Could I Do The Same?

   The people who know me well know that I can be rather demanding both on myself as well as on others. As a perfectionist, I tend to expect that perfection from others. Perfectionists tend to be more critical and less forgiving of self and others.
   Which brings me to the question posed in the title to today's blog and also brings me face-to-face with today's saint: St. Blaise.
   We do not know a lot about today's saint. However, the pious history of the man tells us that Blaise was a good, holy bishop of the early Church. However, in his day, Christianity was definitely not popular. People were put to death for believing in Jesus Christ.
   Blaise was arrested and led away to death. One story says that the son of a jailer got a fish bone stuck in his throat. Another story says that while he was being led to jail a woman ran up to him with a son who had a fish bone stuck in his throat. Either story informs us that with a commanding word, the fish bone was dislodged and the boy lived.
   Blaise was not to be rewarded for that good deed, though. Instead, he was cruelly put to death.
   The tradition of blessing throats on the feast of St. Blaise arose from the miraculous healing of the youth, however, and to this day the Church still blesses the throats of the faithful on this feast.
   Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This prayer is one of the prayers that may be said as blessed candles are place on the throat of those who come forward.
   I ask myself, "If I were being led to death, would I have enough grace to help someone in need or would I not care about anybody else?" I would like to think that I would care about someone in need. But there are times that I am not so sure.
   Which is why I will be doing some major praying today, asking God to give me the graces I still need in my life to become the kind of person He wants me to be.
   May the day go well with you and for you today!