What with my need to be at the Verizon Center for the Wizards-Lakers basketball performance by 11:30 Sunday morning, I opted to go to the 5:30 service at St. Stephen's. Attendance was light (about 2/3rds usual) due to the upcoming Super Bowling performance on television. I always wonder if the absentees for football actually made the effort to go to Mass in the morning, or if football needs to be added to the ever-growing list of Catholic mortal sins.
The highlight of Mass was actually after Mass, when they did the annual Blessing of Throats in honor of the patron saint of throats, Saint Blaise. After the service, those who wished could come up to the altar rail where the priest stood with crossed candles to touch the throats of the faithful and pronounce the throat blessing. Too bad all those football fanatics weren't there.....with all the yelling and screaming they were about to do, they, above all people, were in need of protected throats!
Per intercessionem Sancti Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo. Amen.
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