From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Whosoever is athirst   
      
   When therefore the servants of the Chief Priests and Scribes saw these   
   things, and heard from Jesus, 'Whosoever is athirst, let him come to   
   Me and drink'; they perceived that this was not a mere man like   
   themselves, but that this was He who gave water to the saints, and   
   that it was He who was announced by the prophet Isaiah. For He was   
   truly the splendor of the light, and the Word of God. And thus as a   
   river from the fountain He gave drink also of old to Paradise; but now   
   to all men He gives the same gift of the Spirit, and says, 'If any man   
   thirst, let him come to Me and drink. Whosoever believeth on Me, as   
   said the Scripture, rivers of living water shall flow out of his   
   belly'. This was not for man to say, but for the living God, Who truly   
   vouchsafes life, and gives the Holy Spirit.   
   St. Athanasius, Letters 44 [teaching on John 6:37-38]   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   February 3rd – St. Blaise   
   Martyred 316?   
      
   St. Blaise has achieved perennial popularity in both the East of his   
   origin (he was bishop of Sebastea in Armenia) and in the West.   
   However, like many another favored saint, we know little about his   
   life.   
      
   His (undependable) medieval legend gives the following biography.   
      
   Blaise was a boy of high intelligence, so his parents gave him a good   
   Catholic education. He went on, then, to the priesthood. While still a   
   young man, he was chosen bishop of Sebastea, Armenia.   
      
   In 316, the Roman Emperor Licinius withdrew from his position of   
   tolerating Christians, and started again to persecute them. Blaise,   
   counseled by God, went into hiding in a woodland cave. There his only   
   company was the wild animals; but the gentle bishop soon made friends   
   with them, healed their wounds, and blessed them.   
      
   One day, however, some hunters invaded his wilderness in search of   
   wild animals that could be used in the stadiums to fight gladiators   
   and devour Christians. They were surprised to find the bishop, and, of   
   course, brought him back for trial. On the trip, says the legend, the   
   party came upon a poor woman whose pig had been carried off by a wolf.   
   Bishop Blaise commanded the robbing animal to return the pig, and so   
   he did, safe and sound. On arrival at the court, the future martyr was   
   imprisoned in a dark jail without food to eat or light to see by. Out   
   of gratitude, the woman whose pig he had restored managed to get him   
   food and provide him with candles. Another woman brought to the saint   
   her little boy, who had caught a fishbone in his throat and was on the   
   point of strangulation. Blaise miraculously got rid of the bone.   
      
   But Governor Agricolaus treated this merciful man unmercifully. Before   
   imprisoning him, he had him scourged. In due time Emperor Licinius   
   himself arrived, tried to “convert” the bishop to paganism by tearing   
   his body with iron wool-combs, and finally sentencing him to   
   beheading.   
      
   Blaise’s subsequent popularity stemmed particularly from his repute as   
   a miracle worker. Three classes of devotees arose: those associated   
   with wild animals; professional wool-combers (with whose tools he had   
   been tortured); and people who wanted to heal or avoid a throat   
   illness. In Germany, St. Blaise came to be honored as one of the   
   cluster of “handy” saints called the “Fourteen Holy Helpers”.   
      
   Blaise is best known to us as an intercessor against throat diseases.   
   In our Latin-Rite churches the blessing of throats is still performed   
   on this feastday, February 3. For this rite blessed candles are most   
   widely used, commemorating, it is said, the candles that the saint’s   
   benefactress brought to him in jail. In blessing throats, the priest   
   holds two of these candles, crossed in “X”-form either over the head   
   or touching the throat of the petitioner and recites: “Through the   
   intercession of St. 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.” In the   
   Armenian Rite, the priest dips the wick of a candle in holy oil and   
   with it anoints the throats of the faithful.   
      
   The blessing of throats on or near Saint Blaise’s day, like the   
   reception of ashes on Ash Wednesday, and palms on Palm Sunday, is a   
   “sacramental”. Sacramentals are, of course, far less important than   
   the sacraments, like baptism, confession, Holy Communion, anointing of   
   the sick, etc.; yet even many Catholics who are not regular at Mass or   
   confession, still look forward to receiving these lesser rites. May   
   they continue to do so, and to instruct their children in the   
   significance of such sacramentals. As long as these little ceremonies   
   are practiced, the hearts of those who receive them show they are   
   still bound lovingly to the Catholic Faith.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   A precious crown is reserved in Heaven for those who perform all their   
   actions with all the diligence of which they are capable; for it is   
   not sufficient to do our part well, it must be done more than well.   
   --St. Ignatius of Loyola   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   By his divine power, he has lavished on us all the things we need for   
   life and for true devotion, through the knowledge of his who has   
   called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these, the greatest   
   and priceless promises have been lavished on us, that through them you   
   should share the divine nature and escape the corruption rife in the   
   world through disordered passion.  [2 Peter 1:3-4]   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   PRAYER OF REPARATION   
      
   Eternal Father,   
   I offer Thee the Sacred heart of Jesus,   
   with all Its love,   
   all Its sufferings and all Its merits;   
   To expiate all the sins I have committed this day,   
   and during all my life.   
      
   Glory be to the Father, etc...   
      
   To purify the good I have done in my poor way this day,   
   and during all my life.   
      
   Glory be to the Father, etc...   
      
   To make up for the good I ought to have done and   
   that I have neglected this day   
   and during all my life.   
      
   Glory be to the Father, etc...   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)