Today, February 3 (or this coming Sunday), many Catholics will have their throats blessed because this is the Feast of Saint Blaise whose intercession is invoked for ailments of the throat. (Check here for more information on Saint Blaise.)
Reflecting on this, I wondered, "Might we not consider Blaise the patron saint of all throats, not just sore and sick throats?" Our throats are passageways for breathing, for eating and drinking, for speech and song, for spoken prayer. And then, there are these beautiful words from Robert Frost:
A poem…begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness. It is a reaching-out toward expression; an effort to find fulfillment. A complete poem is one where an emotion finds the thought and the thought finds the words.
I think it would not be drawing too long a bow to paraphrase Frost and say:
A prayer begins as a lump in the throat: a need, a sorrow, a plea, an ache, a joy. It is a reaching out toward God; an effort to find communion. A prayer is where the heart finds a thought and the thought finds the words.
Let's pray...
Bless my throat, Lord,
the passageway you crafted:
to breathe your life within me,
to nourish and sustain me
to slake my thirst for life...
Bless my throat, Lord,
the path between my heart and lips
from where comes forth my every word,
my whispers, shouts and cries,
and especially - my prayer...
Bless my throat, Lord, and open my mouth
to sing a hymn of praise and thanks
to speak and share your wisdom
and give voice to all that fills my heart:
my need, my love, my prayer...
And, help me clear my throat, Lord,
of sour words and jealous speech,
of half-truths, lies and insult,
of anything not pleasing to your ear...
Bless my throat, Lord, and help me speak
words of pardon from my heart,
words that comfort and console,
words that soothe and bind and heal,
words that mend and lead to peace...
Bless my throat and open my lips
to feed me with the Bread of your life,
to fill me from the Cup of your mercy
and heal me with your saving Breath...
Bless and protect me, Lord, while I'm awake
and watch over me while I sleep
that awake, I might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
It's not easy finding music for Saint Blaise day and the blessing of
throats, but here's a song that at least, like our throats, connects
our hearts and mouths!
Let the Words of My Mouth sung by Fernando Ortega
If a video doesn't appear below, click here!
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