Blessing people

[probleman]

As a layman (part of the laity), do I have any power to bless anyone? In my daily prayers I ask God “please bless my father and my mother and my children and my wife and my brother and my coworkers and our friends at this parish and our priest”. Is that going to do anything special? Is that even allowed? Can only priests bless people? What does it mean to bless someone in my prayer? Should I pray it differently? I want to pray for these people in general and specific ways, but I don’t know how to. Sorry if it’s a stupid question.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

Your prayer is fine. Yes, only the ordained can bless people but you are not blessing these people, you are asking for God’s blessing upon them.

 

[Joe_5859]

Yes, lay people can (and should) do certain blessings. No, it is not exactly the same as the blessings offered by the clergy. Here is the relevant passage from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

CCC 1669 Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a “blessing,” and to bless. [174] Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained ministry (bishops, priests, or deacons). [175]

[174] Cf. Gen 12:2; Lk 6:28; Rom 12:14; 1 Pet 3:9.
[175] Cf. SC 79; CIC, can. 1168; De Ben 16,18.

As a father, I would say that it is an extremely underused capacity that we have to bless our children and our families. We absolutely should do this. I know I should do it more often.

 

[probleman]

Thanks for clarifying that.