St. Blase--February 3, 2017

This week we say goodbye to the month of January and hello to February, the shortest month on the calendar. That's 1 winter month down, 2 to go! Though some will look for a forecast of the remainder of winter by observing a large burrowing rodent, for Catholic Christians February 2 marks something more important than "Groundhog Day." It is the Feast of the Lord's Presentation, commemorating the time when the infant Jesus was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem by Mary and Joseph 40 days after His birth.

This feast is often referred to as "Candlemas Day," for part of its celebration includes the blessing of candles used in worship throughout the year. We remember the words of Simeon, who took the Holy Child in his arms and praised God for revealing in Him "a light to the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel." (Luke 2: 22-32). The use of candles in liturgy and other prayer forms reminds us that Jesus is the Light we are called to follow; Light that guides our living in this world and leads us to the next.

Some of those candles are used when we commemorate the martyrdom of St. Blase with the traditional Blessing of Throats, which took place at the end of all Masses this weekend. St. Blase was the bishop of Sebastea, Armenia, the first nation to officially adopt Christianity, though some were slow to accept the king's decree. In the year 316 AD, Agricolaus, the non-believing governor of Sebastea, ordered Blase arrested and executed for refusing to offer sacrifices to pagan gods. According to legend, as Blase was being led to prison a mother ran up to him with her young son who had a fish bone caught in his throat. Blase prayed over the boy, gave a command, and the boy was able to cough up the bone, which saved his life. While imprisoned, many of the faithful visited their bishop and asked him to bless their candles for use during prayer. His cult spread throughout Europe, and since the Middle Ages throats are blessed on his feast day. Through his prayers, we hope to be spared from diseases of the throat and other respiratory illness.

St. Blase is just one more example of how God works through the followers of His Son; and that IS the point, isn't it? As followers of Jesus, we are called to be instruments through which Our Lord continues to reach out and minister to others. Through us, the Light of Christ must shine.