It’s the Feast of St Blaise, 4th Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: “Work as a Chastisement”, today’s news from the Church: ““Episcopal Consecrations Out of Fidelity to the Church and to Souls””, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.
Saint Blaise is remembered as a bishop whose holiness combined pastoral care, quiet courage, and a compassion that reached even into the smallest details of human suffering. He lived in the early fourth century in the city of Sebaste, in what is now Armenia, during a time when Christianity was still fragile and frequently persecuted. Blaise was trained as a physician before becoming a priest, and that background shaped his approach to ministry. He saw no division between care of the soul and care of the body. When he was eventually chosen as bishop, he governed with gentleness and attentiveness, earning deep loyalty from his people.
As persecution intensified under Emperor Licinius, Blaise withdrew to the countryside to avoid arrest, living as a hermit in a cave. Even there, his reputation followed him. According to tradition, wild animals gathered peacefully around him, and hunters who discovered his refuge were struck by the calm authority he carried. When Blaise was arrested and brought back to the city, he was already weakened by hardship. Yet his faith did not falter. On the journey to prison, a desperate mother approached him with her child, who was choking on a fish bone. Blaise prayed over the child, and the obstruction was miraculously removed. The moment became inseparable from his memory, a final act of mercy offered on the way to suffering.
Blaise’s imprisonment was harsh. He was beaten, tortured, and pressured repeatedly to renounce Christ. The ancient accounts emphasize not his words, but his endurance. He bore pain without bitterness, remaining focused on prayer and trust in God. Eventually, he was executed for his faith, likely around the year 316. His martyrdom sealed a life already spent in service, marking him as a shepherd who chose fidelity over safety.
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