For all of my beautiful single readers, especially if you believe in angels, this post is for you! You already know that dreaded Saint 
Valentine’s day is approaching, which can be quite vexing, even painful, for those without love companions.
Instead of telling you to be your own valentine and buy yourself some flowers or chocolates, which I hope you do regularly anyway, why not invoke the help of Archangel Saint Raphael, who is much more invested in helping you find your true love!
Saint Raphael is one of seven archangels mentioned in the Judaic-Christian scripture that sits at the throne of God. Archangels are top ranked angels so to speak and are under
the direct command of God to serve out His missions.
Of the archangels, the chief ones are Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Archangel Raphael means “God’s Healing”, or God’s Medicine, as rafa is Hebrew for healing and el for God.
Saint Raphael wears many hats. Besides being the patron saint of physicians, nurses and all medical workers, he is also noted to protect travelers, the blind, and is a marvelous matchmaker.
Archangel Raphael is most mentioned in detail in the Book of Tobit, considered a canonical text for Catholic, Orthodox Christians and Anglicans.
In the new testament, John:5 1-4, Raphael was the healing angel inferred that descended and stirred the healing pool of Bethesda.
In the book of Tobit, there is the delightful story of God sending Raphael on a mission of healing and matchmaking.
The angel tasks were to journey with a young man named Tobias and arrange for him to meet his future wife Sarah. Raphael was sent to heal her as well as Tobias’s ageing blind father.
To accomplish his missions, Raphael takes on the human form of a handsome young man, whom he introduces himself to the young Tobias as Azariah.
Knowing that Tobias had been sent by his ageing father Tobit to Media to collect a sum of money, he tells Tobias that he knows the way, all along with the intent of introducing Tobias to his future wife.
Raphael, Tobias and his faithful dog set out on their journey and eventually stop to rest and wash by the banks of the Tigris river.
While there, a huge fish flops out of the water and under Raphael’s instruction, the fish is killed and its liver, heart and gallbladder are preserved with salt. He then reveals to Tobias that these organs will be used as medicinal agents to heal.
Sarah, the troubled intended future wife, had suffered from a horrible situation, where each of her seven husbands were killed by an evil demon before their union could be consummated. Obviously distraught and fearful that any man would succumb to the same fate, she remained alone and unmarried.
After introducing Tobias to Sarah, love bloomed and the marriage was arranged. Archangel Raphael instructed Tobias to burn the heart and liver on his wedding night to destroy the evil spirit, who was indeed banished.
When Tobias brought his bride home to meet his father, the angel told him to apply the gallbladder to his blind father’s eyes, healing his father of his blindness. At that time, Azariah reveals his true identity as archangel Raphael and then returns to heaven.
Paintings and icons of him often depict him with a fish and or with a jar of medicinal balms and leading by hand those he guides. His healing colours are shades of green from shimmery light ones to emerald-green.
Prayers to invoke his help are numerous, but the special one for “happy meetings” is as follows.
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, 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 separation and sorrows of earth, we feel the need of calling to you and pleading for the protection of your wings, so that we may not be as strangers in the Province of Joy.
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.
For those who are intent on asking Saint Raphael’s help and are comfortable with the Catholic tradition of novenas, then this prayer is to be said consecutively for 9 days.
I might add, that to enlighten the experience and help symbolise your prayer, that you light a red candle, the colour of love while you say this beautiful prayer.
For those of you who also have a broken heart, then Saint Raphael is the perfect and most appropriate saint to ask for help and intercession. As God’s healing angel, he brings and imparts God’s healing Light and Love for all afflictions.
Father Joseph Whalen, who died in 2016, started a healing ministry https://straphaeloil.com/ still being carried on. He was a late vocation Roman Catholic priest in Connecticut, who attributed his own healing to the intercession of Saint Raphael. His story of healing and his calling into the priesthood is very interesting and unusual.
His site is a wealth of information and testimonials to Saint Raphael, and they will send you a vial of blessed oil for those who request it.
Even though Raphael’s feast day is celebrated along with Michael and Gabriel on September 29, I feel he deserves a day of his own!
So for all you beautiful singles, Happy Saint Raphael day and prayers to all who are looking for lasting love!
P.S. This is a repost that is timeless as well as the healing and matchmaking powers of Saint Raphael!
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Speaking as a guy, esp. a long time married guy, I think that women quite often need to make themselves accessible and more open to meeting.(Relationships/meetings are almost ALWAYS up to the women.) My sister-in-law just turned 60 years old last year. She is a professional woman, a HR Regional Director for the largest hosptial and healthcare company in CA. She has been divorced for around 17 years. She probably works 60 hours a week with many charitable events or company events on the weekends. In her free time she enjoys movies at home or goin\g out with her friends. Yet, she laments not finding a guy.
In this age of women’s liberation, women just seem to make more of an effort to meet men or to be open to meeting them . . . most men just need to know that a woman is open to cordial and to meeting them . . . Whether it be a the grocery store or wherever (Ha!) Women, for the most part, control these types of meetings by the way that they respond to men . . . they need to at least let the guys know that they are potentially interested in meeting others. When it comes to romance, women basically control or determine most of that.
Thank you David for your comment and insight from a guy’s point of view. Your remarks about single women presenting themselves in a cordial and inviting manner certainly is appropriate advice. I am presuming that most single women attempt this, but perhaps in ways that do not convey availability, perhaps out of shyness or fear of being overly aggressive. Would love to hear from single women about this!
Cherrie . . . LMAO . . . MOST men have to be hit between the eyes with a hammer to get them to notice things; they aren’t as atune to things as most women are; but then again, perhaps those arent the kind of guys that the ladies are looking for. Women seem to desire, enjoy, and expect a man to pursue them . . . one shouldn’t expect things to occur in some miraculous moment . . . things usually take a little time to develop. Men tend to be either “too fast” or “too slow” to respond. Women tend to always be in control of these things, huh?
As we become older (and hopefully wiser), it does seem more and more difficult to meet the opposite sex…at least someone who is genuinely single, kind, smart etc.
Depending on what culture you’re living in, the dating thing can even become more complicated.
Overall though, I think the blurred lines between men and women’s role in society has also blurred the lines on how we should approach people. In the past, it was certainly the man who would approach the woman but now it seems no one knows how the “dance” should go.
I will be having a long chat with Saint Rafael and hope that he’s just the little push I need to be at the right place, at the right time, with a great guy that he’s selected just for me. 🙂
Thank you Ella for your insightful comment. I do believe in synchronistic occurrences that can lead someone to their beloved, that perhaps angels such as Saint Raphael organise from beyond with much precision. From their part, I think it must be a difficult task to nudge or guide human beings to go here or there, but obviously they have had eons of experience!
Saint Raphael is always portrayed as quite a handsome man, that I would love to interview! Hugs to you and Saint Raphael.
Happy 😃 valentines day Cherry!
Hope you’re had a wonderful day!
Hugs to you
Thank you Isham for your sweet Valentines greeting! Hugs