Today the church celebrates The Feast of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr. Blaise was a 4th Century bishop who was martyred under the persecution of Licinius. He was the bishop of Sebastian Armenia and is associated with the healing of throats. “Many of you I know have had your throats blessed on the Feast of Saint Blaise,” says Father Jerry, “Which makes a great deal of sense because this has always been the flu season, and this belief that the blessing of Saint Blaise, who by tradition, blessed a young boy’s throat who was choking on a fishbone, has become the Patron Saint of Illnesses of the Throat.”