St. Blaise, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers [1], was a 3rd century physician who became Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia. This was the time of persecution under Licinius, so St. Blaise hid out in a cave on Mt. Argeus. We read from the Golden Legend this account of St. Blaise:
...the birds of heaven brought to him meat for to eat. And it seemed to him that they came to serve him and accompany him, and would not depart from him till he had lift up his hands and blessed them. And also sick men came to him and anon were cured and healed. Now it happed that the prince of this region sent his knights to hunt, and they could take nothing. But by adventure they came unto the desert place where S. Blase was, where they found great multitude of beasts which were about him, of whom they could take none, whereof they were all abashed and showed this to their lord, the which anon sent many knights for him, and commanded to bring him and all the Christian men with him. And that night Jesu Christ appeared to him thrice, which said to him: Arise up and make to me sacrifice. Lo! here be the knights that come to fetch thee at the commandment of the prince. And the knights said to him: Come out from this place, the president calleth thee. And S. Blase answered: My sons, ye be welcome, I see now well that God hath not forgotten me. He went with them and continually preached, and did many miracles tofore them. There was a woman that had a son dying, in whose throat was a bone of a fish athwart, which estrangled him, and she brought him tofore his feet, praying him that he would make her son whole. And S. Blase put his hand upon him and made his prayer to God that this child, and all they that demanded benefits of health in his name, that they should be holpen and obtain it, and anon he was whole and guerished. Another woman there was that was poor which had a swine, which the wolf had borne away, and she humbly prayed to S. Blase that she might have again her swine. And he began to smile and said: Good woman anger thee not, for thou shalt have again thy swine, and anon the wolf brought again to the woman, which was a widow, her swine.
St. Blaise was captured and taken before the prince, whose gods, Blaise informed him, were fiends. The prince was enraged and threw him in prison. The widow whose pig was returned to her killed the pig and fed Blaise with it. From the Golden Legend again:
And when this good widow, which by S. Blase had recovered her swine, heard thereof, she slew it, and the head and the feet with a little bread and a candle, she brought to S. Blase, and he thanked God and ate thereof, and he said to her that every year she should offer in his church a candle, and know thou that to thee and to all them that so shall do shall well happen to them, and so she did all her life, and she had much great prosperity.
Even after imprisonment, he refused to worship the prince's gods, and for punishment his flesh torn by wool combs. He was finally beheaded, martyred along with seven women and two children.
Because of the cure of the boy's throat when the boy was choking, St. Blaise is patron against troubles of the throat, and today our throats are blessed at Mass. The priest will bless two candles in honor of St. Blaise. The words of this blessing are:
V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
R. Qui fecit caelum et terram.
V. Dominus Vobiscum.
R. Et cum spiriti tuo.
V. Our help + is in the name of the Lord. R. Who made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. Let us pray.
Oremus. Omnipotens et mittissime Deus, qui onmium mundi rerum diversitates solo Verbo creasti, et ad hominum reformationem illud idem Verbum, per quod facta sunt omnia, incarnari voluisti: qui magnus es, et immensus, terribilis atque laudabilis, ac faciens mirabilia: pro cujus fidei confessione gloriosus Martyr et Pontifex Blasius, diversorum tormentorum genera non pavescens, martyrii palmam feliciter est adeptus: quique eidem, inter ceteras gratias, hanc praerogativam contulisti, ut, quoscumque gutturis morbos tua virtute curaret; majestatem tuam suppliciter exoramus, ut non inspectu reatus nostri, set ejus placatus meritis et precibus, hanc cerae creaturam bene + dicere ac santi + ficare tua venerabili pietate digneris, tuam gratiam infundendo; ut omnes, quorum colla per eam ex bona fide tacta fuerint, a quocumque gutturis morbo ipsius passionis meritis liberentur, et in Ecclesia sancta tua sani et hilares tibi gratiarum referant actiones, laudentque nomen tuum gloriosum, quod es benedictum in saecula saeculorum. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Let us pray. Almighty and most gentle God, Who didst create the multiplicity of things through Thine only Word, and didst will that same Word through Whom all things were made to take flesh for the refashioning of man; Thou, Who art great and without measure, terrible and worthy of praise, a Worker of wonders: the glorious martyr and bishop Blaise, not fearing to suffer all sorts of diverse tortures because of his profession of faith in Thee, was suited happily to bear the palm of martyrdom: and Thou didst grant to him, among other graces, the favor that he should by Thy power cure all kinds of illnesses of the throat: we humbly beg Thy Majesty not to look upon our sins, but to be pleased by his merits and prayers and to deign in Thy venerable kindness to bless + and sanctify + this creature of wax by the outpouring of Thy grace; that all whose necks in good faith are touched by it may be freed by the merits of his sufferings from any illness of the throat, and that healthy and strong they may offer thanks to Thee within Thy Holy Church, and praise Thy glorious name, which is blessed forever and ever. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Then the priest will hold the two, unlit blessed candles crossed over our throats, intoning:
Per intercessionem S. Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo May God at the intercession of St. Blasius preserve you from throat troubles and every other evil.
Footnotes
[1] Fourteen Holy Helpers:
St. George, Martyr, April 23
St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, February 3
St. Pantaleon, Martyr, July 27
St. Vitus, Martyr, June 15
St. Erasmus (Elmo), Bishop and Martyr, June 2
St. Christopher, Martyr, July 25
St. Giles, Abbot, September 1
St. Cyriacus (Cyriac), Martyr, August 8
St. Achatius, Martyr, May 8
St. Dionysius (Denis), Bishop and Martyr, October 9
St. Eustachius (Eustace), Martyr, September 20
St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr, November 25
St. Margaret of Antioch, Virgin and Martyr, July 20
St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr, December 4