feast day: February 3
patron of: throat illnesses
about:
- also known as Blase
- Saint Blaise (Armenian: Սուրբ Բարսեղ, Sourb Barsegh; Greek: Άγιος Βλάσιος, Agios Vlasios), also known as Saint Blase, was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey). According to the Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron combs, and beheaded. He is the patron saint of wool combers. In the Latin Church his feast falls on 3 February, in the Eastern Churches on 11 February.
- attributes: wool comb, candles, tending a choking boy or animals
- Very few facts are known about Saint Blaise. It is believed he was a bishop of Sebastea in Armenia who was martyred under the reign of Licinius in the early fourth century.
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NOVENA IN HONOR OF SAINT BLAISE
source: https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/blaise.htm
PREPARATORY PRAYER
Almighty and Eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy Divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy divine love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the saint in whose honor I make this novena, and following his example imitate, like him, the life of Thy divine Son.
Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of this powerful Helper, the petition which through him I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saving, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of my soul. Amen.
Prayer in honor of St. Blaise
O GOD, deliver us through the intercession of Thy holy bishop and martyr Blase, from all evil of soul and body, especially from all ills of the throat; and grant us the grace to make a good confession in the confident hope of obtaining Thy pardon, and ever to praise with worthy lips Thy most holy name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Invocation of St. Blaise
St. BLASE, gracious benefactor of mankind and faithful servant of God, who for the love of our Savior did suffer so many tortures with patience and resignation; I invoke thy powerful intercession. Preserve me from all evils of soul and body. Because of thy great merits God endowed thee with the special grace to help those that suffer from ills of the throat; relieve and preserve me from them, so that I may always be able to fulfill my duties, and with the aid of God's grace perform good works. I invoke thy help as special physician of souls, that I may confess my sins sincerely in the holy sacrament of Penance and obtain their forgiveness. I recommend to thy merciful intercession also those who unfortunately concealed a sin in confession. Obtain for them the grace to accuse themselves sincerely and contritely of the sin they concealed, of the sacrilegious confessions and communions they made, and of all the sins they committed since then, so that they may receive pardon, the grace of God, and the remission of the eternal punishment. Amen.
Prayer
My LORD and my God! I offer up to Thee my petition in union with the bitter passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, together with the merits of His immaculate and blessed Mother, Mary ever virgin, and of all the saints, particularly with those of the holy Helper in whose honor I make this novena.
Look down upon me, merciful Lord! Grant me Thy grace and Thy love, and graciously hear my prayer. Amen.
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links/ sources:
- "Saint Blaise" (source: Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Blaise
- "St. Blaise" (source: Catholic Online):
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=28
- "St. Blaise Novena" (source: EWTN):
https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/blaise.htm
- "St. Blaise" (source: Catholic Encyclpedia):
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02592a.htm
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2014- during the feast of St. Blaise, i saw the yellow hanging light/lamp (which was wall-mounted and made of metal) beside the church's tabernacle (located behind the altar table) sway lightly like a pendulum while the priest said his homily. there were no electric fans positioned in its direction (no source of wind). it was hardly noticeable. the swaying of the hanging lamp only stopped after the homily.
2015- during the feast of St. Blaise, i witnessed a man who coughed loudly while the mass was going on in church. he was seated on the far end of where i was seated. after the blessing of the throats (after the holy mass), the man told a few people he was with that his throat felt fine and the itch or whatever that was he felt was immediately gone. he just couldn't explain it. i felt fine (not sick) until after the blessing of the throats, my throat felt nothing. after the holy mass, i noticed my voice sounded different and became itchy...felt like i somehow absorbed this person's throat problem... :( ...feel better now after attending the 1st Wed novena and holy mass.
