Feast Day of St Blaise

Remember those candles that I mentioned in yesterday's blog post?  Well, they are usually put to good use on the feast of St. Blaise.  The tradition of Blessing of the Throats takes place on this day. Two candles are blessed, held slightly open, and pressed against the throat as the blessing is said.  Son't worry...the candles are not lit!  That is what our eldest believed for many years and refused to go to the front for her blessing!

Saint Blaise's protection of those with throat troubles apparently comes from a legend that a boy was brought to him who had a fish bone stuck in his throat. The boy was about to die when Saint Blaise healed him. Unfortunately, our priest forget the blessing today, so we missed out on this special blessing.

How interesting that this feast and the blessing should come at the same time of year when the flu and other illnesses plague us each year!  Coincidence?  I think not!

I was also given the privilege once again to read from the Scriptures at Mass.  Today's reading was from 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13.  I already got in trouble (just joking!) for reading the long version but it is so beautiful that I can not resist placing the full passage in this post as well.  IT was read at our wedding twenty years ago and it has kept our marriage strong over the years.  I read it when I start to wonder why we work so hard to stay together.  I used bold type for the parts that make me pause in reflection each time I read this passage.  It is easy to see love in the good times, when we FEEL love; however, it is in those difficult times that we must remember this passage and work past feelings that take us away from love.


Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.