Converts, St Blaise, and Popular Piety

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Hi,

This is to converts. I know there are cradle Catholics who will defend the blessing of throats. This is not about the truth or falsehood of that as much as it is about converts and comfort with popular piety/private revelation.

I’m a convert and there are some things that would qualify as popular piety which make me uncomfortable. My husband, a cradle Catholic, is anxious to get to Mass Friday for the blessing of throats. I’ve done this before and even through I love my Catholic faith I have to say this looks a bit odd. It’s the kind of thing anti-Catholics have a field-day with!

I looked up the history of this and it’s sketchy at best. No one really knows for sure how it got started and there are a lot of stories about St Blaise which sound mythological. As a result I tend to shy from this like I do with scapulars and the Sabbatine Privilege.

So many Catholics, including my husband, act as though it’s such a shame I was not brought up to simply accept popular piety and believe without questioning. Somehow to reject these things is like rejecting the Catholic faith. I strongly disagree. In fact, I thought the Church did not require such faith. :tsktsk:

Do you feel there are two requirements? There are the actual requirements of the Church with the Bible, Tradition which was public revelation, and the Catechism. This we surely must believe as Catholics. But then there are all of the practices, prayers, devotions, etc which the Church never said were officially accepted. Cradle Catholics seem to accept the latter before the former if they are not orthodox believers. For converts it is difficult as we are expected to absorb the latter. I often cannot.

Are there other converts out there who struggle with these things? If so, how do you deal with it? Do others feel as I do about things such as blessings of throats and scapulars?

Converts only please.

Thanks to all!

Gloria
 
You are not alone, and I’m a cradle Catholic. I feel uncomfortable with some of the very popular devotions resulting from private revelations about the Virgin Mary. Private revelations are never required for Catholics to believe in, but sometimes it doesn’t seem that way.

As far as St. Blaise and the blessing of throats, if it makes you feel uncomfortable, no need to participate. It’s not required.
 
I too am a convert, but I’ve been in the Church for about 15 years now, so I’ve had time to adjust my world view to include such private devotions.

As I see it, a saint’s background being sketchy isn’t a problem. No doubt some of what has come down to us is simply pious legend, but there was a core sanctity in the saint that still inspires people. My dh, a cradle Catholic, had his throat blessed and recovered instantly from a nasty virus he had at the time. I suppose it could be explained away as a placebo effect, but then a lot of the miracles of Our Lord himself could too. 😉

For us Catholics miracles surround us. Grace abounds all the time everywhere. We believe that certain people were chosen by God as channels of certain graces. St. Blaise being but one of many such chosen souls. Doesn’t Paul talk about the body being all one although each part has different functions? And, that none of those functions should be despised?

As to the Sabbatine Privilege, as a Lay Carmelite I can tell you that what has been ruled about it is that we can certainly believe that Mary intercedes in a special way for those consecrated to her, but we are not to believe the she delivers anyone from purgatory. So, it’s still all right to do this devotion but with this understanding of it, which is in line with Church teaching. 🙂
 
Think of it as positive “cafeteria Catholicism.” There are lots of different ways to God. Our Church is big enough that you can choose to participate in the Blessing of the Throats, or not. You can be a Catholic as a member of a torchlight procession of the Madonna in Seville, complete with brass band, or as a Trappist in the hills of Kentucky.

I’m a cradle Catholic. Many of them are not for me. I have no desire to walk barefoot up Croagh Patrick, for example, and I think those who do are maybe a little, well, odd. But if it gets them closer to God, more power to them.

I will tell you, though, that October 4 is the best day of the year to be a Catholic in the circus. The Blessing of the Animals is something everyone should see at least once. But if it’s not your cup of tea, you don’t have to.

Is it silly? Of course it’s silly. So’s faith.
 
I am a convert who wears the brown scapular and is very much saddened by the fact that few parishes perform the throat blessing on the feast of Saint Blaise anymore.
😦
Of course it is not a requirement; we are not obliged to follow any private revelation. Nevertheless, if it is not at odds with the Church, carries Her blessing, and enhances one’s faith, then by all means go for it!
 
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gloryb:
a lot of stories about St Blaise which sound mythological
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I used to read about saints and think this too–that over the centuries people probably embelished a little more with each telling of the story. Then I learned about Padre Pio, an example of a modern saint just as extraordinary as the ancient ones. If he lived 1500 years ago, he’d sound like a myth too 😃
 
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Della:
As to the Sabbatine Privilege, as a Lay Carmelite I can tell you that what has been ruled about it is that we can certainly believe that Mary intercedes in a special way for those consecrated to her, but we are not to believe the she delivers anyone from purgatory. So, it’s still all right to do this devotion but with this understanding of it, which is in line with Church teaching. 🙂
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Hmm, I’m not sure they can tell you not to believe it; Pope John XXII issued a specific decree affirming the Sabbatine privilege.
 
Originally Posted by Della
As to the Sabbatine Privilege, as a Lay Carmelite I can tell you that what has been ruled about it is that we can certainly believe that Mary intercedes in a special way for those consecrated to her, but we are not to believe the she delivers anyone from purgatory. So, it’s still all right to do this devotion but with this understanding of it, which is in line with Church teaching.
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Hmm, I’m not sure they can tell you not to believe it; Pope John XXII issued a specific decree affirming the Sabbatine privilege.
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I don’t want to take the thread off topic on this issue, so let’s either start a new thread or PM each other about it. Okay? :tiphat:
 
Hi,

I think in my original post I may have made the mistake of sounding like a new Catholic. I’m sorry for that. I have been in the Church for some time. I accept miracles, pray to the Saints, love the Church, and think I’m probably more true to the Church’s teachings than so many cafeteria Catholics. I believe in apparitions, devotions, and love the fact that we are free to be different.

As far as the Sabbatine privilege, I may have been one of those who still thought the issue of Saturday existed. It actually does not and the bull of John XXII is not even proven to be authentic. One writing on the subject is here:

udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq2/yq365.html

But back to my original—the blessing of throats. It might be that my former years as a Baptist are affecting me. I know how they see such things. If, as a Baptist, I’d walked into a Catholic church and seen prayers said over throats with crossed candles I’d have run out sure that I’d been in an unChristian church!!

It matters to me how we look to those who question our faith. When that comes up for me I tend to shy away and then I wonder whether I’m avoiding Catholic devotion or simply trying to stay with what is dogma.

Anyway, I’ll probably not do the St Blaise thing. Or maybe I might. I’ll go to Mass with my husband and see how I feel about it then. In the meantime I’ll pray a lot.

Blessings to all.

Gloria
 
Hi

I am a convert to the Church as well (Easter this Year 👍 ) and the way I’ve approached a LOT of the “extra stuff” within the church (Even some parts of some required stuff until I got used to it and could do more research) is just to ignore it. Put it on a back burner until I couldn’t ignore it any longer. When you’re ready for answers - they will come. Until then - don’t worry about it 🙂 .

If it really bothers you that much - dig deep on the subject, pray the rosary about it - and talk to people who practice it - God will let you know where He wants you with whatever it is you’re struggling with. Remember too: Not everything is meant for everybody.

Peace

John
 
I’m a convert of 8 years. For me the traditional mass and rituals and the many special devotional practices such as Benediction, the rosary, wearing the brown scapular or medals such as the miraculous medal, Saint Benedict’s medal, etc, the sabbatine privilege, the novenas and many more, all add to what makes the Roman Catholic church - as the one true Church - even more special.

I love these devotions as they reinforce my faith and add to my spiritual life boundlessly - such a contrast with the sterility of my former protestant life. They are privileges that a Catholic has which no non-Catholic can experience and as such set the Catholic Church on a pedestal, towering above all the confusion of the infinite mass of protestant sects and denominations.
 
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tradconvert:
I’m a convert of 8 years. For me the traditional mass and rituals and the many special devotional practices such as Benediction, the rosary, wearing the brown scapular or medals such as the miraculous medal, Saint Benedict’s medal, etc, the sabbatine privilege, the novenas and many more, all add to what makes the Roman Catholic church - as the one true Church - even more special.

I love these devotions as they reinforce my faith and add to my spiritual life boundlessly - such a contrast with the sterility of my former protestant life. They are privileges that a Catholic has which no non-Catholic can experience and as such set the Catholic Church on a pedestal, towering above all the confusion of the infinite mass of protestant sects and denominations.
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The Eucharist is supposed to be the center of our lives. Devotions and sacramentals aid in our faith. Yet I see so much blind faith where popular piety is concerned. Not every practice is a part of the actual worship of the Church. Something like a brown scapular may be accepted because of the devotion and good works attached. That does not mean the Church has accepted all that goes with it.

Where our practices either look superstitious or actually bring on superstition I wonder why the Church does not call a halt. I feel this way about crossed candles over throats. Novenas—many a cradle Catholic just thinks there’s something “special” about that 9. Numbers become important—decades in the rosary, 3x “Mary conceived without sin…”, etc. I know to me it becomes clutter. For those it helps that’s great. Maybe I wish I could be more like that.
I know a Methodist who gets confused because a Catholic relative of hers is extremely superstitious and is always looking for signs and wonders. My friend wouldn’t take off medals, thinking that bad luck would befall her. I had to explain to her that the Catholic Church does not teach superstition. Yet see how quickly our practices can be misunderstood?

I guess I have been answering my own question here. For me it’s the basics plus a little garnish. I’m a “meat and potatoes Catholic.” If it doesn’t fit or looks superstitious, I won’t do it. If I’m uncomfortable with it I will seek out what the Church has actually said. It doesn’t work for me to just absorb what is “Catholic” as a whole. Guess I’m a purist.

Thankfully there is room for even me in the Church 🙂 !

Gloria
 
Gloryb, I understand what you are saying. Of course the holy mass is at the centre of my faith and everything else is subsidiary but related. Magnificant ceremonies like Benediction, Corpus Christi processions and practices such as exposition of the blessed eucharist lead us to increase our faith and lift us into a higher spritual realm. Saying the Rosary, novenas, wearing medals honouring the saints, praying before statues or holy pictures and other ceremonies should never be ends in themselves or lead to supertitious practices. They are aids to our gaining graces and deepening our understanding of the mysteries of the faith.
They are some of the “works” that are supplement our faith through which we may merit salvation. As such they mark out the Catholic Church from that protestant heresy “justification by faith alone”.
 
My son had a fever last night when he went to bed. His throat was very sore. I gave him remedy, and prayed for him. He felt a little bette when he woke up, but his throat was still sore. My friend took him to Daily Mass, where our very Holy Priest blessed him and invoked St. Blaise for his throat. My son said his throat was very sore when he was walking up, but it felt completely better after it was blessed. I know he will remember this day every year on this feast day! I will.
 
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