Blessing God?

[simms]

It has always been my understanding that a ‘blessing’ is placing someone or something under the care of God. However, I am confused when someone prays to bless God.

St. Francis used to have the brothers say a short prayer when they entered the chapel: “We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all your churches in the whole world, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”

What exactly does this mean? How can we ask God to bless Himself and why would we do that?

I am sure someone out there in cyberland can help clear up my confusion. Thanks in advance.

Joy

 

[Fidelis]

It basically means to give thanksgiving and praise to God for the good he has done for us. It is widely used in the Scriptures:

De 8:10 -
And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.

1Ch 29:20 -
Then David said to all the assembly, “Bless the LORD your God.” And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD, and did obeisance to the king.

Ne 9:5 -
Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kad’mi-el, Bani, Hashabnei’ah, Sherebi’ah, Hodi’ah, Shebani’ah, and Pethahi’ah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”

Ps 104:1 -
Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, thou art very great! Thou art clothed with honor and majesty

Jas 3:9 -
With it [the tongue] we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God.

 

[tjmiller]

“Blessing” in Latin is “benedictus” that is, “speaking well of” (bene+dictus; cf. the “Benedictus” Canticle of Zechariah in Morning Prayer of the Liturgyof theHours: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, he has come to his people and set them free…” [Lk. 1:68f.]). Similary, in Greek, blessing is “eulogia”, from which the English “eulogy”.

Thus, we “bless” God whenever we “speak well of him”.