Blessing

[billcu1]

I know a Catholic can bless themselves with the sign of the cross. But can they not bless another as a Priest could when they make the sign of the cross over you? If not is the only way a lay person can bless someone with holy water? When a non-Catholic makes the sign of the cross are they blessing themselves? I have often wondered this.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I know a Catholic can bless themselves with the sign of the cross. But can they not bless another as a Priest could when they make the sign of the cross over you? If not is the only way a lay person can bless someone with holy water? When a non-Catholic makes the sign of the cross are they blessing themselves? I have often wondered this.

The key phrase in your question is “can they not bless another as a priest could…”

Any one can invoke God’s blessing upon another. Only one who has the ontological character of the Sacrament of Sacred Order can impart God’s blessing. A person with the ontological character and a person without can that character make the same outward gesture – making the sign of the cross over someone – but the effect will not be the same.

 

[billcu1]

The key phrase in your question is “can they not bless another as a priest could…”

Any one can invoke God’s blessing upon another. Only one who has the ontological character of the Sacrament of Sacred Order can impart God’s blessing. A person with the ontological character and a person without can that character make the same outward gesture – making the sign of the cross over someone – but the effect will not be the same.

So what is the effect a Priest would have? Impart is the term you used as opposed to invoke. Would using holy water on someone have the same effect as a Priest’s blessing?

 

[The_Apostolate]

I have Bless many-of people with the sign of the Cross, handicap, children and people who are sick,even my family members, that let me Bless them,I used to carry Holy Water,I have get some to carry with me in case someone is hurt in an accident ,or if a nursing home .When we do this the Lord knows we truly love him

 

[Polyphony]

Any one can invoke God’s blessing upon another.

Father, what sort of blessing could a parent give to their child?

For example, would it be fitting make the Sign of the Cross over them while blessing them in the Name of the Blessed Trinity? Or would it simply make more sense to use a “May God bless you” type of prayer?

I ask because I seem to recall once learning that parents have a spiritual authority over their children, and they are able to bless their kids as a result of their office as parent.

Maybe that’s a bunch of bunko, though.

 

[billcu1]

Father, what sort of blessing could a parent give to their child?

For example, would it be fitting make the Sign of the Cross over them while blessing them in the Name of the Blessed Trinity? Or would it simply make more sense to use a “May God bless you” type of prayer?

I ask because I seem to recall once learning that parents have a spiritual authority over their children, and they are able to bless their kids as a result of their office as parent.

Maybe that’s a bunch of bunko, though.

I’ve never heard that about Children. I know when I bless myself, it’s in the trinity formula and making the sign of the cross over myself. But what about the sacramental of holy water? Would that be equivalent to a blessing from a priest? They blessed the water in the first place. And I’ve heard there’s some salt in it. I don’t know what source. Either salt mines that are landlocked or sea or oceanic salt.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Father, what sort of blessing could a parent give to their child?

For example, would it be fitting make the Sign of the Cross over them while blessing them in the Name of the Blessed Trinity? Or would it simply make more sense to use a “May God bless you” type of prayer?

I ask because I seem to recall once learning that parents have a spiritual authority over their children, and they are able to bless their kids as a result of their office as parent.

Maybe that’s a bunch of bunko, though.

No, it is quite real.

A parent can bless a child. A Mother Superior could bless one of her nuns. In both cases, it is a blessing of a non-ordained person to a non-ordained person. It should be invocative – “May God bless you…” or “May the Lord bless and watch over and keep you…” You could even use the Mosaic blessing, if you wished.

There is the liturgical blessings that are used when a lay person is the leader of the liturgy…“May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life” or “May the Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death” In both cases, one can add the sign of the cross, though for the non-ordained, I would contend it is better to trace it over oneself with the others making the same gesture than tracing it over others in the manner that a bishop, priest or deacon would.

You could trace the sign of the cross on the forehead, which is a gesture of blessing less associated with a sacerdotal blessing.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I’ve never heard that about Children. I know when I bless myself, it’s in the trinity formula and making the sign of the cross over myself. But what about the sacramental of holy water? Would that be equivalent to a blessing from a priest? They blessed the water in the first place. And I’ve heard there’s some salt in it. I don’t know what source. Either salt mines that are landlocked or sea or oceanic salt.

When a blessing is imparted by a bishop, priest or deacon, the blessing is different in kind and not simply in degree from the blessing a lay person invokes because the blessing a cleric imparts ultimately derives from the character of Sacred Order that was imprinted on the soul of the man in the moment he was ordained. That unity with Christ in His ministerial priesthood is operative in terms of each of the sacraments he confers but also in terms of the sacramentals he institutes. That is why a cleric’s blessing is seen, theologically, from a different perspective.

So, no, one cannot use some blessed object to augment the blessing of a lay person such that it becomes the blessing of a cleric. The absence of the ontological character precludes that.

A lay person may have the oil of the sick and may know the words that constitute the form of the sacrament for the sacrament of the sick – but their using the oil and saying the words will not confect the anointing the sick because they lack the ontological character that I received when I was ordained as priest…the same character by which when I pronounce the words of absolution and sins are forgiven or when I say the words of consecration and the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.

Nothing can supply for the ontological change that Ordination effected and that I always retain. That said, if you are going to ask God to bless someone, by all means sprinkle them also with Holy Water.

Not every priest today blesses salt and adds it to the water when he blesses Holy Water. If you want that, you should request it of your priest. I always do it myself.

 

[Polyphony]

Thank you very much for the information, Father. It’s very helpful.

 

[TimothyH]

No, it is quite real.

A parent can bless a child. A Mother Superior could bless one of her nuns. In both cases, it is a blessing of a non-ordained person to a non-ordained person. It should be invocative – “May God bless you…” or “May the Lord bless and watch over and keep you…” You could even use the Mosaic blessing, if you wished.

I have heard it referred to as the Aaronic Blessing…

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His face on you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26)

I bless my daughter with this and make a sign of the cross on her forehead every morning as she leaves for school.

-Tim-

 

[ProVobis]

I have heard it referred to as the Aaronic Blessing…

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His face on you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26)

I bless my daughter with this and make a sign of the cross on her forehead every morning as she leaves for school.

-Tim-

And we bless God in the Gloria.

Isn’t “bless” an English-created translation of benedicere, which simply means “to speak well of”?

 

[TimothyH]

And we bless God in the Gloria.

Isn’t “bless” an English-created translation of benedicere, which simply means “to speak well of”?

I don’t know.

I do remember Brother JR writing about it though.

-Tim-

 

[ProVobis]

I don’t know.

I do remember Brother JR writing about it though.

-Tim-

You may be right. I think we were discussing how the first ICEL translation avoided the use of the word “bless” in the Gloria. However, they decided to use the traditional translation in the most recent. Frankly, I never understood some of those handmissal translations.