Catholic Radio Dramas

The Word Angel Denotes a Function

MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL, ARCHANGELS

A Homily on the Angels by St. Gregory the Great, pope (c. 540-604)

The word “angel” denotes a function rather than a nature

Narrated by Frank Dugan, Huntington Beach, California

You should be aware that the word “angel” denotes a function rather than a nature. Those holy spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they deliver some message. Moreover, those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels: and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels.

And so it was that not merely an angel but the archangel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary. It was only fitting that the highest angel should come to announce the greatest of all messages.

Some angels are given proper names to denote the service they are empowered to perform. In that holy city, where perfect knowledge flows from the vision of almighty God, those who have no names may easily be known. But personal names are assigned to some, not because they could not be known without them, but rather to denote their ministry when they come among us. Thus, Michael means “Who is like God?”; Gabriel is “The Strength of God”; and Raphael is God’s Remedy.”

Whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, Michael is sent, so that his action and his name may make it clear that no one can do what God does by his superior power. So also our ancient foe desired in his pride to be like God, saying: I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven; I will be like the Most High. He will be allowed to remain in power until the end of the world when he will be destroyed in the final punishment. Then, he will fight with the archangel Michael, as we are told by John: A battle was fought with Michael the archangel.

So too Gabriel, who is called God’s strength, was sent to Mary. He came to announce the One who appeared as a humble man to quell the cosmic powers. Thus God’s strength announced the coming of the Lord of the heavenly powers, mighty in battle.

Raphael means, as I have said, God’s remedy, for when he touched Tobit’s eyes in order to cure him, he banished the darkness of his blindness. thus, since he is to heal, he is rightly called God’s remedy.

Source: The Liturgy of the Hours – Office of Readings

Saint Michael, the Archangel is one of the three angels, with Gabriel and Raphael, liturgically venerated by the Church. He appears twice in the Old Testament (Dan. 10:13ff.; 12:1, as the helper of the Chosen People) and twice in the New Testament (Jude v. 9, where he disputes with the devil over Moses’ body; and Rev 12:7-9, where he and his angels fought the dragon and hurled him and his followers from heaven). He repeatedly appears in apocryphal literature and was early regarded in the Church as the captain of the heavenly host, the protector of the Christian against the devil, especially at the hour of death, when he conducts the soul to God, and as the helper of Christian armies against heathen armies. His cult apparently originated in Phrygia but soon spread to the West, where it received great impetus as a result of his appearance at Mount Garganus in northern Italy during the pontificate of Pope Gelasius (492-96), when St. Michael indicated a spot at which a shrine in his honor was to be erected. He is usually represented with a sword fighting with or standing over a conquered dragon.

Saint Gabriel, the Archangel is the angel sent as God’s messenger to Daniel to explain his vision (Dan. 8: 16-26) and prophecy (Dan. 9: 21-27). Saint Gabriel was the angel sent to foretell the birth of John the Baptist to John’s father, Zechariah (Luke 1:11-21) and was also the angel sent to announce to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of God (Luke 1:26-38).

Saint Raphael, the Archangel is one of the seven archangels “who stand before the Lord” mentioned in Tobias 12:12, 15, where Scripture tells that he was sent by God to minister to Tobias and Sara and accompanied young Tobias into Media disguised as a man named Azarias. His name in Hebrew means “God heals,” and he is identified as the angel who “healed” the earth when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen angels in the apocryphal Enoch (10:7) and who moved the waters of the healing sheep-pool (John 5: 1-4). He is one of only three archangels identified by name along with Michael and Gabriel in Sacred Scripture and has been venerated for ages in both the Jewish and the Christian traditions.

Source: Dictionary of Saints by John J. Delaney; Doubleday & Company, Garden City NY 1980