Today we bless throats in honor of Saint Blaise. Blaise was a bishop in Armenia, where he was martyred in one of the last general persecutions before the Catholic Church was validated in the Roman Empire by Emperor Constantine. This Saint and Martyr was beheaded under the persecutions of Emperor Licinius in 300 A.D. after Blaise cured a boy from fatally choking.

Saint Blaise was known to have great healing power, curing both men and wild beasts of physical diseases and sicknesses. The tradition of healing throats took hold in the Church, Universally, in the 700’s BC, with the formal ritual instituted for celebrations in the 1500’s A.D. In the ritual, two blessed candles are set upon the throat of the person receiving the blessing, or held over a large group of people, with these words spoken:

“Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, Bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from all ailments of the throat and from every other evil, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!“

Such great devotion and blessings help to sustain us in the fight against the evil one. They also encourage us to experience God‘s love and protection as we journey through life. Saint Blaise, pray for us!