BLESSING OF THROATS

NEXT SUNDAY AFTER MASS

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The annual blessing of throats is a traditional sign of the struggle against illness in the life of the Christian. This blessing is ordinarily given on February 3rd, the memorial of Saint Blaise, by touching the throat of each person with two candles blessed on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and which have been joined together in the form of a cross.

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One of the more familiar legends involves St. Blaise healing a boy with a fish bone stuck in his throat. Other legends are about wild animals coming to him to be cured of their wounds. Another story tells of a kind woman who brought him candles to dispel the darkness of the prison cell where he was being held.