On Feb. 3, the Church celebrates St. Blaise. Blaise is known as the patron saint of all who suffer from injuries or sicknesses of the throat. There is a story of Blaise coming upon a young man who was choking on a fish bone. The bishop blessed him, and the bone was dislodged, and he was saved.
    
The Church traditionally blesses throats on his feast day, or shortly before or after, using candles that were blessed on Candlemas. We will have the Blessing of Throats after the Masses this Sunday.
    
This Blessing of Throats is a reminder that the Church has an active healing ministry. This includes days like the Feast of St. Blaise, and Our Lady of Lourdes, as well as the healing Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick. The Eucharist is also a healing Sacrament, as we pray, just before receiving the Eucharist, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the Word, and my soul shall be healed.” In fact, because the Eucharist is Jesus Christ Himself, it is the ultimate healing sacrament. In addition to these forms of healing, the Church operates hospitals and other healing institutions.

St. Agatha was a young woman in the Third Century. She was very beautiful but had consecrated her life to following Christ as a virgin. A very powerful man of the time strongly desired that she marry him, but she refused. He was a judge and had her thrown into a prison where she was tortured and eventually martyred.
    
We honor St. Agatha on Wednesday, Feb. 5.