Gabriel

GABRIELE. – Archangel who announced the mystery of the Incarnation. The name means “man of God” or “man in whom God places his trust.” He is mentioned four times in Sacred Scripture. He explains the vision to Daniel (8:16) and announces the time of the coming of the Messiah (9:21). In the New Testament, appearing to Zechariah on the right of the altar of incense, he announces the birth of his son (Lk. 1:11 ff.) and punishes the unbelieving father; on this occasion he reveals his dignity: “I am G., who stand in the presence of God” (Lk. 1:19). With this phrase he declares himself to be one of the highest-ranking angels. Above all, he is venerated for the announcement of the Incarnation conveyed to Mary (Lk. 1:26–38).

Everywhere (10 times) he is simply called “angel”; later he is honored by the name of “archangel” (v.). Thus already in some manuscripts of the Protoevangelium of James (12:2: ed. C. Tischendorf, Evangelia apocrypha, Leipzig 1876, p. 24; ed. E. Amann, Le proté-

vangile de Jacques, Paris 1910, p. 228) and in the Sibylline Books (8:460; ed. J. Gaffcken, Oracula Sybilina, Leipzig 1905, 171). In both texts of the Epistula Apostolorum (3:10, 24:6, 5:6: ed. C. Schmidt [Texte u. Unters., 43], Leipzig 1919, pp. 46–49: PO, 9, 197) four archangels appear: Michele, G., Raffaele, Uriel. Thereafter he is frequently honored with this title (formerly given only to Michele: Iud. 9), as attested by the Apocalypse of Paul (C. Tischendorf, Apocalypse apocryphae, Leipzig 1866, p. 62), Efrem (Sermo adx. Haereticus, in Opera graeca, II, 269), Pseudo-Crisostomo (In Synaxim Angelorum: PG 59, 755 ff.), Teodoreto (In Cant. Cant., Praef.: PG 81, 45 C), Ambrogio (De virginibus, 2:2:8: PL 16, 221), Pseudo-Ambrogio (Sermo 50:6: PL 17, 707–737), Sedulius (Opus Paschale, 2:3: PL 19, 596; CSEL, 10, 199, 6).

In the apocryphal History of Joseph (12–29: ed. C. Tischendorf, Evangelia apocr., pp. 126–37), Christ himself, when s. Giuseppe is at the point of death, prays to the Father to send Michele and G., so that they may come to receive the holy soul that is about to depart. In our liturgical text, which depends on this apocryphal work, prayer is offered only to Michele, that he may “suscipiat eum” (Ordo commendationis animae, in the Rituale Romanum, 3:7).

The iconography of G. is exceedingly rich because of the Annunciation (v.) (which in the Greek Churches are prescribed in every church). – Vedi tav. CXXIII.