"To the chosen Archangel, ever standing before the Throne of the Almighty, keeper of divine mysteries and joyful messenger, the most honoured Gabriel, we offer songs of praise, and with him, we honour the Pure Virgin, the Bride of the Church."
(Ikos 1 from the Akathist to the Archangel Gabriel)
In the Orthodox tradition, after major feasts of the Lord and the Theotokos, the Church remembers the saints who were closest to the holy event described in Scripture. After celebrating the Pure Virgin, on the day after the Annunciation (8 April), Christians thank the Lord and honour His messenger, the Archangel Gabriel. The word "Synaxis" in the name of the feast signifies that the faithful gather in church to celebrate a service in honour and praise of the holy Archangel who shared so much in the work of the Incarnation. Indeed, the Archangel Gabriel was the first to herald humanity’s salvation. The Lord chose him to reveal to the Virgin Mary, and through her to all people, the great joy of the Incarnation of the Son of God.
14th-century Byzantine icon of the Annunciation, Vatopedi Monastery, Mount Athos
The Archangel Gabriel is one of the seven Angels, those blessed spirits who, according to the Book of Tobit, bring the prayers of the saints and pass before the glory of the Holy One (cf. Tobit 12:15). He ranks second after the Archangel Michael. The name Gabriel means "man of God" or "strength of God" in Hebrew. Saint Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople, reflects on his name: “He who announced to the Virgin Mary is called Gabriel. Gabriel means ‘Strong Man’ and comes from the word Gaver, which means ‘strong.’”
This messenger of God earns our reverence not only for the significance of his name and the nature of his ministry, but even more for that mystery, “hidden from the ages and unknown even to the Angels,” which God revealed to him first and which he brought to the Most Pure Virgin. For the great work of God, a great Angel was needed. The more magnificent this mystery of God's Incarnation was — surpassing all other revelations previously delivered through Gabriel to the holy prophets — the greater the honour he received among the angelic hosts, who regard him as the nearest witness to the most unknowable mysteries of God.
Saint Gregory the Theologian writes of the Angels: "These Minds each took a part of the universe or were entrusted with a certain part of it, as was known to the One who Arranged and Distributed all things. And they all have one purpose — at the behest of the Creator of all, they sing the praises of God’s majesty, contemplate eternal glory, and do so forever…" By the power of their love for the Triune God, the holy Angels share in the life of the Holy Trinity, and by the power of their love for the world and people, they partake in the life of the world.
The ministry of the Archangel Gabriel flows from divine direction towards the salvation of mankind, calling those who have strayed back to their Maker and Sustainer. Both in Old Testament and New Testament times, the Archangel Gabriel imparted saving knowledge from on high to people, proclaiming the major events in the spiritual history of humanity and God's will for our salvation. He appears time and again as a Heavenly messenger, sent by the Lord God to announce His merciful and redeeming providence.
The Appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Prophet Moses. Miniature from Biblical books, late 15th century, Russian State Library
The text on Gabriel's scroll indicates that the Archangel is the messenger of the Lord, bestowing grace upon the prophet. Moses receives "the divine account of the creation of heaven and earth and all flesh, created by God," so that Moses might write it in a book.
Church tradition teaches that the Archangel Gabriel instructed the Prophet Moses in the wilderness when he was writing the Book of Genesis. Saint Demetrius of Rostov notes, "He taught Moses <…> the art of writing in the wilderness, told him about the beginning of the world, the creation of the first man Adam, about his life and the patriarchs who came after him, about later events — the flood, and the division of languages; he explained to him the arrangement of celestial bodies and elements, taught him arithmetic, geometry, and all wisdom."
Holy Scripture testifies that the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet Daniel, who struggled to understand the meaning of a vision he had seen — a battle between a goat and a ram: “…So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, ‘Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end’” (Daniel 8:17). The vision warns, on the one hand, of the imminent reign of a treacherous king (Antiochus Epiphanes, according to Saint Ephrem the Syrian), who will come at the end of the Old Testament, and, on the other hand, of the Antichrist, who will come at the end of the New Testament: “…And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes… Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human means” (Daniel 8:23, 25).
In the Old Testament, Gabriel is the messenger of mysteries of both the near and distant future. He also reveals to the Prophet Daniel the mysterious meaning of the prophecy of the seventy weeks, announcing the time of the Jews' liberation from Babylonian captivity and the time of the Incarnation (see Daniel 8:16; 9:21).
The Archangel Gabriel explaining visions to the Prophet Daniel. Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Ferapontov Monastery, Vologda Region. Dionysius, 1500–1502
The dawn of the New Testament era begins with a series of appearances by the Archangel Gabriel. According to Church tradition, it was the Archangel Gabriel who announced to the righteous Joachim and Anna the birth of the Most Holy Virgin Mary. Becoming the Guardian Angel of the Immaculate One from the very moment of Her conception, he remained constantly with the Holy Virgin Mary in the Temple in Jerusalem, brought Her food in the Holy of Holies, and protected Her throughout Her earthly life. Church tradition also holds that the Archangel Gabriel presented the Virgin Mary with a heavenly branch — a symbol of incorruption and victory over death — and brought Her the news of Her forthcoming passage to the heavenly realm a few days before Her Dormition.
Saint Archangel Gabriel is the minister of God’s Almighty Power. As the Evangelist Luke recounts, Gabriel appeared to the elderly priest Zechariah while he was burning incense in the Temple in Jerusalem and informed him of the birth of the holy Prophet John the Baptist (see Luke 1:5 – 25). Because Zechariah doubted that this message could come true, the Archangel, to confirm his words, struck him mute: “…I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” (Luke 1:19 – 20) After the birth of his son, Zechariah regained the gift of speech and pronounced a prophecy, known as the "Song of Zechariah" (see: Luke 1:68-79).
The Archangel Gabriel announces to the holy Prophet Zechariah the birth of Saint John the Baptist. Fresco from Visoki Dečani Monastery, Kosovo, Serbia. Circa 1350
After the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos, the Scripture no longer mentions the Archangel Gabriel by name, but tradition points to him as the Angel who delivered other important New Testament revelations. In liturgical texts, the Church calls the Archangel Gabriel the "minister of miracles."
According to tradition, it was the Archangel Gabriel who appeared in a dream to righteous Joseph to assure him of the Virgin Mary's purity (see Matthew 1:20 – 21). He also warned the holy betrothed of Herod's intentions and commanded him to flee to Egypt with the Child and the Most Pure Virgin. After Herod's death, the Archangel informed Joseph that the danger had passed and it was safe to return home.
At the Lord's birth, the Archangel appeared to the shepherds, announcing the Saviour’s arrival in the world (see Luke 2:8 – 12) and pointing them to the cave where the Divine Infant lay. Some Church Fathers suggest that Gabriel was sent to strengthen the Saviour during His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before the Crucifixion. Tradition also tells that he announced the Resurrection of Christ to the myrrh-bearing women, telling them that the Saviour was not in the tomb and that He had risen from the dead.
The appearance of the Angel to the myrrh-bearing women, fresco of the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Mileševa Monastery, Serbia, before 1228
In Orthodox iconography, the holy Archangel Gabriel typically appears with an olive branch in hand — a symbol of reconciliation between God and creation. There are also images of the Angel of the Annunciation with a flowering paradise branch or a lily. His image, together with the image of the Most Holy Theotokos, is often placed on the Royal Doors of the iconostasis in churches. The Archangel Gabriel is also frequently depicted on the north doors of the iconostasis. In some renderings, he clasps a spherical mirror or holds a lamp with a candle. The Archangel Gabriel is also one of the shield-bearers on the coat of arms of the Russian Empire.
Perhaps the Archangel Gabriel was once seen as the patron saint of Kiev. In the Hypatian Chronicle, entry for 1037, Yaroslav the Wise built a church at the Golden Gate in honour of the Annunciation, to "always give joy to that city through the holy Annunciation of the Lord and the prayer of the Holy Theotokos and the Archangel Gabriel." Metropolitan Hilarion writes of this church: "May the salutation the Archangel gave to the Virgin, be also to this city. For to Her he said: 'Rejoice, O Favoured One! The Lord is with You,' and to the city: 'Rejoice, O faithful city! The Lord is with you!'" (BLDR, Vol. 1, p. 50).
The oldest stone church in Rus' dedicated to Gabriel arose in 1413 in Novgorod on Khrevkova Street at the Nerev end. The Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin also has a side chapel dedicated to the Archangel Gabriel. In the 1530s, a church in the name of the Archangel Gabriel — the heavenly patron of Grand Prince Vasily III — was built in the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. The first mention of a church of the Archangel Gabriel at Chistye Prudy dates back to 1551 (the church of the same name built on this site in 1704 – 1707 became known as the Menshikov Tower).
At baptism, many Russian princes took the name Gabriel: Yaropolk Izyaslavich (†1086), Vsevolod Mstislavich (†1138), Yaroslav Mstislavich (†1198), Yaropolk Yaroslavich (†after 1214), Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich (†1253), Vasily III Ioannovich (†1533), and others.
Great Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire
The Orthodox Church commemorates the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel twice a year: the day after the Annunciation and on 26 July.
During the 17th century, a modest church was consecrated in Constantinople to the Archangel Gabriel. Orthodox Constantinople had by then fallen under Ottoman rule, making the consecration on 26 July quite momentous. It entered the Church calendar as the second feast in honour of the Archangel Gabriel.
In addition to these universal Church observances, there is the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel at Adina, celebrated on 24 June. On Mount Athos, in a cave near Karyes in a place called Adina, lived an elder and a novice. On the eve of Sunday, 24 June 982 AD, the elder went to the all-night vigil at the monastery, and the novice remained in the cell. At midnight, an unknown monk asked for lodging. The hospitable novice invited the monk to pray. When they reached the prayer "More Honourable than the Cherubim," the guest added the words: "It is truly meet to bless You, O Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God" — this, he said, is how they honour the Mother of God in his region.
Deeply moved, the novice asked the stranger to write down the prayer, which he did, inscribing the text with his finger on a stone slab. He then revealed himself as Gabriel and became invisible. The council of Athonite elders determined that the Archangel Gabriel had visited the cell. The hymn "It is Truly Meet" consists of two parts: "More Honourable than the Cherubim" — the irmos of the Friday canon of Great Vespers, composed by Cosmas of Maiuma (†787) — and "It is Truly Meet," a refrain of a later date. Since then, the angelic prayer has resounded throughout the world, and the cell is still called "Axion Estin" ("It is Truly Meet").
We also commemorate the Archangel Gabriel on 21 November at the Feast of the Synaxis of the Bodiless Heavenly Powers.
The Church of the Archangel Gabriel in Belgorod, Russia
As we celebrate the Feast of the Council of the Archangel Gabriel, recalling his many appearances in the Old and New Testaments, his faithful service to God’s will, and his intercession for Christians, let us also seek the guardianship and intercession of the holy Archangel for us sinners:
“You who behold the glory of God in heaven and pour out grace on earth, O chief of angels, wise Gabriel, servant of God’s glory and champion of divine peace, save and guard those who cry to you: be yourself our helper, and let none prevail against us."
(Kontakion, Tone 2)
Prepared by the team of obitel-minsk.ru
Photographs from the Internet
Sources used:
1. Lives of the Saints in Russian, presented according to the guide of the Menologion of St. Dimitri of Rostov / 12 books. Moscow: "Kovcheg," 2010.
2. Batalov A. A. Moscow Stone Architecture of the Late 16th Century. Moscow, 1996.
3. The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos – Russian Faith (ruvera.ru).
4. Archangel Gabriel – Culture and Art, Lessons in Culture (urok-kultury.ru).
5. Russian Book Miniature of the 15th Century – Iskusstvoed.ru, an online resource on culture and art (iskusstvoed.ru).
