Archangel Gabriel: meaning, role, and feast day
Gabriel is the archangel of the announcement: the messenger who brings news and helps you understand its meaning.
- message
- listening
- welcome
Gabriel at a glance
For you, he evokes listening to what arrives: receiving news, letting it ripen, then answering in your own way.
- Name
- “God is my strength” (or “strength of God”)
- Named by
- In the Bible
- Feast day
- September 29
Archangels are not calculated; Lenain’s 72 angels, however, can be read in your date of birth.
Who is the archangel Gabriel?
Gabriel first appears in the Book of Daniel, where he explains the meaning of his visions to the prophet. He returns in the Gospel of Luke: he announces to Zechariah the birth of John, then to Mary that of Jesus. This scene of the Annunciation, painted countless times, has made him the messenger par excellence.
In these accounts, Gabriel decides nothing: he transmits, he enlightens, and he leaves the person receiving the message free to respond. This is probably what makes his figure so familiar, well beyond the Churches: that of a word that opens a possibility without imposing it.
Texts that name this archangel
| Text | Role in the text |
|---|---|
| Daniel 8:15–26; 9:21–27 | Explains Daniel’s visions |
| Luke 1:5–25 | Announces to Zechariah the birth of John |
| Luke 1:26–38 | The Annunciation to Mary |
According to the traditions
Western Churches
The Catholic Church has celebrated him on September 29 since 1969, with Michael and Raphael; from 1921 to 1969, his feast fell on March 24.
Jewish tradition
In the Book of Daniel, he comes to explain the visions to the prophet, who calls him “the man Gabriel”; the text does not yet give him the title of archangel.
Eastern Churches
The Orthodox Churches dedicate March 26 and July 13 to him, then honor him again on November 8 among the archangels.
The name
Gabriel is translated as “strength of God,” sometimes “God is my strength”; “man of God” is also found. The strength in question is that of a word that makes something possible.
How the archangel is depicted
Mostly shown in scenes of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38).
Feast days and places
- September 29 (Catholic Church, since 1969; before that, March 24, a date set in 1921)
- March 26 and July 13 (Orthodox Churches); November 8 (Synaxis of the Archangels)
The “messages from Gabriel” circulating online are modern texts: Scripture credits him only with the announcements made to Daniel, Zechariah, and Mary.
Archangel Gabriel: your questions
Who is Archangel Gabriel?
The messenger of the Bible: he explains his visions to Daniel, then, in the Gospel of Luke, announces to Zechariah the birth of John and to Mary that of Jesus. This last scene, the Annunciation, fixed his image as messenger throughout Christian art.
When is Archangel Gabriel’s feast day?
Since 1969, the Catholic Church has celebrated him on September 29 with Michael and Raphael; before that, it was March 24. Among the Orthodox, he has March 26 and July 13, and reappears on November 8 among the leaders of the heavenly armies.
Is Gabriel a guardian angel?
Not in the sense of the Christian tradition, where each person’s guardian angel remains unnamed. Gabriel is a messenger archangel; Lenain’s 72 angels, who are assigned by birth date, form another tradition, one that comes from the Kabbalah.
And what about your own angels?
Gabriel announces. As for Lenain’s 72 angels, they divide up the year between them: which ones correspond to your birth?
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