Tomorrow is the day to banish sore throats!

The Feast of St Blaise, 3rd February - if you can attend Mass that day, do so, you should be rewarded with the intercessionary blessing of this great saint upon your throat and.......you get to keep the candles (or used to), which may be stored up against the day when a priest brings the Blessed Sacrament to your home.



Doctors, Nurses and Physicians take note

 This is not just some trivial sore throat thing, it applies to esophageal cancer, laryngitis, pharyngitis, tonsilitis and every other itis you can think of.
It helps prevent as well as cure so go for it.

Here are the prayers said by the priest and the responses said by the server when the priest holds two candles to your throat whilst you kneel at the commmunion rails...you know what they are don't you?:

V. Our help + is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit. Let us pray.

Almighty and most gentle God, Who didst create the multiplicity of things through Thine only Word, and didst will that same Word through Whom all things were made to take flesh for the refashioning of man; Thou, Who art great and without measure, terrible and worthy of praise, a Worker of wonders: the glorious martyr and bishop Blaise, not fearing to suffer all sorts of diverse tortures because of his profession of faith in Thee, was suited happily to bear the palm of martyrdom: and Thou didst grant to him, among other graces, the favour that he should, by Thy power, cure all kinds of illnesses of the throat: we humbly beg Thy Majesty not to look upon our sins, but to be pleased by his merits and prayers and to deign in Thy venerable kindness to bless + and sanctify + this creature of wax by the outpouring of Thy grace; that all whose necks in good faith are touched by it may be freed by the merits of his sufferings from any illness of the throat, and that healthy and strong they may offer thanks to Thee within Thy Holy Church, and praise Thy glorious name, which is blessed forever and ever. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

R. Amen.

(recipient to hold up their head allowing the priest to place the candles on their throat) 
Then he will hold the two, unlit blessed candles crossed over your throat, intoning:

Per intercessionem S. Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo

English:
May God at the intercession of St. Blaise preserve you from throat troubles and every other evil.

Then he will make a sign of the Cross.