St. John Nepomucene

The Feast of St Blaise

A few years ago Pope Benedict the Sixteenth baptized ten infants and addressed the newly baptized and their families in these words, the Sacrament of Baptism introduces you into a company of friends that will never abandon you in life and death.  This company of friends is the family of God which carries within itself the promise of eternity.

In addition to being connected to the people whom we see and the people in churches like this one throughout the world, we have friends whom we do not see,  Angels and Saints who pray not only for our salvation but also to help us with our various needs.  Among our needs is the need to be healed.

Today, we celebrate the traditional Blessing of the Throats through the intercession of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr.  One of our heavenly friends is St. Blaise.  We ask St. Blaise to protect people from all ailments of the throat and to deliver us from every other illness.  God chooses at times to heal us through the intercessory prayer of the saints.

Picture this story that happened 1600 years ago.  A distraught mother rushes up to St. Blaise who is a bishop from Armenia, present day Turkey.  He will shortly die as a martyr.  The young mother begs the saintly bishop to save the life of her child.  Her young son is choking to death on a fish bone.  He cannot breathe properly.   His face and lips are turning blue.

The Bishop goes to the boy and prays.  Miraculously, the fish bone is dislodged and the boy begins to breathe normally.  Jesus heals the boy through the intercessory prayer of St. Blaise.

This is the brief account behind the custom of blessing peoples’ throats which we celebrate.  You hear the priest or minister say these words, “Through the intercession of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, may God deliver you from all ailments of the throat and from every other illness.  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.”  After the candles are removed from your throat you are invited to make the Sign of the Cross and say, Amen.

These blessed candles are tied together with a red ribbon.  The candles are not lit.  They represent the Light of Christ which we received at Baptism.  The ribbon that binds them is red because St. Blaise died as a martyr.  Everyone can receive this blessing.  You do not have to be Catholic or in the state of grace.

Let us pray for one another that we may experience healing for our various ailments and be protected from future ones.