Saint
Archangel Gabriel
Also known as: Архангел Гавриил, Архистратиг Гавриил, Архангел Божий Гавриил
The archangel and messenger of God's mysteries who revealed the Messiah's coming to Daniel, announced the birth of John the Forerunner and brought the Virgin Mary the Annunciation.
The Archangel Gabriel is one of the archangels, the eighth rank of the angelic hosts. His name means "power of God" (or "man of God"). Together with Michael he is one of the two angels named in the New Testament, and he says of himself: "I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God" (Luke 1:19).
In the Old Testament Gabriel appears to the Prophet Daniel to explain his visions of the end times and to foretell the coming of the Messiah after "seventy weeks" (Dan 8:16; 9:21–27). In the Gospel of Luke he announces to the priest Zacharias the birth of John the Forerunner and, six months later, brings the Virgin Mary in Nazareth the good news that she will bear the Saviour. Some Church Fathers held that he strengthened Christ in Gethsemane and foretold to the Mother of God her Dormition.
The Church honours him on 26 March, the day after the Annunciation (the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel, known from the 9th century), on 13 July (a second Synaxis, from the Jerusalem Typikon), and on 8 November together with the Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Powers.