Saint Blaise, Bishop & Martyr
Optional Memorial
February 3rd
Traditional Prayer card
History:
St. Blaise has been extremely popular for centuries in both the Eastern and Western Churches. He was a physician and the Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia. He once saved a child who was choking on a fish bone, which led to the blessing of throats on St. Blaise's feast day. He was beheaded in 316.Collect:
Hear, O Lord, the supplications your people make
under the patronage of the Martyrs Saint Blaise,
and grant that they may rejoice in peace in this present life,
and find help for life eternal.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.First Reading: Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.
Gospel Reading: Mark 16:15-20
And He[Jesus] said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.
Excerpt from Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year by Monsignor Peter Elliott (Ignatius Press 2002)
85. On the day after the Presentation of Our Lord, the memorial of Saint Blase, it is customary in many places to bless the throats of the faithful with two candles tied together with a red ribbon to form a cross. The candles are privately blessed with the paryer provided in the Book of Blessings or the preconciliar Roman Ritual, title IX, chapter III. The rite of blessing of throats may take place before or after Mass.
86. The priest or deacon places the candles around the throat of whoevers seeks the blessing, using the formula: "Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you free from every disease of the throat, and from every other disease. In the name of the Father and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen."
Because the celebrant makes the sign of the cross with his right hand, it is best to apply the candles with both hands. Then the celebrant withdraws his right hand to make the sign of the cross, while continuing to hold the condles in place with his left hand. For the convenience of the celebrant the formula should be printed on a small card, attached to the candles.