February 3, 2020 – Memorial of St. Blaise

Saint Blaise was the bishop of Sebastea and a doctor. The first known record of the saint’s life comes from the medical writings of Aëtius Amidenus, where he is recorded as helping with patients suffering from objects stuck in their throat.

Saint Blaise began as a healer then, eventually, became a “physician of souls.” He then retired to a cave, where he remained in prayer. It is said that a woman came to him and brought two fine wax candles in an attempt to dispel the gloom of his darkened cell.

People often turned to Saint Blaise for healing miracles.

In 316, the governor of Cappadocia and of Lesser Armenia, Agricola, arrested then-bishop Blaise for being a Christian. On their way to the jail, a woman set her only son, who was chocking to death on a fish bone, at his feet.

Blaise cured the child, and though Agricola was amazed, he could not get Blaise to renounce his faith. Therefore, Agricola beat Blaise with a stick and tore at his flesh with iron combs before beheading him.

Source: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=28