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Description
St. Raphael
Materials: Watercolor paper (9x12 in.); pencil; black, gold, and silver ink; watercolors; white acrylics

Well, I finally finished this thing. I started this in February, and finished it about an hour ago. It's not even that this thing was just really complicated and would normally have taken such a long time. It just took a long time. Which is frustrating. I had planned on finishing this before Lent started, and Lent was ages ago now. My scanner is too small, and I didn't exactly stitch this together very well.

Anyway, here he is: St. Raphael. I'm fairly happy with how he turned out, despite the long time I spent doing it. I'm not really sure what inspired me to do a picture of him, other than that he was the only Archangel I've never drawn before, but I'm very glad I did.

St. Raphael is the angel who appears in the book of Tobit in the Old Testament. Ok, honestly, I have to say this is one hilarious book.

So it starts out with this fellow called Tobit. Everything is just kind of going wrong for Tobit. He's gone blind because some birds crapped in his eyes. His wife comes home with a goat, and he's convinced she's stolen it. And he's awfully depressed, and prays to God to deliver him or else pretty much just to kill him. Meanwhile, there's this girl Sarah who has been married seven times, but the demon Asmodeus has killed off every single one of her husbands before she can have intercourse with them. So she prays a similar prayer. So God sends the angel Raphael to help them. Tobit sends out Tobias (his son) to get some money that he has deposited. Well, Tobias runs into Raphael, who is pretending at first he isn't an angel. And he pretty much wants to go with Tobias, randomly, and claims he's a distant relative of his.

Well, so Tobias and Raphael go out, and along the way Tobias is washing his feet in the river. And this gigantic fish attacks him. Raphael makes Tobias grab the fish, and tells him to cut out the gall, heart, and liver and keep them because they have medicinal value. So Tobias is like "oh, ok". Then later, he asks "So what medicinal value is there in the gall, etc." And Raphael is like "Well it just so happens if you use it in such a way, it cures people afflicted with demons and it will cure a man afflicted with cataracts". And Tobias is just like "oh, ok". Now Tobias is supposed to marry someone, and Raphael says he should marry Sarah, because they're distant relatives. And Tobias is like "Uh... the last seven husbands of this lady were killed by demons before they could have intercourse" and then Raphael says, "Well yeah, but we just so happen to have the liver and heart of this fish which will get rid of the demon".

And so yeah, basically the story goes along... Sarah's demon is expelled, Tobit's blindness is cured, and Raphael reveals that he's actually an angel answering both of their prayers.

So I think it's very funny, especially how slow on the uptake Tobias is. It's cool to consider how many times angels may have helped us, even without us knowing it. And how hilarious they must find human nature. It's a perfect example of the role of the angels in aiding us, and why we should pray to the angels for help.

Incidentally, my guardian angel is named Tobit.

So that's Raphael's story. I tried to bring that whole deal into the symbolism in this picture. There's Raphael, disguised as a traveler, sent from heaven. At the top are Sarah and Tobias, whom he helped to bring together. In the four corners, it's a bit hard to see, there are fish symbols.

St. Raphael is the patron of a bunch of things. He's a good saint to pray for if you're sick (especially if you have eye problems!), and he's also the patron of travelers and engaged couples. His name means "Medicine of God" in Hebrew.

I did this in pencil, then inked it, then colored it over the course of a long time with watercolors. Thanks to my sister for posing for me as a model for this.

So there you have it.

Prayer to St. Raphael
Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the "medicine of God," I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favor (name your request) and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Description
St. Raphael
Materials: Watercolor paper (9x12 in.); pencil; black, gold, and silver ink; watercolors; white acrylics

Well, I finally finished this thing. I started this in February, and finished it about an hour ago. It's not even that this thing was just really complicated and would normally have taken such a long time. It just took a long time. Which is frustrating. I had planned on finishing this before Lent started, and Lent was ages ago now. My scanner is too small, and I didn't exactly stitch this together very well.

Anyway, here he is: St. Raphael. I'm fairly happy with how he turned out, despite the long time I spent doing it. I'm not really sure what inspired me to do a picture of him, other than that he was the only Archangel I've never drawn before, but I'm very glad I did.

St. Raphael is the angel who appears in the book of Tobit in the Old Testament. Ok, honestly, I have to say this is one hilarious book.

So it starts out with this fellow called Tobit. Everything is just kind of going wrong for Tobit. He's gone blind because some birds crapped in his eyes. His wife comes home with a goat, and he's convinced she's stolen it. And he's awfully depressed, and prays to God to deliver him or else pretty much just to kill him. Meanwhile, there's this girl Sarah who has been married seven times, but the demon Asmodeus has killed off every single one of her husbands before she can have intercourse with them. So she prays a similar prayer. So God sends the angel Raphael to help them. Tobit sends out Tobias (his son) to get some money that he has deposited. Well, Tobias runs into Raphael, who is pretending at first he isn't an angel. And he pretty much wants to go with Tobias, randomly, and claims he's a distant relative of his.

Well, so Tobias and Raphael go out, and along the way Tobias is washing his feet in the river. And this gigantic fish attacks him. Raphael makes Tobias grab the fish, and tells him to cut out the gall, heart, and liver and keep them because they have medicinal value. So Tobias is like "oh, ok". Then later, he asks "So what medicinal value is there in the gall, etc." And Raphael is like "Well it just so happens if you use it in such a way, it cures people afflicted with demons and it will cure a man afflicted with cataracts". And Tobias is just like "oh, ok". Now Tobias is supposed to marry someone, and Raphael says he should marry Sarah, because they're distant relatives. And Tobias is like "Uh... the last seven husbands of this lady were killed by demons before they could have intercourse" and then Raphael says, "Well yeah, but we just so happen to have the liver and heart of this fish which will get rid of the demon".

And so yeah, basically the story goes along... Sarah's demon is expelled, Tobit's blindness is cured, and Raphael reveals that he's actually an angel answering both of their prayers.

So I think it's very funny, especially how slow on the uptake Tobias is. It's cool to consider how many times angels may have helped us, even without us knowing it. And how hilarious they must find human nature. It's a perfect example of the role of the angels in aiding us, and why we should pray to the angels for help.

Incidentally, my guardian angel is named Tobit.

So that's Raphael's story. I tried to bring that whole deal into the symbolism in this picture. There's Raphael, disguised as a traveler, sent from heaven. At the top are Sarah and Tobias, whom he helped to bring together. In the four corners, it's a bit hard to see, there are fish symbols.

St. Raphael is the patron of a bunch of things. He's a good saint to pray for if you're sick (especially if you have eye problems!), and he's also the patron of travelers and engaged couples. His name means "Medicine of God" in Hebrew.

I did this in pencil, then inked it, then colored it over the course of a long time with watercolors. Thanks to my sister for posing for me as a model for this.

So there you have it.

Prayer to St. Raphael
Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the "medicine of God," I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favor (name your request) and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Ghost. Amen.