De sancto Blasio
The Gentle Bishop in the Wilderness
Saint Blaise, known for his humility and gentleness, lives as a hermit in the wilderness where he performs miracles of healing before being summoned by the governor.
The name Blasius is like 'bland' or 'gentle,' or it comes from 'belasius,' derived from 'bela,' meaning a habit, and 'syor,' meaning little. He was gentle because of the sweetness of his words, established through the habit of his virtues, and little because of the humility of his character. Because Blaise was filled with such gentleness and holiness, the Christians in the city of Sebaste in Cappadocia chose him as their bishop; once he had accepted the office, he sought out a cave because of the persecution under Diocletian and lived there as a hermit, where birds brought him food and wild animals gathered around him in harmony, and they wouldn't leave him while he was laying his hands on them to bless them. Finally, if any were sick, they would come to him immediately and return completely healed. The governor of that region. When he had sent his soldiers out to hunt, and they were working in vain elsewhere, they happened to arrive at Saint Blaise's cave and found a great multitude of wild beasts standing before him; because they couldn't catch any of them, they were astonished and reported it to their master, who immediately sent more soldiers and ordered them to bring him and all the Christians to him, and that very night Christ appeared to him three times, saying: 'Rise and offer me a sacrifice.' Then the soldiers arrived, saying, "Come out; the governor is calling for you." Saint Blaise answered them, "You've come at a good time, my sons; now I see that God has not forgotten me." As he went with them, he never stopped preaching and performed many miracles in their presence. Then a woman brought her dying son to his feet, who had a fish bone stuck in his throat, and she begged him with tears to heal him.
Faithfulness Amidst Persecution
Blaise continues to perform miracles and provide spiritual counsel even after his arrest, demonstrating his unwavering love for God.
Saint Blaise laid his hands upon him and prayed that the boy, and everyone who asked for the gift of healing in his name, might receive it; and he was healed immediately. A poor woman who had only one pig, which a wolf had violently snatched away, begged Saint Blaise to have it returned to her. He smiled and said, "Woman, don't be sad; your pig will be returned to you." The wolf came immediately and returned the widow's pig. Blaise entered the city and was imprisoned by the governor's order. The next day, the governor ordered him to be brought before him; seeing him, he greeted him with smooth words, saying, "Rejoice, Blaise, friend of the gods." Blaise replied, "Rejoice yourself, noble governor, but don't call them gods—call them demons, because they are consigned to eternal fire along with those who honor them." The angry governor ordered him to be beaten with clubs and thrown back into prison. Blaise said to him, "Foolish man, do you hope to take away my love for my God through your punishments, when I have Him as my strength within me?" When the widow to whom he had returned the pig heard this, she killed the pig and brought the head, feet, a candle, and bread to Saint Blaise. He gave thanks, ate, and told her, "Every year, offer a candle in the church named after me, and it will go well for you and for anyone who does this." She always did this, and she enjoyed great prosperity.
The Witness of the Seven Women
Seven women courageously witness to the true God through their suffering and martyrdom, remaining steadfast despite the governor's cruelty.
After this, when the governor could not get him to bow to the gods after he was brought out of prison, he ordered him to be hung on a wooden frame, his flesh torn with iron combs, and then taken back to prison. Seven women then followed, gathering up drops of blood, but they were quickly seized and forced to offer sacrifice to the gods. They said to him, "If you want us to worship your gods, send them to the pond with reverence, so that after their faces are washed, we can worship them more cleanly." The governor was pleased, and what he had said was quickly carried out. They, however, grabbed the gods and threw them into the middle of the pond, saying, "If they are gods, we'll see." When the governor heard this, he went mad with rage, beating himself and saying to his ministers, "Why didn't you hold onto our gods so they wouldn't be thrown into the depths of the lake?" They told him, "The women spoke to us deceitfully and threw them into the pond." The women replied to him, "The true God does not tolerate deceit; and if they had been gods, they would have known what we intended to do to them." The enraged governor then ordered molten lead, iron combs, and seven white-hot breastplates to be prepared on one side, and seven linen tunics to be brought on the other. As he spoke, offering them a choice of what they preferred, one of the women who had two small children ran forward boldly and, taking the linen tunics, threw them into the furnace; the children then said to their mother, "Dearest mother, don't leave us behind, but just as you filled us with the sweetness of milk, so now fill us with the sweetness of the heavenly kingdom." Then the governor ordered them to be suspended and their flesh torn with iron combs; their flesh became as white as snow, and instead of blood, milk flowed from them. As they endured their tortures, the angel of the Lord came to them and strengthened them with courage, saying, "Do not be afraid, for a good worker who has begun well and finishes well earns a blessing from the one who hired him for the work completed, receives a reward for his labor, and possesses joy as his recompense." Then the governor ordered them to be taken down and thrown into a furnace, but the fire was extinguished by divine power, and they came out unharmed. The governor said to them, "Now, give up this magic and worship our gods." They replied, "Finish what you've begun, for we have already been called to the kingdom of heaven." Then, having passed sentence, he ordered them to be beheaded; and as they were about to be beheaded, they knelt down and prayed, saying, "God, who separated us from the darkness and brought us into the sweetest light, who made us your sacrifice, receive our souls and bring us to eternal life." And so, with their heads severed, they departed to the Lord.
The Crown of Martyrdom
Saint Blaise faces his final trial, demonstrating the power of God over the governor's idols before receiving the crown of martyrdom and the promise of his intercession.
After this, the governor ordered Blasius to be brought before him and said, "Either worship the gods now, or don't." Blasius replied, "Wicked man, I don't fear your threats; do as you wish, for I surrender my body entirely to you." Then he ordered him to be thrown into the lake. He himself, however, marked the water, and it immediately remained firm like dry land; he said, "If your gods are true, show their power and come in here." Sixty-five men stepped into the pool and drowned instantly. Then the angel of the Lord came down and said to him, "Come out, Blaise, and receive the crown God has prepared for you." Once he had come out, the governor asked him, "Have you finally decided not to worship the gods?" Blaise replied, "Know this, you wretch: I am a servant of Christ, and I don't worship demons." He immediately ordered him to be beheaded, but Blaise himself prayed to the Lord that whoever might ask for his patronage because of an ailment of the throat or any other infirmity would be heard and immediately set free. And behold, a voice from heaven came to him, saying that it would happen as he had prayed; and so he was beheaded with two young boys around the year of our Lord 283.
Read the original Latin
Blasius quasi blandus vel Blasius quasi belasius a bela, quod est habitus, et syor parvulus. Fuit enim blandus per dulcedinem sermonum, habitus per habitus virtutum, parvulus per humilitatem morum.
Blasius cum omni mansuetudine et sanctitate polleret, christiani eum in Sebaste civitate Cappadociae in episcopum elegerunt, qui episcopatu suscepto ob Dyocletiani persecutionem speluncam petiit et ibi eremiticam vitam duxit, cui aves pabulum afferebant ac fere ad eum unanimiter confluebant et, dum usque imponeret manum iis benedicens, non recedebant ab eo. Denique si quae infirmabantur, ad eum continuo veniebant el sanitatem ad integrum reportabant. Praeses igitur illius. regionis dum-milites suos ad venandum misisset et illi in vanum alihi laborantes ad antrum sancti Blasii casu pervenissent, magnam ibidem bestiarum multitudinem ante ipsum stantium repererunt, quas dum nullatenus capere possent, attoniti suo domino muntiarunt, qui statim milites plures misit el, ut ipsum cum omnibus christianis ad se adducerent praecepit, in ipsa autem nocte ter Christus ei apparuit dicens: surge et offer mihi sacrificium. Ecce autem advenerunt milites dicentes: egredere, vocat te praeses. Quibus respondit sauctus Blasius: bene venistis, filii, nunc vidéo, quod Deus non est oblitus mei. Pergens vero cum iis nunquam a praedicatione cessavit el coram iis mirabilia multa fecit. Tune mulier quaedam filium suum morientem, in cujus gutture os piscis transversum erat, ad pedes ejus attulit et ut sanaretur, eum lacrimis postulabat.
Sanctus vero Blasius super eum manus imponens oravit, ut puer ille et omnes, qui in ejus nomine aliquid peterent, sanitatis beneficium obtinerent, et statim sanatus est. Mulier quaedam paupercula unum solum porcum habens, quem tamen violenter lupus rapuerat, sanctum Blasium deprecabatur, ut sibi reddi faceret suum porcum, qui subridens dixit: mulier noli contristari, reddetur tibi porcus tuus. Continuo lupus venit et porcum viduae reddidit. Ingrediens Blasius civitatem jussu principis carceri mancipatur, alia vero die jussit praeses ipsum sibi praesentari, quem videns blandis sermonibus salutavit dicens: gaude Blasi amice deorum. Cui Blasius: gaude et tu optime praeses, sed ne dicas eos Deos sed daemones, quia aeterno igni cum his, qui eos honorant, traduntur. Iratus praeses eum fustibus caedi jussit et in carcerem retrudi fecit, cui Blasius dixit: insensate speras per poenas tuas Dei mei a me auferre amorem, qui ipsum in me habeo corroboratorem? Audiens haec vidua illa, cui poreum reddiderat, porcum ipsum occidit et caput cum pedibus, candela et pane ad sanctum Blasium deportavit; ille gratias agens comedit sibique dixit: singulis annis candelam in ecclesia nominis mei offeras, et tibi et quicumque hoc fecerit, bene erit. Quod semper egit et sibi prosperitas multa fuit.
Post hoc cum eductum praeses a carcere ad Deos inclinare non posset, jussit eum in ligno suspendi et carnes ejus cum ferreis pectinibus laniari et sic iterum in carcerem reportari. Septem ergo mulieres sequentes guttas sanguinis colligebant, quae mox tenentur et ad Deorum sacrificium compelluntur. Quae dixerunt: si vis ut Deos tuos adoremus, cum reverentia mitte eos ad stagnum, ut faciebus ablutis mundius adorare possimus. Laetus praeses efficitur et citius quod dixerat adimpletur. Illi vero Deos arripuerunt et eos in stagni medium projecerunt dicentes: si Dei sunt, videbimus. Quod praeses audiens et prae ira insaniens et se ipsum percutiens dixit ministris: cur non tenuistis Deos nostros, ut non mitterentur in profundum lagi? cui dixerunt: dolose iecum locutae sunt mulieres et eos in stagnum projecerunt. Cui mulieres: Deus verus dolos non patitur, sed et si Dii fuissent, praescivissent ntique, quid iis facere volebamus; et iratus praeses jussit plumbum liquefactum et pectines ferreos et VII loricas igne candentes ex una parte parari et ex alia VII camisias afferri lineas.
Quo dicente, ut ex his, quod mallent, eligerent, una illarum duos parvulos habens audacter cucurrit et lineas camisias accipiens in caminum projecit, pueri vero matri dixerunt: non nos mater dulcissima post te relinquas, sed sicut nos replesti dulcedine lactis, sic nos reple dulcedine regni coelestis. Tunc praeses jussit eas suspendi et carnes earum pectinibus ferreis laniari, quarum carnes ut nix albissimae erant et pro sanguine lac fluebant.
Cum antem supplicia invitae ferrent, angelus domini ad eas venit et eas viriliter confortavit dicens: nolite timere, bonus enim operarius, qui bene incepit et bene perficit et a conducente se benedictionem meretur pro completo opere et mercedem accipit pro labore et gaudium possidet pro mercede. Tunc praeses jussit eas deponi et in caminum mitti, quae divinitus exstincto igne exierunt illaesae. Quibus praeses: jam nunc magicam artem dimittite et Deos nostros adorate. Quae responderunt: perfice quod coepisti, quia jam ad regnum coeleste vocatae sumus. Tunc ille data sententia eas decollari mandavit, quae dum decollari deberent, flexibus genubus adoraverunt dicentes: Deus qui nos a tenebris separasti et in lucem dulcissimam adduxisti, qui nos sacrificium tuum fecisti, animas nostras suscipe et ad vitam aeternam facias nos pervenire. Et sic truncatis capitibus ad dominum migraverunt. Post hoc jussit praeses Blasium sibi praesentari et dixit ei: vel nunc adora Deos vel non. Cui Blasius: impie non timeo minas tuas, age ut vis, corpus enim meum penitus tibi trado, Tunc jussit mitti in stagnum.
Ipse - vero aquam signavit et mox sicut terra arida fixa permansit; dixitque: si veri sunt Dei vestri, ostendite virtutem eorum et ingredimini huc. — Ingressique LXV viri stagnum continuo sunt submersi. Angelus autem domini descendens dixit ei: egredere Blasi et coronam tibi a Deo paratam suscipe. Cumque exiisset, dixit ad eum praeses: omnino decrevisti non adorare Deos? Cui Blasius: cognosce miser, quia Christi servus sum nec daemones adoro. Et statim jussit eum decollari, ipse autem oravit ad dominum, ut quicunque per infirmitatem gutturis vel alia quacunque infirmitate ejus patrocinia postularet, exaudiretur et continuo liberaretur. Et ecce vox de coelis ad eum venit, quod sic fieret, ut oravit, sicque cum duobus puerulis decollatus est circa annos domini CCLXXXIII.
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