A Blessing Instead Of A Curse

3 Feb

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
“My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live.”
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed him.  (Mt 5:21-24)

The gospels are filled with stories about Jesus healing others.  Sick people, crippled people, blind people, possessed people, these, and more, were brought to Jesus or came to Jesus and returned restored.

These wonderful acts were not restricted merely to Jesus.  After He commissioned His disciples, they, too, went to the regions and performed many miracles in the name of Jesus.

Even after the original disciples died, others took up the mission and the name of Jesus and performed great deeds.

Today, we commemorate St. Blase, a bishop who was martyred in 316.  There are not many facts that we know about him.  We know more pious legends than fact; however, the legends all revolve around his performing miracles even as he was being hauled to his death.

Two stories deal with his intercession helping people who were choking to death.  One tells of Blase commanding a fish bone to be expelled from the throat of a boy who was the son of a jailer.  Another recounts Blase intervening for a boy choking on a fish bone brought to him by a mother as hunters were taking him away to prison.  Either way, Blase’s intervention brought about life instead of death.

Even though Blase knew that he was destined to die for being a Christian, he went to his death confident in Jesus and being a true Christian by reaching out to others.

We often become overwhelmed with things happening in our lives.  As bad as it may get, we are called to be true Christians, to be living witnesses of Jesus in our world.

FAITH ACTION:  Prayerfully consider the words of the St. Blase Blessing of Throats:

Through the intercession of St. Blase, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit