Synaxis
of the Holy Archangel Gabriel: The Archangel Gabriel was chosen by the
Lord to announce to the Virgin Mary about the Incarnation of the Son
of God from Her, to the great rejoicing of all mankind. Therefore, on
the day after the Feast of the Annunciation,
the day on which the All-Pure Virgin is glorified, we give thanks to
the Lord and we venerate His messenger Gabriel, who contributed to the
mystery of our salvation.
Gabriel,
the holy Archistrategos (Leader of the Heavenly Hosts), is a faithful
servant of the Almighty God. He announced the future Incarnation of the
Son of God to those of the Old Testament; he inspired the Prophet
Moses to write the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament),
he announced the coming tribulations of the Chosen People to the
Prophet Daniel (Dan. 8:16, 9:21-24); he appeared to St Anna (July 25)
with the news that she would give birth to the Virgin Mary.
The
holy Archangel Gabriel remained with the Holy Virgin Mary when She was
a child in the Temple of Jerusalem, and watched over Her throughout
Her earthly life. He appeared to the Priest Zachariah, foretelling the
birth of the Forerunner of the Lord, St John the Baptist.
The
Lord sent him to St Joseph the Betrothed in a dream, to reveal to him
the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God from the All-Pure
Virgin Mary, and warned him of the wicked intentions of Herod, ordering
him to flee into Egypt with the divine Infant and His Mother.
When
the Lord prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before His Passion, the
Archangel Gabriel, whose very name signifies “Man of God” (Luke.
22:43), was sent from Heaven to strengthen Him.
The Myrrh-Bearing Women heard from the Archangel the joyous news of Christ’s Resurrection (Mt.28:1-7, Mark 16:1-8).
Mindful
of the manifold appearances of the holy Archangel Gabriel and of his
zealous fulfilling of God’s will, and confessing his intercession for
Christians before the Lord, the Orthodox Church calls upon its children
to pray to the great Archangel with faith and love.
The Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel is also celebrated on July 13. All the angels are commemorated on November 8.
Icon: The holy Archangels Michael & Gabriel, icon from the Orthodox Church in Maputo, Mozambique (from here & here).
Click:
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