2. Only four appearances of Gabriel In Daniel , he explains the vision of the horned ram as portending the destruction of the Persian Empire . After Daniel had prayed for Israel, we read that "the man Gabriel . . . . flying swiftly touched me" and he communicated to him the mysterious prophecy of the "seventy weeks" of years which should elapse before the coming of Christ
3. Only four appearances of Gabriel It is not clear whether the angel is Gabriel or not, but at any rate we may apply to him the marvelous description . In the New Testament he foretells to Zachary the birth of the Precursor, and to Mary that of the Savior.
4. Thus he is throughout the angel of the Incarnation and of Consolation, and so in Christian tradition Gabriel is ever the angel of mercy while Michael is rather the angel of judgment. Gabriel is mentioned only twice in the New Testament, but it is not unreasonable to suppose with Christian tradition that it is he who appeared to St. Joseph and to the shepherds, and also that it was he who "strengthened" Our Lord in the garden
5. St. Gabriel, the Archangel Feast day: September 29Patron of communications workers