www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Blessing of candles/Blessing of throats

I noticed on my Byzantine liturgical calendar a footnote that states that some Byzantine Catholics observe the blessing of candles for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord/Encounter with Simeon. I would like to know which Byzantine Catholics(Russian, Ukrainain, Ruthenian, Melkite, etc?)do this. Has the blessing of candles always been a part of the Byzantine liturgical celebration for this feast, or is it simply a borrowing from the Latin tradition?

Also, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saint Blaise on Feb 3rd. It is the custom on that date for one�s throat to be blessed by the placing of two candles on either side of the person�s throat. A prayer is then said by the priest for the healing of any ailments of the throat. This is done in honor of the saving by Saint Blaise of a boy who was choking to death.

Saint Blaise�s feastday on the Byzantine liturgical calendar is Feb. 11th. Do any Byzantine Catholics( Russian, Melkite, etc.) have this same throat blessing on his feast. If so, has this always been part of the Byzantine tradition or is it also a borrowing from the Latin?

Since Saint Blaise was Armenian, does anyone know if the blessing of the throats is a custom practiced by the Armenian Catholics and Apostolics as well?

Thank you for any response you may give.

[ 02-01-2002: Message edited by: griego catolico ]

Dear Griego,

The blessing of candles for the Meeting of the Lord is something that is done by the Ukrainian and other Churches, it is not a Latinization.

The feast is called the "Meeting" of our Lord rather than the feast of the "Presentation." The emphasis is on the fulfillment of the Messianic promise of His coming in His meeting with St Simeon.

These blessed candles are kept in one's icon corner and are lit during severe weather as a protection and also when someone in one's home is very ill or dying.

They represent, of course, Christ the Light-giver and our own enlightenment in Christ through the Grace of the Holy Spirit. They represent the final Enlightenment received by St Simeon and St Anna the Prophetess who served God night and day in the Temple awaiting the liberation of Israel.

St Blaise or Blasios of Armenia is truly venerated in all Churches, including ours, as the Patron of throats. He is especially venerated by the Russian Old Believers in this capacity and supplication services or Molebens/Paraclesis are served to him for this intention.

The practice of blessing throats with candles on St Blaise's Day is a Latin practice that is related to Candlemas or the Purification candles since his feast follows so closely upon Candlemas.

To criss-cross candles in this way is to form the Greek "X" or the first letter of Christ's Name in Greek or Slavonic.

I've never heard of this practice among even the most Latinized of Eastern Catholics.

From his name, we have the English locution, "What in Blaise's name are you doing?" (Just kidding, kidding . . .).

Alex

Father Petras mentions in his Typikon that the Blessing of Candles on Feb. 2 is a long standing tradition in the Slavic churches although its origin is in the Latin Rite "rituals." It appeared in some Slavonic Trebnyks probably around the time of St. Petro Mohyla and the use of this rite subsequently became standard in all euchologia of the Slavonic tradition. I do not believe that it is a practice in the Greek Churches, at least not historically. The custom is old enough in our tradition that it is rarely seen as a Latinization and it is certainly in congruence with Eastern spirituality.

The symbolism of Christ as the Light-giver, the scriptural fulfillment of prophesy realized in the Temple on the occasion of Our Lord's meeting with the two saintly characters in the Lukan account of the incident and our own personal enlightenment in Christ, as Alex mentions, as well as the Gospel affirmation of Jesus as the "Light of the World" certainly are apropos to both the Feast of the Encounter and the church's tradition and fits into the paradigm of both East and West.

I like the tradition of the "Blessing of Throats" and usually avail myself to it at a local Latin Rite church if possible. It is now performed on either Feb. 3, the Feast of St. Blaise or the Sunday following. The use of the two crossed candles would indicate of course, that the blessing of candles took place on the day prior to the Saint's commemoration. People seem to appreciate such a sacramental as they do other blessings. I am surprised that it never, to my knowledge, crept into the liturgical books of our Byzantine Church.

The prayer that I have normally heard accompanying the blessing is "Through the intercession of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, may the Lord protect you from all ailments of the throat and all other illness, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Joe

Dear Joe,

Yes, that is where I first saw it, in the Trebnyk of St Peter Mohyla of Kyiv!

However, this practice is mentioned by St Peter Akerovych, Metropolitan of Kyiv who attended the Council of Lyons.

The blessing of candles for the Feast of the Meeting is also contained in some ancient editions of the Trebnyk dating from the 12th century.

Again, this doesn't mean it wasn't somehow an imitation of a Latin tradition, only that the tradition is of such long standing that it is part of the Slavonic-Orthodox practice.

Alex

I've never had my throat blessed. This sounds like a good idea for politicans and other oratators!

K.

Dear Kurt,

In fact, St Blaise was also a patron for medieval executioners wielding axes.

In Germany, after an axe-man took off 100 heads on the chopping block, he was forcibly retired. Many of these went on to become surgeons and specialized in the disorders of the neck and throat!

Believe it or not . . .

Alex

I guess that the Slavs got this via the Rituale Romanum. It is unknown among the Greeks, to my knowledge anyway.

Blessings (of the throat and other human body parts -- including the heart!!) Oh yeah,.....brains too! Oh yeah, and feet.... and hands....and .....Oh, you know!

We don't do throats in the Syrian Church, but we do have a thoroughly Eastern blessing of candles tomorrow, which Liturgy I will not get a chance to go to.

Happy Ma'altho!

Dear all,

I would think that the blessing of candles on this day - Presentation of the Lord , is of Eastern origin because of its more ancient heritage. Let me explain.

For centuries, Feb. 2nd was called in the Latin West the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, and thus was highly Marian in tone. In fact the monastery attached to the theology school I attend used the Common of the Virgin Mary for morning prayer today. Also, we sang a Marian hymn. This seemed strange to me, don't get me wrong - I love & honor our Lady very much, but the reforms of Vatican II emphasize the Christological character of this feast over its former Marian aspects, hence the change of name to Presentation of the Lord.

Anyway, I really love this feast. I find it so monastic! Simeon & Anna are archetypes of all monks and nuns. I almost received the name Simeon for my religious name, since I entered my community 5 yrs. ago on this date. [Instead I was entrusted under the name & patronage of holy prophet Elias.] Another side note from real life, one of the elder monks here died early this morning. I can't think of a better feast day to go home to be with the Lord: "Now Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace....." Please join me in prayer for his blessed repose.

PAX

Benedictine

[ 02-02-2002: Message edited by: Benedictine ]

[ 02-02-2002: Message edited by: Benedictine ]

Dear Benedictine: Somehow I feel that the Righteous Anna the Prophetess got lost in this feast. I have a beautiful icon of Simeon the God Receiver but Anna is missing. I can more relate to her as the one in the corner; the one forgotten. May we all receive the help of the holy prayers of the Righteous Simeon and Anna!
monk Silouan

Amen, Father Silouan...I can relate to that "in the corner-ness" at times. And prayers for Benedictine's Benedictine brother's repose.

Thought you might find this interesting.
2 FEBRUARY --- CANDLEMAS

This is a wondrous feast, all too often neglected. Forty days after Christmas, it marks the final end of the Christmas season; its eve was the time when the last of the Christmas greenery was to be taken down and burned. For every leaf left, so Robert Herrick assures us in his wonderful poem "Ceremonies Upon Candlemas Eve," "so many goblins shall you see."

The day itself, with its blessing of candles and procession preceding the Mass, is one of mystic symbolism. The blessing is one of the three public ones, alongside ashes and palms on Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday. But how few are the churches that feature the candle-blessing, and how few those who take advantage of it! The prayers are expressive, and being present at the blessing of sacramentals is always a great grace.

The candle itself was always seen as symbolic of Christ: the wick of His soul, the pure and virginal wax of His body, and the flame of His Divinity. Nor are the candles blessed on this day simply for its use, like the ashes with which we start Lent. They are to be used at the sick-bed when the priest gives Extreme Unction. Moreover, amongst Catholic peoples they are lit during any time of necessity, such as floods, hurricanes, or storms. Then too, if any personal problem arises, they will be lit. Here we see the symbolism of the candle and flame again: "the light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." In the depths of Winter, whether physical or spiritual, the candle burns and enlightens all around it.

Like the Epiphany, however, there are other themes to Candlemas. It is the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin. As we know, this commemorates her ritual purification at the Temple in Jerusalem after giving birth to Our Lord. Now of course, she being Immaculately conceived, and her Son the result of a Virgin Birth (to say nothing of being Divine), there was no need for her to comply with the custom. Nevertheless, to maintain the law she did so freely. Now we have still in the Church a little-used (these days) rite: the "Churching of Women." This is a blessing for new mothers. A great source of much needed grace, it is also a capital way for mothers to imitate the Virgin. Candlemas can be an inspiration to use this ceremony, and to meditate on Motherhood in general.

There is a third significance to Cadnlemas, and that is the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple. Here the infant Jesus was first liturgically offered up, so to speak, and first entered into His own. Although most of His own received him not, two holy old people did. The aged Simeon had waited for the coming of the Messiah, and prayed ferevently that he might see Him. So he did, reciting the "Nunc Dimittis" ("Now O Lord, dismiss Thy servant in peace�"), signifying that his joy and his life were complete. He then prophesied to Our Lady about the effect Jesus would have on the world, and the sorrow which would pierce her own heart. Also on hand was the holy woman Anna, who had spent years in the Temple, and had perhaps known the Virgin during Mary�s girlhood there. News of the visit of the Holy Family to the Temple was spread by these two, resulting in Herod�s decree which ended in slaughtering the Holy Innocents. In all of this we see a type of the Christian�s life in the world: so often the good is misused, and the holy parodied, as it were, by those in charge. God entered God�s House; but rather than being hailed by the High Priest and the King, He came in quietly, noticed by only a few "unimportant" persons. The immediate result of His visit was not rejoicing but sorrow. So too must it frequently be to-day.

On a far less elevated plane, Candlemas is reckoned the heart of winter. In most of Europe, it is thought that if it is warm, "the half of winter�s to come and mair," but if it be cold, then winter is nearly up. From this came the tradition of the groundhog predicting the weather. So it is that in modern America, Candlemas is still observed as "Groundhog Day." In itself, this is perhaps a reflexion of where we are as a people. As with so much else, it is up to us to reclaim this mysterious and illuminating day.
http://www.thinline.com/~ccoulomb/candelma.html

Happy Feastday of the Meeting of Our Lord!!!
Thank you all for your responses.
May Our Lord adundantly bless you on this day!!

[ 02-02-2002: Message edited by: griego catolico ]

Dear Dr. John,

But what about the Mystery of Holy Anointing, for one, - does that Mystery not involve the blessing of body parts in the form of an 8-pointed Cross (as in Baptism)?

Alex

Dear Griego,

Yes, Happy Feastday of the Meeting - but aren't you jumping the gun here? It isn't for another 10 days .

Like Benedictine, I too see in it a reflection of monastic life in the persons of Sts. Simeon and Anna, who watched and prayed in the temple, awaiting the coming of the Messiah.

And we too (Benedictine Oblates and all ) are called to watch and pray like that awaiting his Second Coming, when He will come "like a thief in the night" to judge the living and the dead.

May He find us all wakeful and watchful at that dread moment!

Alex