Blessings from the Priest

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I’m not a Catholic (yet) but I do attend Mass two or three times a week and receive a blessing from the Priest. What does the blessing ‘do’ exactly?

🙈🙉🙊
 
Wic said:
I’m not a Catholic (yet) but I do attend Mass two or three times a week and receive a blessing from the Priest. What does the blessing ‘do’ exactly?

🙈🙉🙊
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It makes you more likely to win the lottery.

(Just kidding. 😉 It does what all priestly blessings do: it imparts God’s blessing on you.)

Blessings are sacramentals, which mean that, although they’re not sacraments themselves, they do “prepare us to receive God’s grace and dispose us to cooperate with it” (from the Catechism).
 
It’s all good. Good that you are able to attend Mass. And good that the priest gives you a special blessing.
May the love and peace of Jesus Christ be with you today! 🙏
 
When I was in RCIA classes, anytime a Priest or Deacon came in, our RCIA director was always sure to ask him to give us his blessing. When someone presents themselves in communion line, and does not partake, they give a blessing. It is a worthwhile sacramental. Welcome to the Universal Church by the way!
 
The blessing from a priest is very special and powerful. When I hold a sacramental in my hand to get it Blessed by a priest, as the priest blesses it I can feel the power of the blessing in my hand; it’s like a beautiful heat. So any and all chances to receive a blessing from a priest are wonderful.
 
I should have explained; as the priest is blessing the item, be it a rosary or a medal or holy card, as he makes the sign of the cross or places his hand on the item I can literally feel the most beautiful warmth/ heat in my hand as I am holding the item. It is beautiful and hard to describe really. But it’s powerful.
 
I agree, but I don’t know if it is correct.

I think it imparts some of God’s grace to you.

I’ve noticed the complete change in demeanor of people who receive the blessing. It sure looks like the grace of God.
 
stpiosson said:
I should have explained; as the priest is blessing the item, be it a rosary or a medal or holy card, as he makes the sign of the cross or places his hand on the item I can literally feel the most beautiful warmth/ heat in my hand as I am holding the item. It is beautiful and hard to describe really. But it’s powerful.
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It’s wonderful that you feel something physical when you receive a blessing personally or on an item in your possession.

However, it’s important to note that physical sensation is neither proof of a blessing nor a part of it. The danger of your assertion is that, if someone reads it – and subsequently doesn’t feel a physical sensation when he receives a blessing – he might think that the blessing was ‘defective’ or ‘not present’ in some way.

So, I think, it’s important to point out that ‘physical sensation’ is not what the Church says that blessings impart. 🤷‍♂️
 
Yes. You are correct. I should have made that clear. Apologies. A blessing from a priest is just as valid whether one feels anything physical or not. This has only begun to happen to me very recently. Up until then I had never felt anything physical but never doubted that the blessing had been imparted, was valid and powerful.

My intention was to emphasise how wonderful a priestly blessing is. I should have been clearer. Thank you for pointing this out.
 
Another example of a 'sacramental" would be the rosary, and holy water-both of which we bless ourselves.
 
I’d say the kind of blessing you are talking about is a prayer for God’s favor. Since a priest is giving it the prayer, or invocation of God’s favor, has the authority of the Church. So it is a particularly powerful prayer.

An article on blessings from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02599b.htm
With these various significations it is not the present purpose to deal. Coming, then, to its strictly liturgical and restricted sense, blessing may be described as a rite, consisting of a ceremony and prayers performed in the name and with the authority of the Church by a duly qualified minister, by which persons or things are sanctified as dedicated to Divine service, or by which certain marks of Divine favour are invoked upon them. The following aspects of the subject will be discussed:
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I love it when kids walk up to the Priest
with their arms folded / ready for a blessing !

I think it imparts hope and love and faith -
to sustain you - till you can receive Jesus.

 
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