About St. Blaise (memoria of the saint of the day):
He was bishop of Sebastea in Armenia in the early 4th century.
He was born of rich and noble parents, received a Christian education and made a bishop while still quite young.
When persecution arose, he was given a divine direction to withdraw to a cave in the mountains which was frequented only by wild animals.
But these wild animals did him no harm and when they were sick or wounded, they would come to him for his blessing and he healed them.
Meanwhile, hunters who had been sent to capture animals for the amphitheater, found him surrounded by these animals.
Although greatly amazed, they seized him and took him back to the authorities.
On their way, they met a poor woman whose pig had been carried off by a wolf.
At the command of St. Blaise, the wolf restored the pig unhurt.
On another occasion, a woman brought to him a little boy who was at the point of death owing to a fishbone stuck in his throat, and the saint healed him with a prayer and the sign of the cross over his throat.
On account of this and other similar cures, the intercession of St. Blaise has been invoked for all kinds of throat trouble.
St. Blaise was scourged and thrown into prison and deprived of food. But the woman whose pig had been restored secretly brought him provisions and little wicks to light up his dark dungeon.
St. Blaise was further tortured with iron combs tearing away his flesh and finally he was beheaded.
Although the intercession of St Blaise is invoked in the blessing of throats, the message and relevance of the prayer is in the expression of our faith in God our Saviour and Healer.
Through the intercession of St. Blaise and the saints, we turn to God and ask for His blessings of health in mind and body so that we can be of service to others especially to those who are ill and need our care.
So we ask for God's blessings not just for ourselves but also for those in need of healing so that they too will experience the healing love of God.
Prayer of blessing of throats :
"Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you 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."