St. Blaise was a bishop and martyr who lived in the fourth century in Turkey and Armenia. For a time, Blaise lived in a cave to escape persecution. On his feast the church recalls a miracle cure associated with him and celebrates the blessing of the throats. Blaise apparently saved the life of a boy who was choking on a fish bone. The saint said that anyone who lit a candle in his memory would be free of infection, thus candles are used in the traditional throat blessing. He is listed among the Fourteen Holy Helpers, saints revered as healers. He is the patron saint of throat illnesses, animals, wool combers, and wool trading.
Blessing of the Throat
On February 3, the Feast Day of St. Blaise, the Church recalls a miracle cure associated with him and celebrates the blessing of the throats with candles.
St. Blaise said that anyone who lit a candle in his memory would be free of infection, thus candles are used in the traditional throat blessing. The candles (blessed on Candlemas Feb. 2) are crossed against the throat, and the following prayer is said:
“Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from 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.“
Crossed Candles
Crossed candles are an important part of Saint Blaise Day, they commemorate the mother of the boy who choked on the fishbone. She presented Saint Blaise with crossed candles to light his way to jail when the ruler of Sebastea ordered his arrest. The origin of the blessing of throats uses crossed candles as a symbol.
St. Blaise, pray for us!
It is not known precisely when or where St. Blaise lived, but according to tradition he was a bishop of Sebaste, Armenia, in the early part of the fourth century, and suffered martyrdom under the Roman emperor Licinius, who had commanded the governor of the province, one Agricolaus, to prevent the spread of Christianity in his territory. After this edict had been promulgated, Blaise fled to the mountains and lived in a cave frequented by wild beasts. He used his skill to heal the animals that he found wounded or sick, and when the emperor’s hunters, bent on collecting wild animals for the royal games, discovered him in this cave, they carried him off to Agricolaus as a special prize.
On the way, the story goes, they met a poor woman whose pig had been seized by a wolf. At the command of Blaise, the wolf restored the pig to its owner, alive and unhurt. During the course of this journey he also miraculously cured a child who was choking to death on a fishbone. For this reason St. Blaise is often invoked by persons suffering from throat trouble. When he had reached the capital and was in prison awaiting execution, the old woman whose pig he had saved came to see him, bringing two fine wax candles to dispel the gloom of his dark cell. When he was finally killed, he is supposed to have been tortured with an iron comb or rake, and afterwards beheaded. In the West, St. Blaise was not honored prior to the eighth century.
One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, his emblems are an iron comb and a wax taper.