From: hildegard8@excite.com   
      
   February 3rd - St. Blaise of Sebaste BM (RM)   
    (also known as Blase, Blasien, Blasius, Biagio)   
      
   Died c. 316. As someone who loves to sing and suffers from frequent sore   
   throats, I always look forward to the feast of Saint Blaise. Since the 16th   
   century, the throats of the faithful are blessed on this day using the   
   sacramental of two crossed or intertwined candles. I hope this is still   
   customary in all Catholic churches. The reason for Blaise's patronage of   
   throats is that he reportedly revived a boy who choked to death on a   
   fishbone (in some versions he raised the already dead boy). The candles used   
   during the blessing are derived from the candles brought to Blaise in prison   
   by the grateful mother. (I also wonder if there is some significance to the   
   candles that were blessed the day before at Candlemas-Feast of the   
   Presentation-being used to bless?)   
      
   In the acta of Saint Eustratius, who perished in 303 under Diocletian, it is   
   said that Blaise received his relics, deposited them with those of Saint   
   Orestes, and executed every article of his last will and testament. This is   
   all that can be confirmed of Saint Blaise with any accuracy as there is no   
   evidence of a cultus for Blaise prior to the 8th century. According to   
   Blaise's legendary acta, which date no earlier than the 8th century, he was   
   born into a rich and noble family, received a Christian education, and was   
   consecrated a bishop of Sebaste, Cappadocia (now Armenia), while still quite   
   young. Blaise was a physician in Sebaste, as well as bishop. As a doctor   
   Blaise went into every home at all hours of the day and night, knew both the   
   rich and the poor, comforted, cured, and advised them all. As a bishop, he   
   did the same thing.   
      
   When the governor of Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia, Agricolaus, began   
   persecuting Christians, Bishop Blaise of Sebaste hid in a cave where the   
   wild beasts, including lions, tigers, and bears, tended him because he cared   
   for them whenever they were hurt. His hiding place was discovered by hunters   
   seeking animals for the amphitheatre, who observed him curing sick and   
   wounded animals. Because the wild animals were so tame around him, they   
   thought that Blaise was a wizard and wanted to present him as such to the   
   governor. As he was being brought to Governor Agricolaus, a poor woman   
   appealed for help because a wolf had taken her pig and Blaise persuaded the   
   wolf to release the pig unharmed. Blaise was presented to the governor, who   
   had him scourged and decided to starve Blaise to death in prison. But his   
   plans were thwarted when the grateful woman secretly brought Blaise food and   
   candles to dispel the darkness of his gloomy prison. When it was discovered   
   that Blaise was still alive, the governor ordered soldiers to rake away the   
   saint's skin with a woolcomb, and then Blaise was beheaded.   
      
   This is only one version of Blaise's story. In another he is repeatedly   
   tortured, but refuses to give in. He is thrown into a nearby lake, but the   
   waters remain frozen like ice, unwilling to be an accomplice in the death of   
   this holy man. So, he is finally killed by the sword. Canterbury claimed his   
   relics, and at least four miracles were said to have occurred at his shrine,   
   one dated 1451. Parson Woodforde described a solemn procession in his honor   
   at Norwich on March 24, 1783 (Attwater, Attwater2, Benedictines, Bentley,   
   Coulson, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Sheppard, Tabor, Walsh, White).   
      
   In art he is a bishop with a metal comb and a tall candle. Sometimes he may   
   be shown: (1) with crozier and two candles (no comb); (2) martyred by being   
   torn with iron combs; (3) in a cave with wild animals; (4) discovered by   
   hunters, a fawn near him (not to be confused with the monk, Saint Giles);   
   (5) blessing the birds in front of a cave; (6) rescuing a poor woman's pig   
   from a wolf; (6) saving the life of a boy who swallowed a fishbone; or (7)   
   with the city of Dubrovnik in his hand or being carried over the city by   
   angels (Roeder).   
      
   Saint Blaise is the patron of wild animals (Coulson), physicians, sick   
   cattle, wax-chandlers, and woolcombers. He is invoked against afflictions of   
   the throat (Bentley, Roeder). Water with the blessing of Saint Blaise is   
   also given to sick cattle (Farmer). As one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers,   
   Saint Blaise was much venerated throughout Central Europe.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Live in the world as if only God and your soul were in it; then your heart   
   will never be made captive by any earthly thing.   
   -Saint John of the Cross   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   To him who asks of you, give; and from him who would borrow of you, do not   
   turn away. (St. Matthew 5:42)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   A prayer to glorious St. Blaise:   
      
   O glorious Saint Blaise, who by thy martyrdom didst leave to the Church a   
   precious witness to the Faith, obtain for us the grace to preserve within   
   ourselves this divine gift, and to defend, without human respect, both by   
   word and example, the truth of that same faith, which is so wickedly   
   attacked and slandered in these our times.  Thou who didst miraculously   
   restore a little child when it was at the point of death by reason of an   
   affliction of the throat, grant us thy mighty protection in like   
   misfortunes; and, above all, obtain for us the grace of Christian   
   mortification together with a faithful observance of the precepts of the   
   Church, which may keep us from offending Almighty God.  Amen.   
      
    Imprimatur:  Francis Cardinal Spellman,   
   Archbishop of New York, May 30, 1951.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)