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The Angel Raphael
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Chaplet of St. Raphael
On Medal:
You are Raphael the Healer,
You are Raphael the Guide,
You are Raphael the Companion ~
ever at human sorrow's side.
On each of the three Small Beads:
3 Hail Marys to honor Mary, the Queen of Angels
On each of the Nine Beads of the Chaplet:
To honor the Nine Choirs of Angels
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Hosts, Heaven and earth are
full of Your glory! Glory be to the Father; glory be to the Son; glory
be to the Holy Spirit.
• Angels
• Archangels
• Thrones |
• Dominations
• Virtues
• Principalities |
• Powers
• Cherubim
• Seraphim |
Concluding Aspiration:
St. Raphael, Angel of health, of love, of joy and of
light ~ pray for us. |
Prayer of the Church in Honor of St. Raphael
Archangel
Vouchsafe, O Lord God, to send unto
our assistance Saint Raphael the Archangel: and may he, who, we believe,
evermore stands before the throne of Thy Majesty, offer unto Thee our humble
petitions to be blessed by Thee. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
(Roman Missal) An indulgence of three years.
A plenary indulgence, under the
usual conditions, when this prayer has been said every
day for one month.
Prayer to St. Raphael
O glorious Archangel, St. Raphael, great Prince of the
heavenly court, illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace, guide of
those who journey by land, sea, or air, consoler of the afflicted, and
refuge of sinners: I beg you to assist me in all my needs and in all the
sufferings of this life, as you once did help the young Tobias on his travels.
And because you are the "Medicine of God," I humbly pray thee to heal the
many infirmities of my soul, and the ills which afflict my body, if it
be for my greater good. I especially ask of thee an angelic purity,
which may fit me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer to St. Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings
O Raphael, lead us towards those we are waiting for, those
who are waiting for us! Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings, lead us by the
hand towards those we are looking for! May all our movements, and all their
movements be guided by your Light and transfigured by your Joy.
Angel Guide of Tobias, lay the request we now address
to you at the feet of Him on whose unveiled Face you are privileged to
gaze. Lonely and tired, crushed by the separations and sorrows of earth,
we feel the need of calling to you and of pleading for the protection of
your wings, so that we may not be as strangers in the Province of Joy,
all ignorant of the concerns of our country.
Remember the weak, you who are strong--you whose home
lies beyond the region of thunder, in a land that is always peaceful, always
serene, and bright with the resplendent glory of God. Amen.
A Prayer for Our Loved Ones Whose Work Has Them
Traveling Abroad
I. Saint Raphael the Archangel, you were a faithful
companion to the young man, Tobias, on his long journey from Syria to Media,
rescuing him from many dangers and, in particular, from the danger of death
in the river Tigris; we beseech thee with all our hearts to be a safeguard
and an Angel of consolation to our dear ones on the long journey which
they are making in foreign lands. Keep them far from all dangers of body
and soul, and grant that they may come in safety to the haven of their
desire.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and
to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall
be, world without end. Amen.
II. Saint Raphael the Archangel, arriving
in Media you did bestow upon the young man, Tobias, extraordinary favors,
going thyself to the city of Rages to receive the money from Gabelus. Helping
Tobias to find a worthy spouse in Sara, when she was delivered from the
slavery of the demon, and enriching him with the goods of fortune. Look,
we humbly beseech thee, upon our dear ones working abroad. Extend unto
them your heavenly protection, prospering their labors and saving them
from the many snares which will be laid for their souls, so that they may
be enabled to persevere in the precious gift of faith and to conform their
lives to its teaching.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and
to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall
be, world without end. Amen.
III. St. Raphael the archangel, who faithful to thy
mission did bring back safe and sound to Syria, the young man, Tobias,
enriching has house with blessings and graces, and even restoring the gift
of sight to his blind father; ah, fulfill thy task in our behalf. Bring
our loved ones back in thine own good time, safe and sound, and grant that
their return may be a source of consolation, prosperity and every choice
blessing; and we, too, like the family of Tobias, will thank thee for all
thy tender care and will unite ourselves to thee in praising, blessing
and thanking the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and
to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall
be, world without end. Amen.
V. Pray for us, Saint Raphael the
Archangel,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises
of Christ.
Let us pray: O God, who gave Thy blessed Archangel
Raphael unto Thy servant Tobias to be his fellow-traveler; grant unto us,
Thy servants, that the same may ever keep us and shield us, help us and
defend us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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THE
BOOK OF TOBIT
Introduction
The Book of Tobit, named after its
principal hero, combines specifically Jewish piety and morality with oriental
folklore in a fascinating story that has enjoyed wide popularity in both
Jewish and Christian circles. Prayers, psalms, and words of wisdom, as
well as the skillfully constructed story itself, provide valuable insights
into the faith and the religious milieu of its unknown author. The book
was probably written early in the second century B.C.; it is not known
where.
Tobit, a devout and wealthy Israelite living among the
captives deported to Nineveh from the northern kingdom of Israel in 721
B.C., suffers severe reverses and is finally blinded. Because of his misfortunes
he begs the Lord to let him die. But recalling the large sum he had formerly
deposited in far-off Media, he sends his son Tobiah there to bring back
the money. In Media, at this same time, a young woman, Sarah, also prays
for death, because she has lost seven husbands, each killed in turn on
his wedding night by the demon Asmodeus. God hears the prayers of Tobit
and Sarah, and sends the angel Raphael in disguise to aid them both.
Raphael makes the trip to Media with Tobiah. When Tobiah
is attacked by a large fish as he bathes, Raphael orders him to seize it
and to remove its gall, heart, and liver because they make "useful medicines."
Later, at Raphael's urging, Tobiah marries Sarah, and uses the the fish's
heart and liver to drive Asmodeus from the bridal chamber. Returning to
Nineveh with his wife and his father's money, Tobiah rubs the fish's gall
into his father's eyes and cures them. Finally, Raphael reveals his true
identity and returns to heaven. Tobit then utters his beautiful hymn of
praise. Before dying, Tobit tells his son to leave Nineveh because God
will destroy that wicked city. After Tobiah buries his father and mother,
he and his family depart for Media, where he later learns that the destruction
of Nineveh has taken place.
The inspired author of the book used the literary form
of religious novel (as in Jonah and Judith) for the purpose of instruction
and edification. There may have been a historical nucleus around which
the story was composed, but this possibility has nothing to do with the
teaching of the book. The seemingly historical data-names of kings, cities,
etc.-are used merely as vivid details to create interest and charm.
Although the Book of Tobit is usually listed with the
historical books, it more correctly stands midway between them and the
wisdom literature. It contains numerous maxims like those found in the
wisdom books (cf Tobit 4:3-19, 21; 12:6-10; 14:7, 9) as well as the customary
sapiential themes: fidelity to the law, the intercessory function of angels,
piety toward parents, the purity of marriage, reverence for the dead, and
the value of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. The book makes Tobit a relative
of Ahiqar, a hero of ancient Near Eastern folklore.
Written in Aramaic, the original of the book was lost
for centuries. The Greek translation, existing in three different recensions,
is our primary source. In 1955, fragments of the book in Aramaic and in
Hebrew were recovered from Cave IV at Qumran. These texts are in substantial
agreement with the Greek recension that has served as the basis for the
present translation.
NOTE: (Explaination
taken from the Douay-Rheims Bible web site)
Pope Damasus assembled the first list of books of the
Bible at the Roman Council in 382 A.D. He commissioned St.? Jerome to translate
the original Greek and Hebrew texts into Latin, which became known as the
Latin Vulgate Bible and was declared by the Church to be the only authentic
and official version, in 1546.
Tobit is one of the seven Deutero-Canonical books of the
Old Testament (erroneously called Apocrypha by Protestants).? These seven
books were included in the 1611 King James Version, but not in later KJV
Bibles.
St. Jerome considered the seven Deutero-Canonical books
to be NOT inspired by God, but he was commissioned by Pope Damasus to translate
all 73 books into Latin. Pope Damasus considered the 7 DC books to be inspired
by God. Later in 1946, after the finding of the dead-sea scrolls, it was
discovered that these 7 DC books were used by the Jews in Alexandria, even
in their services. This verifies that Pope Damasus was correct.
It is interesting to note that the Palestinian Jews did
not accept the 7 DC books for their version of Holy Scriptures and neither
did they accept any of the New Testament. Unfortunately, the King James
Bible is based on this version which comes from a people who did not accept
Jesus Christ as the Messiah. |
See ya'll later ~ God Bless ~ Live in His Love!
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