Raphael is the name given to one of the seven archangels 
who stand before the throne of God. He figures prominently 
in the book of Tobit, a dramatic tale in the Septuagint. 
Tobit is a man who has always obeyed the laws of God, yet 
in his old age he has gone blind and is mocked by his 
townsmen. Sarah is a young woman plagued by a demon; she 
has been married seven times, but each time the demon has 
killed her husband on their wedding night. Both Tobit and 
Sarah pray to God for deliverance, by death if necessary. 

In answer to their prayers, the Lord sends his archangel 
Raphael, who presents himself to Tobit as a kinsman named 
Azarias. Tobit sends his son, Tobias, with Raphael to a 
town in Media on business. During their trip, they meet 
Raguel, Sarah's father, who turns out to be a distant 
relation and invites them to stay with him. As soon as 
Tobias meets Sarah, he demands her hand in marriage. 
Initially reluctant, Raguel is persuaded by Raphael to 
allow it, and on their wedding night Tobias follows 
Raphael's advice and drives off the demon. 

When Tobias and his new bride return to his father, 
Raphael tells him how to cure Tobit's blindness. Once 
Tobit's sight is restored, Raphael reveals himself: 
"When you prayed with tears...I offered your prayers to 
the Lord.... For I am the angel Raphael, one of the 
seven who stand before the Lord." Tobit offers a prayer 
of praise and thanksgiving to God, and the book 
concludes with the happy news that he lived to see his 
great-grandchildren, while his son Tobit lived to see 
his own great-great-great-grandchildren.




Raphael, Michael and Gabriel are the only 
Archangels mentioned by name in the bible. Raphael's 
name means "God heals." This identity came about because 
of the biblical story which claims that he "healed" the 
earth when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen 
angels in the apocryphal book of Enoch. Raphael is also 
identified as the angel who moved the waters of the 
healing sheep pool. He is also the patron of the blind, 
of happy meetings, of nurses, of physicians and of 
travelers. His feast day is celebrated on September 29th

Our Friendship Is A Wonderful Feeling That I 
carry In My Heart


Because you are who you are,
We're friends
Weather it is your smile
Or laugh
That caught my eye
It was definitely your
Concerned attitude
That captured my heart.
When we first met, I felt like
I had known you all my life
I could talk to you so easily;
I could trust you with my
Innermost thoughts;
I I could laugh with you on 
The spur of the moment
With you, my friend, I don't have to
Pretend to be anything that I'm not.
You accept me for who I am and what 
I represent
You are that rare kind of person
Who cares enough to allow
And even encourage a person to be
Who they are
You have helped me through
What could have been a difficult time
"Thanks" just doesn't adequately
express my appreciation
but even more than that
I appreciate your friendship
It is one that rises fro our hearts
And will always be cherished





My Friend, Thank You


Thank you for all the
Moments we've shared - 
Moments filled with shared
Feelings and thoughts,
Dreams and wishes
Secrets, laughter and tears,
And above all, friendship
Each precious second will be treasured
In my heart forever

Thank you for taking time - 
Time to stop and take on interest in me;
Time to listen to my problems
And help me find the solutions,
And most of all,
Time to smile at me and show you care

Thank you for being you - 
You're a wonderful person
You were there when
I needed you to confide in
And to ask advice from.
Through you, I began 
To understand
And even like myself

How can I ever tell you
How much I care for you?

Thank you, my friend