreme decision of my life. Find for me as a helpmate in life that person whose character will 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.

St. 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 thy prayers to God for both of us and obtain the blessing of God upon our marriage, as thou wert the herald of blessing for the marriage of Tobias and Sara.

St. Raphael, friend of the young, be thou my friend, for I shall always be thine. I desire to ever invoke thee in my needs. To thy special care I entrust the decision I am to make as to my future wife (husband). 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 eternal joy in the next. Amen.

Meditation:
Raguel was afraid to give Sara in marriage to his brother’s son―knowing that Sara’s previous seven husbands had been killed upon trying to consummate the marriage―and he began to fear that Tobias would also meet the same fate. Yet the Archangel Raphael calmed those fears, saying: “Be not afraid to give her to this man! For to him, who feareth God, is thy daughter due to be his wife! Therefore another could not have her!”

You could apply to this case the proverb: “A marriage made in Heaven!” For God had ruled that Sara would be given to someone who feared Him―namely, Tobias. The previous seven husbands died in the lust for her―Tobias, a God-fearing man, would not succumb to lust, but would approach and treat the marriage in a godly manner.

What is your primary attitude to marriage? Is it primarily one of satisfying your lusts? Or is one of satisfying God?

Prayer:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Glorious Archangel St. Raphael! Great prince of the heavenly court! You are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the trials and sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias in all the dangers during his travels.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe and cure our pain. Since thou art the “physician” of God, and because you are the “medicine of God,” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. Heal and console the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. I especially ask of you the favor and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to direct thy Holy Archangel Raphael to our help, and may he, whom we believe to be ever in attendance on Thy majesty, present our poor prayers to thee for Thy blessing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Be my safeguard in danger! Be my health in sickness! Be my guide in uncertainty, doubt and darkness!

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PRAYERS TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL:

Prayer to St. Raphael
O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.

Prayer for Safe Travel
The following prayer is an adaptation of the itinerarium―the prayer said by clerics to invoke God’s protection before beginning a journey. The faithful who are about to travel may use this form to pray for God’s blessing on their journeys.

Along the ways of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us, and may the Angel Raphael accompany us on the journey. So may we in peace, health, and joy return unto our own.

Let us Pray: O God, who didst lead the sons of Israel through the sea over a dry path, and didst reveal the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; vouchsafe to grant us a happy journey and a peaceful time, that accompanied by Thy angel we may safely reach our present destination, and come finally to the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, who didst lead Thy servant, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans, safeguarding him on all his wanderings―guide us Thy servants, we implore Thee. Be Thou unto us support in battle, refuge in journeying, shade in the heat, covering in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, protection in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a harbor in shipwreck; so that under Thy leadership we may successfully reach our destination, and finally return safe to our homes.

Give ear, we pray Thee, Lord, to our entreaties! And direct the steps of Thy servants on the paths of righteousness, that in all the vicissitudes of the journey and of life, we may have Thee as our constant protector.

Grant, O almighty God, that Thy children march forth on a successful journey; and heeding the exhortation of Blessed John, the Precursor, let them come safely to Him whom John foretold, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Christe, Sanctorum
Christ, of the Angels praise and adoration.
Father and Savior Thou, of every nation,
Graciously grant us all to gain a station,
Where thou art reigning.

Angel Physician, health on man bestowing,
Raphael send us from the skies all glowing,
All sickness curing, wisest counsel showing
In doubt and danger.

May the fair Mother of Light be o’er us,
Virgin of peace, with all the Angel Chorus,
And may the heavenly army go before us,
Guiding and guarding.

O May the Godhead, endless bliss possessing;
Father, Son, Spirit, grant to us this blessing;
All his creation joins his praise confessing,
Now and forever. Amen.

SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR DAY FIVE OF THE NOVENA

LITANY IN HONOR OF
ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme: A Devil-Binding Archangel

Scripture Reading:
Raphael and Tobias went out to wash his feet, and behold a monstrous fish came up to devour him.

And Tobias being afraid of him, cried out with a loud voice, saying: “Sir, he cometh upon me!”

And the angel said to him: “Take him by the gill, and draw him to thee!”

And when he had done so, he drew him out upon the land, and he began to pant before his feet.

Then the angel said to him: “Take out the entrails of the fish, and lay up his heart, and his gall, and his liver for thee: for these are necessary for useful medicines!”

And when he had done so, he roasted the flesh thereof, and they took it along with them in the way: the rest they salted as much as might serve them, till they came to Rages the city of the Medes.

Then Tobias asked the angel, and said to him: “I beseech thee, brother Azarias, tell me what remedies are these things good for, which thou hast bid me keep of the fish?”

And the angel, answering, said to him: “If thou put a little piece of its heart upon coals, the smoke thereof driveth away all kind of devils, either from man or from woman, so that they come no more to them. And the gall is good for anointing the eyes, in which there is a white speck, and they shall be cured.”

Then the angel Raphael took the devil, and bound him in the desert of upper Egypt. (Tobias 6:2-9; 8:3).

Spiritual Reading:
You will recall from an earlier reading, that when Tobias went to wash his feet in the river, a monstrous fish tried to devour him. The Archangel Raphael, without coming to his rescue, instead instructed him on what to do, both giving him directions and inspiring him with confidence.

When the monstrous fish had been successfully drawn out of the river, it was cut open, roasted, and salted. “Take out the entrails of this fish,” ordered the Angel, “and lay up his heart, and his gall, and his liver for thee, for these are necessary for useful medicines.” These, no doubt, may have seemed strange medicines to young Tobias and he wanted to know when and how to use them. Tobias asks his heavenly guide: “I beseech thee, tell me what remedies are these things good for, which thou hast bid me keep of the fish.”

The Angel explains the medical virtue of those parts of the fish. The liver of the fish was needed as a material ingredient for a future exorcism of Tobias’s future wife Sara from the evil influence of the devil; the gall was to be later used for the cure of the blindness of old Tobias.

What does this fish symbolize? It is a symbol of Christ. In the early Church, Jesus Christ was symbolized by a fish because the word “ichthus” (which means “fish”) formed an acronym meaning “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior”. Raphael thus leads Tobias to this fish―a symbol of the future Christ.

Like Christ, the fish is slain, and gives its flesh to nourish and strengthen Tobias for the journey. So, too, our life’s journey is nourished and strengthened by the Body of Christ, through His incarnate Flesh.

The heart and liver of the fish, when burnt, drives away the demon Asmodeus who is tormenting Sarah and keeping her from fulfilling her feminine vocation as a wife and mother. So too demons plague us today and keep women from such natural joys. But the Sacred Heart of Jesus restores us to true joy, he drives away demons; the Eucharist causes the demons to flee from us, says St John Chrysostom.

And the archangel Raphael defeats and binds the demon. So, too, we should pray to the angels in our spiritual battles, in our battle against sin which leads only to sadness and death. Raphael comes to heal our sickness, to drive away evil, and to bind it up. Finally, the gall of the fish heals Tobias’s blindness. So it is by the fortitude of Christ, by the brave sacrifice on the Cross of Jesus, king of martyrs, that we are healed. His Cross takes away our sin-induced blindness so that we can see God in Heaven; the beatific vision, as the Church describes Heaven.

Meditation:
There are many potential entry points for demons in our lives. Fr. Vincent Lampert, an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, lists some of the chief entry points or doors that we risk opening to allow demons to come into our lives to one degree or another. These chief entry points are as follows:

(1) THE OCCULT
Palm Reading, Mediums, Ouija Board, Tarot Cards, Séances, Yoga, Reiki, Horoscope Reading, Witchcraft, Magic, Wicca, black magic or white magic, psychics, séances, Tarot cards, spells, or all that other idolatrous stuff, they don’t know what’s going to happen. They’re tapping into a realm they know nothing about, most of the time.

(2) ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
Movies, TV shows, video games, computer games and websites, IT gadgets, etc. Children today are growing up in front of a screen that is leaving them in isolation and not in community. Books on evil are catechetical in nature. The demons urge us on by recommending three basic principles to us: (1) Do whatever you wish. (2) Nobody has a right to command you. (3) You are the god of yourself.

(3) CURSE
Cursing someone is trying to do harm to someone with the help of the devil. Curses are only effective if you are weak in your Faith.

(4) BEING DEDICATED TO A DEMON

(5) PHYSICAL, MENTAL OR SEXUAL ABUSE ― WHICH CREATES EMOTIONAL WOUNDS WHICH MAY CAUSE THE PERSON TO SEEK HELP FROM THE WRONG SOURCES

(6) LIFE OF HABITUAL SIN
Good confession is more powerful than an exorcism

(7) INVITING A DEMON INTO YOUR LIFE

(8) BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS
When a relationship breaks down, there is a great temptation to be bitter and negative about it. We keep enmity. We want revenge. We hate. We won’t forgive. All of these attitudes weaken our soul and start to open the door to the devil.

(9) ABORTION
Abortion is an open door for the demonic, and we’ve had cases where that’s exactly how the demons were able to possess the individual. The effects of abortion are devastating. The killing of the child, the mother’s fear, despair, guilt, shame, self-hatred and belief she has committed an unforgivable sin all point to the atmosphere of hell. Yet long as we live, we can repent and be forgiven of any sin, including abortion.

Prayer:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Glorious Archangel St. Raphael! Great prince of the heavenly court! You are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the trials and sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias in all the dangers during his travels.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe and cure our pain. Since thou art the “physician” of God, and because you are the “medicine of God,” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. Heal and console the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. I especially ask of you the favor and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to direct thy Holy Archangel Raphael to our help, and may he, whom we believe to be ever in attendance on Thy majesty, present our poor prayers to thee for Thy blessing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Be my safeguard in danger! Be my health in sickness! Be my guide in uncertainty, doubt and darkness!

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PRAYERS TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL:

Prayer to St. Raphael
O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.

Prayer for Safe Travel
The following prayer is an adaptation of the itinerarium―the prayer said by clerics to invoke God’s protection before beginning a journey. The faithful who are about to travel may use this form to pray for God’s blessing on their journeys.

Along the ways of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us, and may the Angel Raphael accompany us on the journey. So may we in peace, health, and joy return unto our own.

Let us Pray: O God, who didst lead the sons of Israel through the sea over a dry path, and didst reveal the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; vouchsafe to grant us a happy journey and a peaceful time, that accompanied by Thy angel we may safely reach our present destination, and come finally to the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, who didst lead Thy servant, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans, safeguarding him on all his wanderings―guide us Thy servants, we implore Thee. Be Thou unto us support in battle, refuge in journeying, shade in the heat, covering in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, protection in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a harbor in shipwreck; so that under Thy leadership we may successfully reach our destination, and finally return safe to our homes.

Give ear, we pray Thee, Lord, to our entreaties! And direct the steps of Thy servants on the paths of righteousness, that in all the vicissitudes of the journey and of life, we may have Thee as our constant protector.

Grant, O almighty God, that Thy children march forth on a successful journey; and heeding the exhortation of Blessed John, the Precursor, let them come safely to Him whom John foretold, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Christe, Sanctorum
Christ, of the Angels praise and adoration.
Father and Savior Thou, of every nation,
Graciously grant us all to gain a station,
Where thou art reigning.

Angel Physician, health on man bestowing,
Raphael send us from the skies all glowing,
All sickness curing, wisest counsel showing
In doubt and danger.

May the fair Mother of Light be o’er us,
Virgin of peace, with all the Angel Chorus,
And may the heavenly army go before us,
Guiding and guarding.

O May the Godhead, endless bliss possessing;
Father, Son, Spirit, grant to us this blessing;
All his creation joins his praise confessing,
Now and forever. Amen.

SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR DAY SIX OF THE NOVENA

LITANY IN HONOR OF
ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme: A Preserver of Purity

Scripture Reading:
And after they had supped, they brought in the young man to her ... Then Tobias exhorted the virgin, and said to her: “Sara, arise, and let us pray to God today, and tomorrow, and the next day! Because for these three nights we are joined to God―and, when the third night is over, we will be in our own wedlock. For we are the children of saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens that know not God!”

So they both arose, and prayed earnestly, both together … And it came to pass, about the cockcrowing, Raguel ordered his servants to be called for, and they went with him together to dig a grave. For he said: “Lest perhaps it may have happened to him, in like manner as it did to the other seven husbands, that went in unto her!”

And when they had prepared the pit, Raguel went back to his wife, and said to her: “Send one of thy maids, and let her see if he be dead, that I may bury him before it be day!”

So she sent one of her maidservants, who went into the chamber, and found them safe and sound, sleeping both together. And returning she brought the good news. And Raguel and Anna his wife blessed the Lord, and said: “We bless thee, O Lord God of Israel, because it hath not happened as we suspected! For Thou hast shown Thy mercy to us, and hast shut out from us the enemy that persecuted us! And Thou hast taken pity upon two only children. Make them, O Lord, bless thee more fully, and to offer up to Thee a sacrifice of Thy praise, and of their health, that all nations may know, that Thou alone art God in all the Earth!”

And immediately Raguel commanded his servants to fill up the pit they had made, before it was day.

And Raguel spoke to his wife to make ready a feast, and prepare all kinds of provisions that are necessary for such as go a journey. He caused also two fat cows and four sheep to be killed, and a banquet to be prepared for all his neighbors, and all his friends. And Raguel begged Tobias, to abide with him two weeks. And of all things which Raguel possessed, he gave one half to Tobias, and made him a writing, that the half that remained should, after their decease, come also to Tobias. (Tobias 8:1-24).

Spiritual Reading:
Tobias survives the night and comes out alive in the morning because he obeyed the instructions of Raphael. No more useful lesson can be given today than that which St. Raphael gave to Tobias. We speak of “angelic purity” ― and that is exactly what we need today! We live in an immodest, impure, and lustful world. Therefore, we should especially pay attention to instructions that Raphael gave Tobias received, as to how we ought approach relationships and marriage; and to understand what is purpose of matrimony and with what mindset men ought to enter matrimony, and what they ought to avoid.

Most memorable are those words in which Raphael explains why the seven husbands of the pious Sara had all been strangled by Satan. The devil had power over them on account of the unchaste and lustful thoughts with which they entered the state of matrimony. Much greater, however, is Satan’s power over those who―under the pretext of their future marriage―already commit sin without any compunction before marriage, because they pretend that they are already united before God―which is false reasoning, and can only have come from the spirit of Hell, the father of lies, to ruin thousands of souls. The devil has power over those who act on such criminal principles. And what can be expected for those over whom the devil has power? Can such people promise themselves that their marriage will be happy and have God’s blessing, or can they expect eternal salvation, unless they do severe penance?

From the second instruction which St. Raphael gave to the old as well as to the young Tobias, learn, first, that we must give thanks to God and praise Him for all benefits received; and learn, secondly, how agreeable to the Almighty and how useful to men are prayer, fasting and alms. Whoever practices these, is more happy than he who gathers the greatest treasures of gold and silver; for gold and silver can save no one from eternal death, cleanse him from sin, or open Heaven to him; while, according to the angel’s words, alms and other good works cleanse and save man.

Consider what the holy Angel says of those who commit sin: “They are enemies to their own souls,” which, after God, they should hold most dear. The sinner himself does more harm to his own soul, than all men, and all demons can do: and because he is an enemy to his own soul, he is also an enemy to his own body: for when the soul is lost, where can the body go? Certainly not to Heaven―but to Hell!

Meditation:
Our Lady of Fatima revealed that―even back in 1917―the sin that damns the largest number of souls is the sin of impurity. During Jacinta’s stay at the orphanage of Our Lady of Miracles in Lisbon in 1920, Our Lady told her, “The sins that lead more souls to Hell are the sins of the flesh.” There were other prophecies she revealed to the little girl: “Styles will come that will offend Our Lord very much. Persons who serve God should not follow the styles. The Church does not have styles. Our Lord is always the same.” She said that the sins of impurity would be so great there would be almost no virgin souls. She said that many marriages are not good, that they do not please Our Lord and they are not of God.

Our Lady of Good Success, referring to our present times, also spoke out on this subject of impurity: “The spirit of impurity that will permeate the atmosphere during these times. Like a filthy ocean, it will run through the streets, squares and public places with an astonishing liberty … The passions will erupt and there will be a total corruption of morals … Innocence will almost no longer be found in children, nor modesty in women … There will be almost no virgin souls in the world!”

Moral theology teaches us that impurity is one sin in which there is no “light matter” ― which means that all sins of impurity, whether in thought, word or action, are always mortal sins. The only way it can be a venial sin is if there is not full consent given to the temptation, but all kinds of impurity are in themselves grave matter.

“This is the will of God―your sanctification; that you should abstain from fornication; and that everyone of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust! … For God hath not called us unto impurity, but unto sanctification!” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). “Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled! For God will judge fornicators and adulterers!” (Hebrews 13:4). “You have heard that it was said to them of old: ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery!’ But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart!” (Matthew 5:27-28). “But fornication, and all impurity, or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you! Know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or impure, or covetous person, hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God!” (Ephesians 5:3-5). “The works of the flesh are fornication, impurity, immodesty, debauchery … of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God!” (Galatians 5:19-21). “Flee from fornication! He that commits fornication, sins against his own body. Know you not, that your bodily parts are the temple of the Holy Ghost, Who is in you, Whom you have from God; and that you are not your own? For you are bought with a great price! Therefore, glorify and bear God in your body!” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). “Therefore, mortify your bodily members from fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service of idols!” (Colossians 3:5).

Prayer:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Glorious Archangel St. Raphael! Great prince of the heavenly court! You are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the trials and sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias in all the dangers during his travels.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe and cure our pain. Since thou art the “physician” of God, and because you are the “medicine of God,” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. Heal and console the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. I especially ask of you the favor and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to direct thy Holy Archangel Raphael to our help, and may he, whom we believe to be ever in attendance on Thy majesty, present our poor prayers to thee for Thy blessing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Be my safeguard in danger! Be my health in sickness! Be my guide in uncertainty, doubt and darkness!

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PRAYERS TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL:

Prayer to St. Raphael
O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.

Prayer for Safe Travel
The following prayer is an adaptation of the itinerarium―the prayer said by clerics to invoke God’s protection before beginning a journey. The faithful who are about to travel may use this form to pray for God’s blessing on their journeys.

Along the ways of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us, and may the Angel Raphael accompany us on the journey. So may we in peace, health, and joy return unto our own.

Let us Pray: O God, who didst lead the sons of Israel through the sea over a dry path, and didst reveal the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; vouchsafe to grant us a happy journey and a peaceful time, that accompanied by Thy angel we may safely reach our present destination, and come finally to the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, who didst lead Thy servant, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans, safeguarding him on all his wanderings―guide us Thy servants, we implore Thee. Be Thou unto us support in battle, refuge in journeying, shade in the heat, covering in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, protection in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a harbor in shipwreck; so that under Thy leadership we may successfully reach our destination, and finally return safe to our homes.

Give ear, we pray Thee, Lord, to our entreaties! And direct the steps of Thy servants on the paths of righteousness, that in all the vicissitudes of the journey and of life, we may have Thee as our constant protector.

Grant, O almighty God, that Thy children march forth on a successful journey; and heeding the exhortation of Blessed John, the Precursor, let them come safely to Him whom John foretold, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Christe, Sanctorum
Christ, of the Angels praise and adoration.
Father and Savior Thou, of every nation,
Graciously grant us all to gain a station,
Where thou art reigning.

Angel Physician, health on man bestowing,
Raphael send us from the skies all glowing,
All sickness curing, wisest counsel showing
In doubt and danger.

May the fair Mother of Light be o’er us,
Virgin of peace, with all the Angel Chorus,
And may the heavenly army go before us,
Guiding and guarding.

O May the Godhead, endless bliss possessing;
Father, Son, Spirit, grant to us this blessing;
All his creation joins his praise confessing,
Now and forever. Amen.

SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR DAY SEVEN OF THE NOVENA

LITANY IN HONOR OF
ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme: Raphael the Servant and Debt Collector

Scripture Reading:
Then Tobias called the angel to him (whom he took to be a man), and said to him: “Brother Azarias, I pray thee hearken to my words! If I should give myself to be thy servant I should not make a worthy return for thy care! However, I beseech thee, to take with thee beasts and servants, and to go to Gabelus in Rages, the city of the Medes, and to restore to him his note of hand, and receive of him the money, and desire him to come to my wedding. For thou knowest that my father numbereth the days, and if I stay one day more, his soul will be afflicted. And indeed thou seest how Raguel hath adjured me, whose adjuring I cannot despise!”

Then Raphael took four of Raguel’s servants, and two camels, and went to Rages, the city of the Medes. And finding Gabelus, he gave him his handwritten note, and received from him all the money. And Raphael told Gabelus concerning Tobias, the son of Tobias, all that had been done, and made Gabelus come with him to the wedding. And when he was come into Raguel’s house, Gabelus found Tobias sitting at the table and he leaped up, and they kissed each other. And Gabelus wept and blessed God, and said: “The God of Israel bless thee! Because thou art the son of a very good and just man, that feareth God and doth almsdeeds! And may a blessing come upon thy wife and upon your parents! And may you see your children, and your children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation: and may your seed be blessed by the God of Israel, who reigneth for ever and ever!”

And when all had said “Amen!” they went to the feast, but the marriage feast they celebrated also with the fear of the Lord. (Tobias 9:1-12).

Spiritual Reading:
The word “angel” means “servant” or “messenger” of God. “The angels … are all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation” (Hebrews 1:13-14). The word “angel” means “servant” or “messenger” of God. “The angels … are all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation” (Hebrews 1:13-14). The Greek word for “ministering” refers to being in service to others. Being servants, angels are said to “serve” believers, which in the original Greek has the idea of someone waiting a table. The author of Hebrews refers to angels as ministers or servants to those who have trusted in Jesus for salvation, and the context of Hebrews, chapter, 1 specifically contrasts the service of angels with the greater work of Jesus, since He is superior to angels (Hebrews 1:5-14).

As “ministering spirits,” angels serve believers in several ways. At times, angels are sent by God to answer prayers. An example of this is when Peter was imprisoned shortly after the execution of James: “Peter therefore was kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light shined in the room: and he, striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: ‘Arise quickly!’ And the chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said to him: ‘Gird thyself, and put on thy sandals!’ And he did so. And he said to him: ‘Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me!’ And going out, Peter followed him, and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a vision. And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them. And going out, they passed on through one street: and immediately the angel departed from him” (Acts 12:5-10). As Peter was in his cell chained between two guards, “prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him” (verse 5). “And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light shined in the room: and he, striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: ‘Arise quickly!’ And the chains fell off from his hands” (verse 7). The arrival of an angel to rescue Peter was an obvious answer to the Church’s prayer. God can use angels to answer our prayers just as He did in this instance, even if it is not in a visible manner.

Another way that angels are ministering spirits is that they are sometimes sent to encourage believers. In Scripture, angels encouraged and attended the Lord Jesus at least twice: after He was tempted in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43). Paul was encouraged by an angel during a storm at sea (Acts 27:23–24).

Providing protection for believers is another service that angels do for the Lord: “He hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11). An army of angels surrounded Eliseus in 4 Kings 6, protecting him from the Arameans. Daniel was protected in the lions’ den by an angel who “shut the mouths of the lions” (Daniel 6:22). Many people believe in personal “guardian angels”; it could be that every believer has an angel assigned to him for protection, but there is nothing specifically stated in the Bible about personal guardian angels.

Despite the ministries that angels carry out for believers, it is important to remember that the Lord of hosts is our Savior, and He is the one who ultimately sends them. Angels do not act on their own accord, nor are they omniscient or omnipresent (Psalm 148:5). The holy angels do God’s bidding. It is God alone who deserves the praise and glory for the answered prayers, encouragement, protection, and service that angels carry out for believers.

We are grateful for the “ministering spirits” that God has ordained, and we give God praise for His care for us. For all their power and glory, the elect angels know their role as servants of the Most High. Like the angel in the Book of Apocalypse, who emphatically said to John when the Apostle tried to worship him, “I fell down to adore before the feet of the angel, who showed me these things. And he said to me: See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant! … Adore God!” (Apocaypse 22:8-9).

Meditation:
Tobias asks and sends Raphael on a mission―to collect the money owed to his father by Gabelus, who had received a loan of ten talents of silver. One talent is 750 ounces. Today’s silver price is around $20 per ounce. Therefore, 10 talents of silver (or 7,500 ounces) would be around $150,000.

Now, you might think it rather strange to see an angel being used as “debt collector”―but the activities and duties of the angels, according to Holy Scripture, relate to God, to the created and material world, and to man and his place in God’s plan of covenant and salvation. These activities are extraordinarily broad, especially when we think of the angels directing every aspect of the material world and participating in the work of salvation. In the early Church, St. Augustine believed that every visible thing in the world has an angelic power placed over it. If nothing is too great nor too small for God, then that must also be true of God’s angels.

We do well to often recall and reflect upon the advice given by St. Francis de Sales, who wrote: “Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs.”

Prayer:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Glorious Archangel St. Raphael! Great prince of the heavenly court! You are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the trials and sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias in all the dangers during his travels.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe and cure our pain. Since thou art the “physician” of God, and because you are the “medicine of God,” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. Heal and console the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. I especially ask of you the favor and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to direct thy Holy Archangel Raphael to our help, and may he, whom we believe to be ever in attendance on Thy majesty, present our poor prayers to thee for Thy blessing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Be my safeguard in danger! Be my health in sickness! Be my guide in uncertainty, doubt and darkness!

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PRAYERS TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL:

Prayer to St. Raphael
O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.

Prayer for Safe Travel
The following prayer is an adaptation of the itinerarium―the prayer said by clerics to invoke God’s protection before beginning a journey. The faithful who are about to travel may use this form to pray for God’s blessing on their journeys.

Along the ways of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us, and may the Angel Raphael accompany us on the journey. So may we in peace, health, and joy return unto our own.

Let us Pray: O God, who didst lead the sons of Israel through the sea over a dry path, and didst reveal the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; vouchsafe to grant us a happy journey and a peaceful time, that accompanied by Thy angel we may safely reach our present destination, and come finally to the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, who didst lead Thy servant, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans, safeguarding him on all his wanderings―guide us Thy servants, we implore Thee. Be Thou unto us support in battle, refuge in journeying, shade in the heat, covering in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, protection in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a harbor in shipwreck; so that under Thy leadership we may successfully reach our destination, and finally return safe to our homes.

Give ear, we pray Thee, Lord, to our entreaties! And direct the steps of Thy servants on the paths of righteousness, that in all the vicissitudes of the journey and of life, we may have Thee as our constant protector.

Grant, O almighty God, that Thy children march forth on a successful journey; and heeding the exhortation of Blessed John, the Precursor, let them come safely to Him whom John foretold, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Christe, Sanctorum
Christ, of the Angels praise and adoration.
Father and Savior Thou, of every nation,
Graciously grant us all to gain a station,
Where thou art reigning.

Angel Physician, health on man bestowing,
Raphael send us from the skies all glowing,
All sickness curing, wisest counsel showing
In doubt and danger.

May the fair Mother of Light be o’er us,
Virgin of peace, with all the Angel Chorus,
And may the heavenly army go before us,
Guiding and guarding.

O May the Godhead, endless bliss possessing;
Father, Son, Spirit, grant to us this blessing;
All his creation joins his praise confessing,
Now and forever. Amen.

SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR DAY EIGHT OF THE NOVENA

LITANY IN HONOR OF
ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme: The Healer and Remover of Blindness

Scripture Reading:
But as Tobias made longer stay upon occasion of the marriage, Tobias his father was solicitous, saying: “Why thinkest thou doth my son tarry, or why is he detained there? Is Gabelus dead, thinkest thou, and no man will pay him the money?” And he began to be exceeding sad, both he and Anna his wife with him and they began both to weep together, because their son did not return to them on the day appointed.

But his mother wept and was quite disconsolate, and said: “Woe, woe is me, my son! Why did we send thee to go to a strange country, the light of our eyes, the staff of our old age, the comfort of our life, the hope of our posterity? We having all things together in thee alone, ought not to have let thee go from us!”

And Tobias said to her: “Hold thy peace, and be not troubled―our son is safe! That man, with whom we sent him, is very trustworthy!”

But she could by no means be comforted, but daily running out looked round about, and went into all the ways by which there seemed any hope he might return, that she might if possible see him coming afar off.

But Raguel said to Tobias his son-in-law: “Stay here and I will send a messenger to Tobias thy father, that thou art in health!”

And Tobias said to him: “I know that my father and mother now count the days, and their spirit is grievously afflicted within them!”

And when Raguel had pressed Tobias with many words, and he by no means would hearken to him, he delivered Sara unto him, and half of all his substance in men-servants, and women-servants, in cattle, in camels, and in kine, and in much money, and sent him away safe and joyful from him, saying: “The holy angel of the Lord be with you in your journey, and bring you through safe, and that you may find all things well about your parents, and my eyes see your children before I die!”

And the parents taking their daughter kissed her, and let her go―admonishing her to honor her father and mother in law, to love her husband, to take care of the family, to govern the house, and to behave herself irreprehensibly.

And as they were returning they came to Charan, which is in the midway to Ninive, the eleventh day―the angel Raphael said: “Brother Tobias, thou knowest how thou didst leave thy father! Therefore, if it please thee, let us go ahead and let the family follow softly behind us, together with thy wife, and with the beasts!”

And as this their going pleased him, Raphael said to Tobias: “Take with thee of the gall of the fish, for it will be necessary!”

So Tobias took some of that gall and departed.

But Anna was sat beside the road daily, on the top of a hill, from whence she might see afar off. And while she watched his coming from that place, she saw him afar off, and presently perceived it was her son coming. And returning, she told her husband, saying: “Behold thy son cometh!”

And Raphael said to Tobias: “As soon as thou shalt come into thy house, immediately adore the Lord thy God, and, giving thanks to Him, go to thy father and kiss him. Then immediately anoint his eyes with this gall of the fish, which thou carriest with thee. For be assured that his eyes shall be presently opened, and thy father shall see the light of Heaven, and shall rejoice in the sight of thee!”

Then the dog, which had been with them in the way, ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, showed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail. And his father that was blind, rising up, began to run stumbling with his feet: and giving a servant his hand, went to meet his son.

And receiving him kissed him, as did also his wife, and they began to weep for joy. And when they had adored God, and given him thanks, they sat down together. Then Tobias taking of the gall of the fish, anointed his father’s eyes. And he stayed about half an hour and a white skin began to come out of his eyes, like the skin of an egg. And Tobias took hold of it, and drew it from his eyes, and immediately he recovered his sight. (Tobias 10:1-13; 11:1-15).

Spiritual Reading:
St. Raphael is one of the seven Archangels who stands before the throne of God. He is also one of only three angels whose names have been revealed through Sacred Scripture. His name in various translations means “God heals,” “Divine Healer,” “Medicine of God,” or “Remedy of God”― for he has received his healing mission from God. He is the patron saint of blindness, all bodily ills, doctors, nurses, medical caregivers, and several other things.

St. Raphael is generally believed to be the “angel of healing” ― mentioned in chapter 5 of the Gospel of St. John ― who came to the pool of Bethsaida. St. John explains that an angel of the Lord descended at certain times, stirring the waters of the pool of Bethsaida, so that whoever was first to bathe in the pool after the Angel stirred the waters, was healed from whatever ailment they were suffering: “Now there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered; waiting for the moving of the water. And an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond; and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water, was made whole, of whatsoever infirmity he lay under” (John 5:2-4).

We little know how often God employs angelic agency in our behalf. Men often attribute to natural causes what is done by angelic hands. This beautiful account, of Raphael’s role in the curing of the blindness of Tobias, assures us that God sends his angelic messengers to lead, guide, and guard us as we undertake earthly journeys and aspire to heavenly ones.

Cultivating a relationship with a healing saint like the Archangel Raphael, is a wonderful way for us to grow in our Faith, Hope and Love of God. When we seek the intercession of the saints, we exercise great trust in God and in them by binding ourselves more closely to Heaven and the Church. It opens another door for Our Lord to work even more powerfully in our lives. After all, we are inviting God to work through our heavenly friends, which gives glory to Him in a very particular way. It shows Faith and Hope in what He has done in and through their lives. It shows the confident expectation of what He can and will do in ours.

Meditation:
We see many who are spiritually blind in the Gospels—blind to the Truth. The spiritually blind hear the truth, but they cannot see what it means. They cannot see the “big picture” of salvation, and they are unable to see how it applies in their own life. They have trouble confessing the truth because they have difficulty believing what they cannot see. They dwell in darkness, and they cannot see the light of the truth; although it enters their eyes and travels to their souls, their hearts have hardened to it and can even be further hardened by the heat and light of it. St. Paul describes it thus: “The Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts” (Ephesians 4:17-18).

“The people that sat in darkness, hath seen great light: and to them that sat in the region of the shadow of death, light is sprung up” (Matthew 4:16). That great light that sprung up was Christ―Who calls Himself the light of the world: “Jesus spoke to them, saying: ‘I am the light of the world! He that followeth Me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life!’” (John 8:12).

St. John also speaks of Christ being the light of the world who comes to enlighten those who sit in darkness: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him: and without Him was made nothing that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5) ― because “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that the light of the Gospel of Christ should not shine unto them!” (2 Corinthians 4:4) “The light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light―for their works were evil” (John 3:19). “His watchmen are all blind, they are all ignorant―dumb dogs not able to bark, seeing vain things, sleeping and loving dreams!” (Isaias 56:10) … “They shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord” (Sophonias 1:17). “Leave them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit!” (Matthew 15:14).

Spiritual blindness, therefore, is an inability to see the things of the Spirit. We learn that spiritual blindness comes from having a hardness of heart. This was the main problem with the Pharisees―as shown by Christ’s criticism of them in St. Matthew’s Gospel: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! … Woe to you blind guides! … Ye foolish and blind! … Ye blind! … Blind guides! … Thou blind Pharisee!” (Matthew 23:13-26). They could not see and accept the Truth (Christ) although He was standing right in front of them! Importantly, spiritual blindness is a condition that afflicts the religious. Jesus’ harshest criticisms regarding it are reserved for the Pharisees and the Scribes, those who made up the religious elite of the day.

“Seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand! And the prophecy of Isaias is fulfilled in them, who saith: ‘By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand! And seeing you shall see and shall not perceive! For the heart of this people is grown gross, and with their ears they have been dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut―lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them!’” (Matthew 13:13-15).

Let us pray for an understanding heart to bring us healing and the full beauty of sight that Christ has given to us.

Prayer:

St. Raphael the Archangel! Glorious Archangel St. Raphael! Great prince of the heavenly court! You are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the trials and sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias in all the dangers during his travels.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe and cure our pain. Since thou art the “physician” of God, and because you are the “medicine of God,” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. Heal and console the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. I especially ask of you the favor and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to direct thy Holy Archangel Raphael to our help, and may he, whom we believe to be ever in attendance on Thy majesty, present our poor prayers to thee for Thy blessing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Be my safeguard in danger! Be my health in sickness! Be my guide in uncertainty, doubt and darkness!

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PRAYERS TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL:

Prayer to St. Raphael
O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.

Prayer for Safe Travel
The following prayer is an adaptation of the itinerarium―the prayer said by clerics to invoke God’s protection before beginning a journey. The faithful who are about to travel may use this form to pray for God’s blessing on their journeys.

Along the ways of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us, and may the Angel Raphael accompany us on the journey. So may we in peace, health, and joy return unto our own.

Let us Pray: O God, who didst lead the sons of Israel through the sea over a dry path, and didst reveal the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; vouchsafe to grant us a happy journey and a peaceful time, that accompanied by Thy angel we may safely reach our present destination, and come finally to the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, who didst lead Thy servant, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans, safeguarding him on all his wanderings―guide us Thy servants, we implore Thee. Be Thou unto us support in battle, refuge in journeying, shade in the heat, covering in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, protection in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a harbor in shipwreck; so that under Thy leadership we may successfully reach our destination, and finally return safe to our homes.

Give ear, we pray Thee, Lord, to our entreaties! And direct the steps of Thy servants on the paths of righteousness, that in all the vicissitudes of the journey and of life, we may have Thee as our constant protector.

Grant, O almighty God, that Thy children march forth on a successful journey; and heeding the exhortation of Blessed John, the Precursor, let them come safely to Him whom John foretold, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Christe, Sanctorum
Christ, of the Angels praise and adoration.
Father and Savior Thou, of every nation,
Graciously grant us all to gain a station,
Where thou art reigning.

Angel Physician, health on man bestowing,
Raphael send us from the skies all glowing,
All sickness curing, wisest counsel showing
In doubt and danger.

May the fair Mother of Light be o’er us,
Virgin of peace, with all the Angel Chorus,
And may the heavenly army go before us,
Guiding and guarding.

O May the Godhead, endless bliss possessing;
Father, Son, Spirit, grant to us this blessing;
All his creation joins his praise confessing,
Now and forever. Amen.

SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR DAY NINE OF THE NOVENA

LITANY IN HONOR OF
ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Theme: The Humble Hidden Angel of God

Scripture Reading:
After Tobias was cured of his blindness, they glorified God, both he and his wife and all that knew them. And Tobias [the father] said: “I bless thee, O Lord God of Israel, because Thou hast chastised me, and Thou hast saved me! And behold I see Tobias my son!”

And, after seven days, Sara his son’s wife, and all the family arrived safely, as well as the cattle, the camels, and an abundance of money of his wife’s; and that money also which he had received of Gabelus. And Tobias [the son] told his parents all the benefits of God, which he had done to him by the man [St. Raphael] that conducted him.

And Achior and Nabath the kinsmen of Tobias came, rejoicing for Tobias, and congratulating with him for all the good things that God had done for him. And for seven days they feasted and rejoiced all with great joy.

Then Tobias [the father] called to him his son [also called Tobias], and said to him: “What can we give to this holy man [St. Raphael], that is come with thee?”

Tobias [the son] answering, said to his father: “Father, what wages shall we give him? Or what can be worthy of his benefits? He conducted me and brought me safe again! He received the money of Gabelus! He caused me to have my wife! He chased from her the evil spirit! He gave joy to her parents! Myself, he delivered from being devoured by the fish! Thee, also, he hath made to see the light of Heaven! And we are filled with all good things through him! What can we give him sufficient for these things? But I beseech thee, my father, to persuade him, that he would vouchsafe to accept one half of all things that have been brought!”

So the father and the son, calling him [Raphael], took him aside: and began to persuade him that he would accept of half of all things that they had brought.

Then he [St. Raphael] said to them secretly: “Bless ye the God of Heaven! Give glory to Him in the sight of all that live, because He hath shown His mercy to you! For it is good to hide the secret of a king―but honorable to reveal and confess the works of God! Prayer is good with fasting and alms―more than laying-up treasures of gold! For alms deliver from death, and the same is that which purges away sins, and leads one to find mercy and life everlasting. But they that commit sin and iniquity, are enemies to their own soul!

“I discover then the truth unto you, and I will not hide the secret from you! When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, and didst leave thy dinner, and hide the dead by day in thy house, and bury them by night, I offered thy prayer to the Lord. And, because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should test thee. And now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara, thy son’s wife, from the devil. For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord!”

And when they had heard these things, they were troubled, and being seized with fear they fell upon the ground on their face. And the angel said to them: “Peace be to you! Fear not! For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God! Bless ye Him, and sing praises to Him! I seemed indeed to eat and to drink with you―but I use an invisible meat and drink, which cannot be seen by men. It is time therefore that I return to Him that sent me! But bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful works!”

And when he had said these things, he [Raphael] was taken from their sight, and they could see him no more. Then they lying prostrate for three hours upon their face, blessed God! Then, rising up, they told all his wonderful works. (Tobias 11:16-21; 12:1-22).

Spiritual Reading:
Raphael is interpreted, “medicine of God.” Note that Raphael heals us by bestowing three benefits to cure us of evil. Raphael the physician heals the illness of our souls by leading us to the bitterness of contrition. Therefore in the book of Tobias it is said, “When thou shalt enter thy house, anoint his eyes with gall.” Tobias did so, his father’s eyes were healed, and he saw. Why could Raphael not do this himself? Because an angel cannot give contrition, he can merely point the way. The gall symbolizes the bitterness of contrition which heals the inner eye of the mind. As the psalm say, “Who heals the broken heart.” The bitterness of contrition is the best eye-salve.

In the second chapter of Judges it is related that the angel ascended to the place of the weepers and said to the people, “I have led you out of the land of Egypt, I have done for you so many and such good things.” All the people wept so that the place is called the place of the weepers. Dearly beloved, all day long the angels tell us of the blessings of God and recall them to our memories. Who created you? Who redeemed you? What have you done? Whom have you offended? If you consider these things―you have no recourse but to weep!

Raphael frees us from the wrath of God which we incur by sinning against God. He does this by inducing us to pray earnestly. This is what Raphael the Archangel told Tobias in the twelfth chapter, “When thou didst pray with tears, I offered thy prayer to the Lord.” The angels themselves, so far as they are able, try to reconcile us with God. The devils are our accusers before God. The angels excuse us when they offer to God the prayers they have induced us to say devoutly. This we read in the eighth chapter of the Apocalypse, “The smoke of the incense ascended in the sight of God from the hands of the Angel.” Would you like to appease God whom you have offended? Pray then with fervor. The angels offer your prayer to God in order to reconcile you with him.

Consider what the holy Angel says of those who commit sin: “They are enemies to their own souls,” which, after God, they should hold most dear. The sinner himself does more harm to his own soul, than all men, and all demons can do: and because he is an enemy to his own soul, he is also an enemy to his own body: for when the soul is lost, whither can the body go? Certainly, not to Heaven, but to Hell!

Learn also that the good works done by men are offered by the holy Angels to the Almighty, and are not lost, even though they are not immediately followed by a reward from God.

Lastly, understand well why the pious Tobias was visited with blindness ―“Because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee,” said St. Raphael. Hence, it is no sign that we are forsaken by God, or that we are not in favor with Him, when we have to suffer, although we lead a pious life. “The misfortunes which assail the pious, are a proof of virtue, and not a sign of divine anger,” says St. Gregory.

Meditation:
Everything happened as promised by the Angel. Old Tobias regained his sight. At this point the heart of young Tobias was filled with gratitude, love, and admiration for his wonderful guide; so many and so great were the benefits received through him. Having witnessed the miraculous cure of his father he could find no words to express his feelings: “We are filled with all good things through him,” he kept telling his father. Old Tobias understood that it was God Who was actually working all these marvels through young Azarias, and thus, full of reverence, he calls the young guide a holy man: “What can we give to this holy man, that is come with thee?”

The Lord never permits man to remain in error on account of the disguise assumed by His ministering spirits, the angels, in any of their apparitions. Sooner or later the truth about them will be made manifest. For several weeks in succession, the Archangel Raphael had been acting under assumed human form and human name. Now that his mission has been happily completed, he begins to prepare his two friends, father and son, for a great surprise, the revelation of his real self.

At the moment that they both humbly approach him offering one half of everything that had been brought home as payment for his service, young “Azarias” answers with a wonderful explanation of why God has so blessed them. He recalls to the mind of old Tobias all the good he did in his days, his charity, his mercy, his patience, his alms, and his tearful prayers. Thus he begins to reveal himself gradually in order not to frighten them with a sudden disclosure.

The enumeration of all the good deeds and of secrets of conscience known only to God are the first step in this revelation; the second is the statement: “Now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara thy son’s wife from the devil.” The third and final step was liable to trouble and frighten them, hence he begins with comforting and reassuring words: “Peace be to you! Fear not.”

As he said this, both father and son fell upon the ground on their faces, for suddenly the human form of Azarias was transfigured into that of an Archangel of light and beauty, and the final revelation came: “I am the Angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord ... When I was with you I was there by the will of God! Bless ye Him, and sing praises to Him!”

This is the only reward that he will accept―but would not accept the material things, money and cattle and clothes offered him generously by his good friends. Yet, these could still entertain some doubts, because they had seen him eat and drink like any other human being, and Angels do not eat and drink as men do. To this secret doubt he answers with saying: “I seemed indeed to eat and to drink with you, but I use an invisible meat and drink, which cannot be seen by men.”

Now that his work has been done, and that they know that God has sent His Angel to fill them with blessings, it is time for him to return to Heaven: “It is time therefore that I return to him that sent me; but bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful works.” Here the Archangel returned to his invisible form, and from the company of men returned to that of the Angels.

Prayer:

St. Raphael the Archangel! Glorious Archangel St. Raphael! Great prince of the heavenly court! You are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the trials and sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias in all the dangers during his travels.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe and cure our pain. Since thou art the “physician” of God, and because you are the “medicine of God,” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. Heal and console the victims of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. I especially ask of you the favor and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to direct thy Holy Archangel Raphael to our help, and may he, whom we believe to be ever in attendance on Thy majesty, present our poor prayers to thee for Thy blessing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
St. Raphael the Archangel! Be my safeguard in danger! Be my health in sickness! Be my guide in uncertainty, doubt and darkness!

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PRAYERS TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL:

Prayer to St. Raphael
O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.

Prayer for Safe Travel
The following prayer is an adaptation of the itinerarium―the prayer said by clerics to invoke God’s protection before beginning a journey. The faithful who are about to travel may use this form to pray for God’s blessing on their journeys.

Along the ways of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us, and may the Angel Raphael accompany us on the journey. So may we in peace, health, and joy return unto our own.

Let us Pray: O God, who didst lead the sons of Israel through the sea over a dry path, and didst reveal the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; vouchsafe to grant us a happy journey and a peaceful time, that accompanied by Thy angel we may safely reach our present destination, and come finally to the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, who didst lead Thy servant, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans, safeguarding him on all his wanderings―guide us Thy servants, we implore Thee. Be Thou unto us support in battle, refuge in journeying, shade in the heat, covering in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, protection in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a harbor in shipwreck; so that under Thy leadership we may successfully reach our destination, and finally return safe to our homes.

Give ear, we pray Thee, Lord, to our entreaties! And direct the steps of Thy servants on the paths of righteousness, that in all the vicissitudes of the journey and of life, we may have Thee as our constant protector.

Grant, O almighty God, that Thy children march forth on a successful journey; and heeding the exhortation of Blessed John, the Precursor, let them come safely to Him whom John foretold, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Christe, Sanctorum
Christ, of the Angels praise and adoration.
Father and Savior Thou, of every nation,
Graciously grant us all to gain a station,
Where thou art reigning.

Angel Physician, health on man bestowing,
Raphael send us from the skies all glowing,
All sickness curing, wisest counsel showing
In doubt and danger.

May the fair Mother of Light be o’er us,
Virgin of peace, with all the Angel Chorus,
And may the heavenly army go before us,
Guiding and guarding.

O May the Godhead, endless bliss possessing;
Father, Son, Spirit, grant to us this blessing;
All his creation joins his praise confessing,
Now and forever. Amen.

SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR THE NOVENA ACT OF CONSECRATION TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO SAINT RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
to be made at the conclusion of the Novena in honor of St. Raphael

Saint Raphael the Archangel, Holy Archangel Raphael, standing so close to the throne of God and offering Him our prayers, I venerate you as God’s special Friend and Messenger. I choose you as my Patron and wish to love and obey you as young Tobias did.

I consecrate to you my body and soul, all my work, and my whole life. I ask you to be my Guide and Counselor in all the dangerous and difficult problems and decisions of my life.

Remember, dearest Saint Raphael, that the grace of God preserved you with the good angels in Heaven separated from the fallen angels who rejected God. I entreat you, therefore, to help me in my struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Defend me from all dangers and every occasion of sin. Direct me always in the way of peace, safety, and salvation.

Offer my prayers to God as you offered those of Tobias, so that through your intercession I may obtain the graces necessary for the salvation of my soul. Remember me and always entreat for me before the Face of the Son of God. Help me to love and serve my God faithfully, to die in His grace, and finally to merit to join you in seeing and praising God forever in Heaven. Amen.

Most Holy Mother, Queen of the Angels and Archangels, send me your Champion, the Archangel Raphael, let him heal me of all my spiritual and physical ailments in Jesus’ Holy Name. May he protect me from Satan and all the evil spirits. St. Raphael be my guide and protector on my journey through life. O glorious St. Raphael the Archangel, herald of blessings, pray for us! Amen.

Litany in honor of St. Raphael

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, pray for us.
St. Raphael, perfect adorer of the Divine Word, pray for us.
St. Raphael, terror of demons, pray for us.
St. Raphael, scourge of demons, pray for us.
St. Raphael, filled with zeal for the salvation of souls, pray for us.
St. Raphael, our advocate, pray for us.
St. Raphael, filled with the mercy of God, pray for us.
St. Raphael, exterminator of vices, pray for us.
St. Raphael, whom the Scriptures praise: “Raphael, the holy angel of the Lord, was sent to cure,” pray for us.
St. Raphael, endowed with the grace of healing, pray for us.
St. Raphael, whose name means “Medicine of God,” pray for us.
St. Raphael, health of the sick, pray for us.
St. Raphael, our refuge in all our trials, pray for us.
St. Raphael, sure guide in the paths of virtue and sanctification, pray for us.
St. Raphael, guide of travelers, pray for us.
St. Raphael, who wert the guide and consolation of Tobias on his journey, pray for us.
St. Raphael, help of all those who implore thy assistance, pray for us.
St. Raphael, in pest, famine and war, pray for us.
St. Raphael, angel of peace and prosperity, pray for us.
St. Raphael, joy of the sorrowful, pray for us.
St. Raphael, consoler of prisoners, pray for us.
St. Raphael, lover of chastity, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, St. Raphael, to the Lord Our God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus Christ, by the prayer of the Archangel Raphael, grant us the grace to avoid all sin and to persevere in every good work until we reach our heavenly country, Thou who livest and reignest world without end. R. Amen.