Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
As thou beholdest the glory of God in Heaven, and on earth dost bestow grace from on high, O leader of Angels, wise Gabriel, minister of the glory of God, and divine defender of the world, save and keep my son, I cry to thee: Be thyself his helper, and no one can be against him.
Gabriel is the great Messenger of God. He brought news to Daniel in Babylon; he brought the news of John the Forerunner's impending birth to Zacharias in the temple; he brought the news of Christ's impending birth to the Theotokos; he announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds; he was the young man clad in white who sat on the stone and announced the resurrection to the women disciples of the Lord; and is believed to be the angel who will sopund the trumpet heralding Christ's return in the Last Days. Tradition holds that he announced the birth of the Theotokos to her parents, too. Gabriel brings Good News whenever he shows up!
In iconography, Gabriel always "wears blue or white and he holds either a lily (representing the Theotokos), a trumpet, a shining lantern, a branch from Paradise presented to him by the Theotokos, or a spear in his right hand and often a mirror—made of jasper and with a Χ (the first letter of Christ (Χριστος) in Greek)—in his left hand." He doesn't carry a sword; he is the angel who is charged with proclaiming salvation to mankind not war.
There are a number of feast days for the Archangel Gabriel on the Church's calendar: 26 March which is the day after the Annunciation, today (13 July) and 8 November, the day all the Archangels are feasted. Since I have an angel living with me, I try to remember all his feast days!
A blessed feast day of the
Archangel Gabriel to my son!
God grant him many more years!!
Archangel Gabriel to my son!
God grant him many more years!!
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