St. Blaise is our man for today.
This is the invocation that will be said over those who get their throats blessed in his honor today.
“Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may
God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the
name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Blessing of St.
Blaise).
Who is St. Blaise?
The following answer to that question is again from the online encyclopedia of Catholic saints.
(After Blaise, I think I’ll leave the saints aside for a while.)
Feastday:February 3
Patronof Throat Illnesses
Many Catholics might remember Saint
Blaise’sfeast daybecause of theBlessingof the Throats that took place on this day. Twocandlesare blessed, held slightly open, and pressed against the throat
as theblessingis said. Saint Blaise’s protection of those with throat
troubles apparently comes from a legend that a boy was brought to him who had a
fishbone stuck in his throat. The boy was about to die when Saint Blaise healed
him.
Very few facts are known about
Saint Blaise. We believe he was abishopof Sebastea inArmeniawho was martyred under the reign of Licinius in the early
fourth century.
The legend of hislifethat sprang up in the eighth century tell us that he was born
in to a rich and noblefamilywho raised him as a Christian. After becoming a bishop, a newpersecutionof Christians began. He received a message fromGodto go into the hills to escape persecution. Men hunting in the
mountains discovered a cave surrounded by wild animals who were sick. Among
them Blaise walked unafraid, curing them of their illnesses. Recognizing Blaise
as a bishop, they captured him to take him back for trial. On the way back, he
talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman. When Blaise
was sentenced to be starved to death, the woman, in gratitude, sneaked into the
prison with food and candles. Finally Blaise was killed by the governor.
Blaise is the patron saint of wild
animals because of his care for them and of those with throat maladies.
Ah the hubris of mankind! Maybe Winter is again going “to show its might” after all.
Major building works are underway in the amalgamation of these two premises. Expect big changes here in the not too distant future.
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Jimmy Moloney has posted the minutes of the January Town Council meeting here: