On February 3, the feast of St. Blaise, Catholics line up after Mass to have their throats blessed with two crossed candles. The custom honors St. Blaise, a fourth-century bishop and martyr who, according to legend, saved a boy choking on a fishbone. Below are the words of the blessing in Latin and English, a prayer to St. Blaise for illnesses of the throat, what to expect at the blessing, and his story. In 2027, St. Blaise’s day falls on Wednesday, February 3.
The blessing of St. Blaise
The priest or deacon holds two crossed candles to the throat of each person, or touches the throat with them, and says the blessing. The traditional Latin form:
Per intercessionem S. Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutturis et a quovis alio malo. In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
In English:
Through the intercession of St. Blaise, may God deliver you from every illness of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The English is our translation of the Latin; the wording used in your parish, from the Book of Blessings, is very close to it. The candles are usually those blessed the day before, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas, February 2).
A prayer to St. Blaise
Written for this page:
St. Blaise, bishop and martyr,
you healed a child who was choking and comforted the suffering.
Pray for me (name) and for all who suffer from illnesses of the throat,
and from every other illness of body and soul.
Through your intercession, may God keep us safe from harm
and give us the courage to witness to Christ as you did. Amen.
A prayer for a sore throat or throat illness
Lord Jesus, you healed the sick who came to you.
Look with mercy on (name), who suffers in the throat (voice, lungs).
Ease the pain, heal the illness,
and give wisdom to the doctors who care for him (her).
St. Blaise, pray for us. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. For serious illness, see also prayer for the sick and the Catholic prayer for healing.
A prayer for singers, teachers and speakers
Lord, you gave me a voice to praise you and to serve others.
Through the prayers of St. Blaise, keep it healthy and strong,
and let my words always build up and never wound. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
Scripture
Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.
Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.
What to expect at the blessing of throats
- The blessing is usually given at the end of Mass on February 3 (or on the nearest Sunday), and often at every Mass that day.
- Everyone may receive it, including children and non-Catholics.
- You come forward as for Communion; the minister places the crossed candles at your throat and says the blessing. You answer “Amen.”
- In the current Book of Blessings, a lay minister may also give the blessing, saying the words without making the sign of the cross.
The blessing is a sacramental, not a sacrament: “Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it” (CCC 1670). It is a prayer for God’s protection through the intercession of a saint, not a charm.
The story of St. Blaise
Blaise (Latin Blasius) was bishop of Sebaste in Armenia (today Sivas, Turkey) and was martyred around 316 under the emperor Licinius. Little is known for certain about his life. According to his legendary Acts, he had been a physician before becoming bishop; during the persecution he hid in a cave, where wild animals came to him to be healed, until the governor’s hunters found him. In prison he cured a boy who was choking to death on a fishbone, and after being tortured he was beheaded.
Devotion to him spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, and he became one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, saints invoked together for help in particular needs. In the Latin Church his feast is February 3; in the Eastern Churches, February 11.
Frequently asked questions
Why are candles used for the blessing of throats?
The crossed candles recall the legend of a poor woman whose pig St. Blaise saved from a wolf: in gratitude she brought him food and candles in prison. They also echo Candlemas the day before, the feast of Christ, the Light of the world.
Can I get my throat blessed if I miss February 3?
Many parishes also give the blessing on the Sunday nearest the feast. A priest can bless you at another time, too.
What is St. Blaise the patron saint of?
Illnesses of the throat and those who suffer from them, as well as ear, nose and throat doctors. He is also invoked for sick animals.
More prayers for healing
- Prayer to St. Apollonia for toothache
- St. Brigid prayer (February 1)
- Catholic prayer for healing
- Patron saints of healing
- Prayer for the sick
- Prayer before surgery
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- Blessing formula: the traditional Latin text of the Rituale Romanum, also quoted in Johann Peter Kirsch, “St. Blaise,” Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), public domain (Wikisource), the source for his life. The English translation of the blessing was made for this page.
- Scripture: Isaias (Isaiah) 53:4–5; James 5:14–15, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 1670.
- The prayers were written for this page.