Holy Martyr Blaise of Caesarea (III)

Saint Blaise of Caesarea, the Herdsman, was from Caesarea of Cappadocia (Asia Minor) and earned his living as a herdsman (“Bucolus” means herdsman in Greek).

When the persecution of the Christians began, Saint Blaise gave himself up to the tormentors of his own accord. He was terribly tortured, beaten with ox sinews and thrown into a cauldron full of boiling water, but by God’s will the saint remained unharmed. The soldiers who saw this miracle believed in Christ. The governor, wishing to convince the assembled people that the water had cooled and therefore could not harm the Lord’s chosen one, lost his senses, jumped into the cauldron, and died at once.

Saint Blaise converted many people to the law of Christ and reposed in peace. His staff was stuck into the ground; it put down roots, turned into a huge tree, and with its branches covered the sanctuary of the church in which his holy relics were placed.