Per intercessionem S. Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo
May God at the intercession of St. Blasius preserve you from throat troubles and every other evil.
Today is the feast of St. Blaise.
It is a great feast of a Bishop and a martyr, and also the day we celebrate a great little tradition of our church. It’s the day that throats are blessed. Why?
Well, (a short version of) the story goes like this. St. Blaise was a physician and bishop of the Church during the 3rd century. Because the church was being persecuted, he decided to hide out in a cave. After Christ appeared to him in a vision, he surrendered himself to the soldiers who were looking for him. On the way home to his martyrdom he would continue to preach, and one young mother stopped him and asked for his help. Her son was suffering from a fishbone stuck in his throat. St. Blaise healed him, and continued on to shed his blood for love of Christ.
So… St. Blaise because he helped the little boy and his throat is the patron saint of throat problems.
So get your throats blessed today. Hopefully you can find a parish that is doing the blessing in your area.
But if not, you can always find a friend and do this acceptable lay blessing (from the Book of Blessings):
here is the blessing from the Book of Blessings (and yes a lay person can do it):
1634. A lay minister, touching the throat of each person with the crossed candles and, without making the sign of the cross, says the prayer of blessing.
Prayer:
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.
Each person responds:
Amen.
Read more about St. Blaise.
