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 Saint 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, Saint John the
Baptist.
The Lord sent him to
Saint 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.
