As the world progresses through history, certain saints are popular among the faithful for a time, and then fade into distant memory.
One such saint who was unusually popular in the Middle Ages, and whose popularity has gradually diminished over time, was St. Blaise.
St. Blaise was a holy bishop who lived in Armenia during the 4th century. Little is known about him, except that he was martyred for his faith in about the year 316.
One story that has been passed down through the generations centers around a miracle that connects him to the miraculous healing of throat maladies. The Roman Ritual offers a brief summary of the story.
While in prison he performed a wonderful cure on a boy who had a fishbone lodged in his throat and who was in danger of choking to death. From this account we have the longtime custom of invoking the saint for all kinds of throat trouble.
Holy Helper
The Catholic Encyclopedia explains that it is likely on account of his miraculous intercession that many Catholics in the Middle Ages turned to him:
[Blaise] became one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. The actual reason for the unusual veneration has not yet been made clear. Most probably one ground was that according to the legend he was a physician and wonderful cures were ascribed to him; for this reason the faithful sought his help and intercession when ill.
It should not be surprising that St. Blaise was listed as one of the 14 Holy Helpers.
In the midst of the 14th century the Black Plague ravaged the cities and countrysides of Europe and Christians were constantly begging God to spare them from the deadly disease.
To help amplify their prayers, Christians in Germany turned to a group of saints who were known for their miraculous intervention.
St. Blaise was one of those saints and his popularity as a heavenly intercessor continued for centuries, only diminishing more substantially in the last century.
St. Blaise, pray for us!
