Archangel Jehudiel - patron of the servants of God

Christian doctrine speaks of the existence of twelve archangels, having their own classification and patronizing various branches of human activity. In Orthodoxy they occupy the highest hierarchical level among other disembodied spirits, however, according to the system of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, this is the lowest (eighth of nine) rank.

In the Bible of this title, only Michael was awarded, but the archangel Jehudiel also deserves to be mentioned as a little-known, but a great messenger of God who played a significant role in the life of believers.

Who is Jehudiel

The name of this heavenly warrior is known to a few Christians, since it does not occur in God's Book. All that is known about him today is taken from Catholicism, Bible quotations and legends.

It is believed that for the first time the archangel Jehudiel went down to the Israeli people to protect him from his pursuers during a 40-year journey through the desert and punish the unholy unfaithful. A reminder of this traditionally is the Lord's conversion to Moses (Ex 23, 20-21).

Many of the ancient legends and catholic chronicles of the 15th-16th centuries tell about the deeds of the messenger of God, and his name first became known from the revelations of Amadeus Postugalsky. In literal translation from Hebrew it means "Praise of God". And no wonder: Jehudiel is considered the patron of the working people for the glory of the Lord - ministers of religion, rulers and judges.

And yet, despite the seemingly important role in the life of believers, the veneration of this human defender left the Catholic cult in the 17th century, but was transferred to the Life of the Saints by Dmitry Rostovsky.

However, to date, few prayers known to the helper of God are known, and it is impossible to find an Akathist to Archangel Jehudiel, even on the open spaces of the Net.

How the Archangel is portrayed

Only thanks to the translations of Dmitry Rostovsky it became known how Jehudiel looks (from the words of Amadeus of Portugal, who in his revelations described his appearance in detail).

The face of the archangel is often written on icons designed to bestow protection. In his right hand he squeezes a golden crown - a reward for good deeds, and in the left holds a whip with three ends, symbolizing the punishment for sins, disbelief and sloth.

Thus, the archangel Jehudiel, an icon whose image is no longer found in any major temple, calls Christians to be obedient to God's will and to perform deeds for the glory of the Lord.

Who is guarded by Jehudiel

As it was said earlier, Jehudiel is the defender of the faith, therefore, the more a person is betrayed to God, the more favorable to him is the archangel. Conversely, the weakening of religious beliefs leads to the loss of his patronage.

In addition to protecting people who occupy leading positions, Archangel Jehudiellet helps those engaged in the field of art (since talent is a gift from God) and workers for the benefit of society. And of course, the "Glory of the Lord" takes care of priests, patriarchs and monks, because by their actions they strengthen the people's faith.

Therefore, in Jehudiel's work and creativity are honorable - it is in these spheres that he assists. For these purposes, in his hands is a golden crown, which the archangel entrusts to the bosom of the glorified God by his deeds after his death.

Archangel Jehudiel: prayer addressed to him

Reading prayers is an integral part of a believer's life. Approach to this action should be responsibly and wholeheartedly, because, despite the fact that the "Glory of the Lord" hears the words addressed to him, the prayer will be much more effective if it is sincerely said and with the hope of fulfillment:

"The holy archangel of Jehudiel, the eternal protector of the chosen way of Christ, save from the terrible sin of laziness and give strength to good deeds. You are a great advocate of God's will and glory, help me to create in the name of the Father and the Son, strengthen my heart from the thoughts of black and thought from impermanence, get me acquainted, stupid! In the name of the Holy Trinity, from now on and forever and forever. Amen!"

According to the rules, this prayer should be read on Saturdays, in the morning and at night before going to bed. But since it is only one, albeit in various variations, it is possible to pronounce this appeal on other days, the main thing is to have pure thoughts and sincere faith.

Symbolism

The main symbols of Yehudiyil are a golden crown and a three-pointed whip, on some images being replaced with a baton. Also, it became inherent for believers to assign to the revered archangels other insignia, such as colors and shades, fragrances or natural stones. The latter can be both precious and not valuable in the jewelry industry.

However, for certain it is not known which stone suits the archangel Jehudiel. Today, it is not customary to decorate icons with its face, except for the gilded salary on top of the paint layer. But in the production of paints, sometimes milled stones are used: lapis lazuli, malachite or turquoise.

The color of the "Praising Lord" is attributed to violet, so if you want to decorate his image, you can use agate, amethyst or charoite.