One of the things I have come to love since coming into the Catholic Church is the intentional, yet organic, way in which her liturgical seasons and traditions coincide with the natural seasons and rhythms of life around us. The Lord in His providence and the Church in her wisdom encourage us through an “everyday sacramentality,” using ordinary things around us to give us a glimpse of the divine, drawing us closer into the heart and mind of God.
Take for instance Candlemas on February 2. Occurring 40 days after the birth of Christ to observe the Presentation of the Lord, this celebration takes place just as the dreariness of winter threatens to overtake us. Now, not all of the world is steeped in winter’s gloom, but the lull between the excitement of the Christmas season and the gravity of Lent impacts us all.
During this feast, all the candles to be used by the church in the coming year are blessed. The faithful are also invited to bring their candles from home to receive a blessing, so as they are used for prayer throughout the year, they remind us of the light of Christ—“a light to reveal you to the nations” (Luke 2:32).
While this feast in a dimly lit February is beautiful in itself, the celebration doesn’t stop there. The next day, February 3, the Church observes the feast of St. Blaise, during which time you may encounter a blessing of the throat—with candles—in Catholic Churches around the world. For a new Catholic or curious onlooker, this might seem rather odd. The story of St. Blaise sheds some light on its origin.
Blaise was a doctor in the 4th century who became a bishop in Armenia, eventually martyred for his faith. On his feast, we recall the story of a miraculous healing associated with him, where, as the story goes, Blaise saved the life of a boy choking on a fish bone. For this reason, as well as other reported healings of those with objects stuck in their throats, St. Blaise became an intercessor for protection against ailments of the throat.
But why is the throat blessed with candles? In another story, it is said that while being taken to prison, Blaise rescued an old woman’s pig from a wolf. To show her gratitude, she brought him two fine wax candles to brighten up his dark prison cell. Centuries later, candles blessed during Candlemas are crossed over the throat for a blessing on the feast of St. Blaise.
While to the casual observer these feasts may look strange, the Church—in a dreary season when many are prone to sickness—leads us to reflect on the light of Christ and seek the intercession of a Saint for protection against illness, creating a beautiful intersection of the divine and natural worlds to guide us closer to Christ.
