I've always wanted to blessed people's throats with candles that are lighted. That would be interesting.
Some of what I found out about St. Blaise:
On the way back, he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman. When Blaise was sentenced to be starved to death, the woman, in gratitude, sneaked into the prison with food and candles. Finally, the governor had Blaise killed.
Saint Blase is the patron of physicians, sick cattle, wax- chandlers, woolcombers, and of wild animals because of his care for them and of those with throat maladies. He is invoked against afflictions of the throat.
As one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Saint Blase was much venerated throughout Central Europe. In art he is a bishop with a metal comb and a tall candle. He may be shown in many different ways:
(1) with crozier (pastoral staff) and two candles (no comb)
(2) martyred by being torn with iron combs
(3) in a cave with wild animals
(4) discovered by hunters, a fawn near him (not to be confused with the monk, Saint Giles)
(5) blessing the birds in front of a cave
(6) rescuing a poor woman’s pig from a wolf
(7) saving the life of a boy who swallowed a fishbone
(8) with the city of Dubrovnik in his hand or being carried over the city by angels.
2 comments:
That top picture looks like those kneeling for their throats by the priest after the Mass I attended this morning. Though at a row of about ten kneelers placed in front of the first pew to one side of the main aisle, since our modern round church has no altar rail.
Though it should be added that, for those who wished to stand, the two adult male servers in surplice and cassock---having first knelt at kneelers in the sanctuary for their own throats to be blessed by the priest---proceeded to bless the throats of those processing in two lines down the main aisle.
Apparently, ours is a fairly liberal-minded parish. (Yesterday the priest celebrated first a sung EF Mass, then a half hour later a sung OF Mass with incense and chanted Gospel, both Masses with blessing of the candles for today, procession with lighted candles, etc.)
Got my throat blessed! I wonder if my singing will also improve?
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