Happy Feast of St. Blaise!
"We know more about the devotion to Saint Blaise by Christians around the world than we know about the saint himself. His feast is observed as a holy day in some Eastern Churches. In 1222, the Council of Oxford prohibited servile labor in England on Blaise’s feast day. The Germans and Slavs hold him in special honor, and for decades many United States Catholics have sought the annual Saint Blaise blessing for their throats.
We know that Bishop Blaise was martyred in his episcopal city of Sebastea, Armenia, in 316. The legendary Acts of St. Blaise were written 400 years later. According to them Blaise was a good bishop, working hard to encourage the spiritual and physical health of his people. Although the Edict of Toleration (311), granting freedom of worship in the Roman Empire, was already five years old, persecution still raged in Armenia. Blaise was apparently forced to flee to the back country. There he lived as a hermit in solitude and prayer, but he made friends with the wild animals. One day a group of hunters seeking wild animals for the amphitheater stumbled upon Blaise’s cave. They were first surprised and then frightened. The bishop was kneeling in prayer surrounded by patiently waiting wolves, lions, and bears.
The legend has it that as the hunters hauled Blaise off to prison, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blaise’s command the child was able to cough up the bone.
Agricolaus, governor of Cappadocia, tried to persuade Blaise to sacrifice to pagan idols. The first time Blaise refused, he was beaten. The next time he was suspended from a tree and his flesh torn with iron combs or rakes. Finally, he was beheaded."
Excerpt on St. Blaise was taken from Franciscanmedia.org. Click the button below to subscribe and start receiving daily saint reflections
Eucharist: Sacred Meal, Sacrifice, Real Presence is a 6 week DVD series by Bishop Robert Barron.
Groups will meet each Wednesday, beginning February 17 (Ash Wednesday), and end on March 24, 2021, at 7:00 pm, in the Teen Center.
Come join us as we delve into the central mystery of our faith. There is a $10.00 cost for materials. Masks/face coverings and physical distancing will be observed.
For more information or to register, contact Val Hebert at valencemet@aol.com or at 504-427-0327.
This prayer service is for couples who were married in 1971 or earlier. Please email stbenildechurch@arch-no.org to register for this event.
St. Benilde School and CCD second graders will be receiving their first Reconciliation on Saturday, February 6. Please pray for them as they make their final preparations for this sacrament of healing.
