September 29, the Feast of the Archangels

The Archangels are spiritual beings of the highest rank created by God before the world was created. The most renowned are St. Michael or San Miguel, St. Gabriel or San Gabriel and St. Raphael or San Rafael.

Each had specific duties. St. Michael whose name means ‘who is like God’ was ordered to drive out of paradise Lucifer for challenging the authority of God. He helps us in our daily struggle against Satan.

Gabriel, meaning ‘the power of God’ , was tasked to proclaim God’s power. He told Mary that God the Father has chosen her to give birth to Jesus. San Gabriel has the power to help us in desperate cases and to protect those who evangelize.
Raphael, meaning ‘the medicine of God’, cures the sickness of the spirit and of the body. He guided Tobiah on his journey, protected him from a demon during the first wedding night and healed Tobit from his blindness.

San Miguel has four roles. First, he is the leader of the army of God and viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of spiritual warrior. Second, he is the angel of death carrying the souls of the dead to heaven. In this role San Miguel descends and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing, thus consternating the devil. Third, he is the special patron of the chosen people in the Old Testament and the guardian of the Church. Most military orders of the Knights during the Middle Ages made him their lead angel and explains why he is a patron of cities and nations. Fourth, he weighs souls in his perfectly balanced scales.