St. Blaise

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Blaise, the patron saint of illnesses of the throat.  Many folks associate St. Blaise with the annual blessing of the throats.  The blessing uses candles that are generally blessed on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, (also known as “Candlemas”) just the day before.

Upon doing some research on St. Blaise, I learned that he was believed to begin as a healer, then became known as a “physician of souls,” in both a physical and spiritual sense.  I immediately thought of the many priests I have met over the years and how they are “physician of souls” too – in a spiritual sense.

The candles are placed around the person’s throat, and the following blessing is prayed aloud:

Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps today, we can pray for all those who suffer from illness through the intercession of Saint Blaise.

Chris Hughes