September 1--St. Giles, Hermit

There are some saints who were very popular long ago, but not so much anymore. One of these is St. Giles. St. Giles was venerated as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, saints who were invoked against diseases. They included St. Barbara against fever and sudden death, St. Blaise against throat ailments, St. Christopher against the plague, St. Denis against headaches, and St. Vitus against epilepsy. St. Giles was invoked against both plague and epilepsy, but also against mental illness and nightmares.

St. Giles was a Greek hermit who founded an abbey on the southern coast of France along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. According to one story, he was a hermit who had a red deer as a companion. When hunters shot an arrow at the deer it wounded St. Giles instead. Thus, he is also patron saint of cripples. His monastery followed the Rule of St. Benedict and he died in the eighth century, having a reputation for holiness and miracles. Travelers on the pilgrimage would stop at the abbey to visit his relics.

Nowadays, we have medicine when we are sick. We visit doctors, who are much more common today than in the days of St. Giles. God has blessed modern humanity with men and women dedicated to curing diseases and injuries. For that, we should be grateful. We should take advantage of medical personnel for physical and mental illnesses but let us not forget the illnesses of the soul that harm us: addiction, spiritual poverty, loneliness, fear, anxiety, desperation, and sin. These illnesses need more than a physician. God has also blessed us with intercessors, saints who pray on our behalf, for help from spiritual maladies. St. Giles is also the patron for a good confession. Take the hint! He can help us move to God.

February 3—St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

“Through the intercession of St. Blaise, may God preserve you from throat troubles and every other evil.”  This is the blessing we receive on this day when the priest blesses our throats.  It goes back to an ancient legend that St. Blaise, who was martyred in the early fourth century, healed a boy with a fishbone stuck in his throat.  Other legends ascribe amazing cures to his intervention, perhaps due to the belief that he was a physician.  There is not much else known about him, except that he lived in Armenia.  Nonetheless, he has been a popular saint in the West since the early Middle Ages.

God cares about our every need, whether we are near death or we have a nagging cold.  All our worries and pains, our joys and delights matter to him.  We have a God who loves us in all of our states of life.  We may be rich or poor, educated or illiterate, happy or sad.  God gives us the sacraments for our souls and for our bodies.  Anointing of the Sick is ministered to those who are near death:  “Is anyone among you sick?  He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15).  Jesus healed the sick, the lame, the blind, and forgave sins.  And he also changed the water into wine so that the wedding feast at Cana could continue without embarrassment.  We are graced indeed to have a God who gives us a blessing of throats through his saint, Blaise.