In the year 2003, Saint Raphael the Archangel was chosen as the patron of Barangay San Rafael in Rodriguez, Rizal. Raphael was declared as a saint in honor of his deed helping humanity. He helps people in health professions: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and counselors. Also, he is a patron saint of young people, travelers, and people seeking protection in many forms such as cure in body, mind, and spirit. With that, he is known as the healer and serves as the patron of healing. In fact, his name Raphael means “God heals.” Unlike other saints, Raphael has never lived on Earth as a human. Instead, he is one of the seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord and one of the only three mentioned by name in the Bible, specifically from the Book of Tobit. Saint Raphael appears in the trials of Tobit, Tobias, and Sarah.
He first seems to be disguised in human form as the traveling companion of the younger Tobias and refers to himself as “Azarias, the son of the great Ananias.” In the identity of Azarias, Raphael protects and guides Tobias on his journey as he was sent by his Father Tobit on an errand. On their first night, Raphael and Tobias stopped by the River Tigris. As Tobias went to wash his feet, suddenly, a monstrous fish came up and tried to devour him. Tobias managed to grip the fish, and the angel told him to catch and cut it out, then preserve the fish’s heart, gall and liver to make balms and ointments as good medicine to cure. Raphael delivers Sarah, who had been married seven times and all seven husbands had been killed, from an evil demon named Asmodeus, who slain every man she will marry. Raphael guided Tobias and taught him how to enter the marriage safely with Sarah by instructing him to burn the fish’s heart and liver, as the smoke spread, it healed and cast out the demon away. The gall of fish is an eye medicine, as said by Azarias. Tobias anointed it to his father’s eyes, and it healed the blindness of Tobit; finally, his vision was restored.
Saint Raphael, the Archangel, has been commissioned to be man’s guide on his path to search for the treasures of genuine happiness that God has prepared for his children. He also gives us light so that we can see and choose God’s way, and he protects us from any danger we may face on our journey back to the Father. He is often depicted holding a staff that represents healing and holding a fish that refers to his story about how he uses the parts of a fish in his healing work. His feast day is celebrated on September 29.
