Friday, February 3, 2012

Praying Blaise

Greetings,

The Catholic connections between saints and their patronage can have some interesting stories. Apparently,  Saint Blaise was being dragged off to prison to be martyred when he cured a young child choking on a fish bone.  At the end of morning Mass with the Monks, we received a blessing to ward of ailments of the throat with blessed candles and an invocation in the name of Saint Blaise. 

Later on I felt a bit like a mondern day Blaise...At the end of freshmen lunch, a gaggle of boys was laughing with a bit too much gusto in a tightly huddled group.  The center of attention was one young man who had crammed two whole doughnuts into this mouth right at the bell and had a third in his hand to eat as he made his way down the hall.  I asked him to sit down and a chorus of "Oooohs" escaped from his classmates down the hall.  He thought for sure he was in trouble, but my concern was he might choke as he crammed the third doughnut down his throat.  For the next 3 MINUTES, he chewed and chewed and chewed while I talked not choking on one's own food.

Finally, he finished the doughnuts, grabbed his books and started to head for the door.  I sent him off with a reminder of the saint of the day..."You kept Saint Blaise busy today! God Bless!"

Blessings,

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