There once was a man who lived in the 4th century, a kind thoughtful man indeed. He was a physician, a bishop, and later became a saint.
This was St. Blaise. Born into noble birth in Sebastia, Armenia, raised a Christian, he eventually became a bishop. But the Emperor Licinius was hostile against Christians, and had Blaise imprisoned and eventually killed him in AD 316.
Little is known about St. Blaise but that he did love animals. When he was living in a cave to avoid capture by Licinius, he took care of many animals who visited him. One story tells that he commanded a wolf to return the pig it had stolen from a woman, and the wolf did so.
Also he is known for healing diseases of the throat. Curing a boy choking to death on a fishbone is one of the stories passed down.
I first discovered St. Blaise reading a book called “The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts” by Abbie Farwell Brown, 1900, A Public Domain book. Therein lies the tale of his life among the animals. He not only believed and loved the Lord, but also deeply cared about animals and people. Something in this tale got me to thinking of him as having been a real person, who became a real saint.
I also believe the generations of animals will always remember him too. In this book, it is said:
“In very old times it used to be the custom of England on the Third of February to light great bonfires on all the hills, blazes in honor of his name.
“And we can well believe that all the little animals come out of their dens and burrows and nests at the sight of these fires, and thought with loving hearts of the dear old saint who so many years ago used to be kind to their ancestors, the beasts in the forests of Armenia.”
St Blaise. A healer. Known now for blessings of disorders of the throat. And known for his kindness to animals.
Let us celebrate his Feast Day February 3rd.* Theresa M
*In the west, Feb 3rd is celebrated; in the east it is Feb 11th
Resources:
“The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts” by Abbie Farwell Brown, 1900. A Public Domain Book (free from Project Gutenberg https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28990
No comments:
Post a Comment