The Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Blaise with the Blessing of the Throats. According to the Book of Blessings:

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 during Mass or a celebration of the word of God on February 3, the memorial of Saint Blaise.

Your parish priest may celebrate the Blessing of the Throats on February 3rd on the memorial day of St. Blaise or after Sunday Mass on February 5. (NOTE: In the Eastern Church, Feb 11th is his memorial.)

The blessing may be given by touching the throat of each person with two candles blessed on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2) and which have been joined together in the form of a cross.

The Blessing of the Throats is a beautiful way to help Catholics combat illness while celebrating this ancient Saint and Bishop–a martyr for refusing to give up his Faith!

Print off this coloring page to learn the blessing!

Why do we celebrate the Blessing of the Throats on the memorial of St. Blaise?

Here’s why:

Saint Blaise was a physician before becoming a bishop of the Church, and he became known for his wonderful cures. Several of his patients were cured of throat problems.

In 316 AD when he was bishop in Armenia, Christians were being terribly persecuted. Bishop Blaise escaped to a cave to live as a hermit.

But some hunters looking for animals came upon him in his cave–which was quite a surprise to them.

The hunters knew Bishop Blaise was wanted, so they arrested him and brought him back to prison in the name of Emperor Licinius.

And this is when the most famous healing occurred: a woman heard that Bishop Blaise had been found, so she rushed her young son to the bishop. Her son had a fishbone lodged in his throat and was in danger of choking to death on it. She pleaded with Bishop Blaise to pray–and the fishbone was miraculously dislodged!

But did you know there is another miraculous story about Saint Blaise, which also suggests a reason we use candles for the throat blessing?

You see: Saint Blaise not only healed people–he was also known to heal animals!

Remember how hunters looking for animals entered his cave and were surprised to find the bishop there?

What was even more surprising was that when they found him praying, he was surrounded by wild animals who were patiently waiting until he was finished. Why do you think they were there? Waiting to have their injuries healed, perhaps?

So, when another woman heard that Bishop Blaise was in prison, she also went to ask him for help–but not for her son or anyone else!

She went to him because her pig had been carried off by a wolf.

So she asked Saint Blaise to get her pig back from the wolf! He agreed to pray for the woman…and the wolf returned the pig!

In gratitude, the woman thereafter would bring candles to the bishop to give him light in his prison cell. (That’s why we use candles for his blessing today!)

Eventually, for refusing the Emperor’s demands to sacrifice to idols and renounce his Catholic Faith, Saint Blaise was martyred, which is why the priest will wear red vestments at Holy Mass when he celebrates the memorial of Saint Blaise.

Guess what? We have a coloring page with St. Blaise, the wolf, and the pig! And his candles, too! (get the download above)

If you want more FREE weekly coloring pages and printables, check out Holy Heroes Sunday Mass Prep!

This is a free weekly email with a video explaining the upcoming Gospel reading, a weekly quiz on the Sunday mass, and printable activities!