(Optional) Memorial of Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr
(Hebrews 11:32-40; Mark 5:1-20)
Today’s gospel shows both Jesus’ immense compassion and
power. The demoniac is deeply
troubled. Although he has great strength,
he is confined to tombs where human remains fester in decay. Undaunted by the man’s strength and
unperturbed by the ghastliness of the tombs, Jesus demands that the evil
spirits, the source of the man’s distress, depart from him at once. The spirits cannot but comply.
In ancient times religious writers linked disease with
demonic possession. Mental illness was
especially symptomatic of demons at work.
Today, of course, there are not only medical explanations of disease but
also effective medical treatment. Even
the most religious people visit a doctor, not an exorcist, to cure a sick
relative. But the success of medicine
should not cause people to stop praying for the sick. God heals humans in more than physical ways.
Today we remember St. Blaise, a bishop and martyr at the
time of the Church Fathers. He has
become a symbol of our faith in God’s power over all types of ailments. In Blaise’s name, we bless our throats asking
God to save us from all kinds of diseases.
