Can a Catholic layperson "Bless" an article ... like a candle or a rosary?

  • Thread starter Thread starter CaptFun
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

CaptFun

Guest
Can a Catholic layperson “Bless” an article … like a candle or a rosary?

We can pray for things (intentions) without clergy present.
We can even (in an emergency) BAPTIZE a person who requests it … with regular “unblessed beforehand” water … if done with the right intentions of both the baptizer and baptized, and proper form.

But per an admonition to use a “blessed candle”* in a certain circumstance … and not knowing if a candle with, say, a holy picture on it HAS been blessed … could a Catholic layperson invoke a blessing UPON the article to consecrate it?

**The Three Days of Darkness Prophecy predicted by some saints recommends … **

With the whole world not offering the holy sacrifice of the mass (but barely) … Jesus’ question:

“ When the Son of Man comes , will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18, 8)

and the warning … Daniel 12:11-12

From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the desolating abomination is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.12 Blessed are they who have patience and persevere for the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. *

… crossed my mind. Along with the Three Days of Darkness prophecies that admonish the faithful to undergo the time shut up indoors … and to have a blessed candle lit … as no other illumination will remain. Religious stores have them, one would hope … but these are all closed.

I did find … and bought a (probably unblessed) candle with the image of Our Lady of Guadaloupe on it. And could in theory go pester a priest to bless it. But I did wonder if I, as a layperson, could say sincere prayers of consecration over the article (possibly using an APPROVED prayer of the church if any exist) to “bless it”.

Guessing at it … I’d THINK SO but I feel a bit like one of the foolish virgins running about looking for oil at "the merchants’ " at deadline time.

A link to prayers or instructions is appreciated.

On other Catholic sites, and here at CAF we sometimes see end times like prophecies … some from saints … about warnings and chastisements to come … and the Three Days of Darkness seems to involve a strike or near miss of a comet or asteroid eclipsing the sun via attendant smoke or such … and perhaps throwing tides and the earth’s rotation off kilter.

There have been a rash of near earth asteroids and comets considered “near earth” per their trajectories. And warnings for the faithful to stay indoors with doors and windows shut for the duration of the three days.

Just sharing the info here. But I DID buy a “holy candle” of some sort. Am not superstitious … but
having it is an easy enough thing to do in case these thoughts I’d been having are not passing musings, but a bit of the Lord’s “stay awake” admonitions.

Thanks for any (name removed by moderator)ut.

To sum up the Three Days of Darkness prophecies … terrible things do happen and many die during that warning. In some accounts a time of a great conversion to God follows though.
 
CaptFun said:
Can a Catholic layperson “Bless” an article … like a candle or a rosary?

…
Click to expand...
Others rather than things.

Catholic Enclopedia
When, therefore, laymen and women are represented as blessing others it is to be understood that this is an act of will on their part, a wish or desire for another’s spiritual or temporal prosperity, an appeal to God which has nothing to recommend it but the merits of personal sanctity. The ordinary greetings and salutations that take places between Christians and Catholics, leavened by mutual wishes for a share of heavenly grace, must not be confounded with liturgical blessings.
Click to expand...
Morrisroe, P. (1907). Blessing. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02599b.htm
 
Last edited:
CaptFun said:
Can a Catholic layperson “Bless” an article … like a candle or a rosary?
Click to expand...
No, you cannot bless it. If you have an emergency or no access to clergy at all, you can ask God to bless it for you. Otherwise, you’re supposed to ask a priest or deacon to bless it.
But per an admonition to use a “blessed candle”* in a certain circumstance … and not knowing if a candle with, say, a holy picture on it HAS been blessed … could a Catholic layperson invoke a blessing UPON the article to consecrate it?
Click to expand...
Please see above. If you are not sure if something is already blessed, simply ask the priest to bless it and then if it needs a blessing, it will have one.
**The Three Days of Darkness Prophecy predicted by some saints recommends … **
Click to expand...
I seriously doubt that this, or an asteroid or whatever, is going to happen between now and when you can next see a priest about your candle. If somehow it did happen, you would then have bigger problems than not having a blessing on your candle.

Also, Catholics are not required to believe in private revelations, even to the degree that this Three Days of Darkness business is Church-approved (please note that the parts of the prophecy supplied by Marie-Julie Jahenny are NOT approved). You do not need to “sum up” the prophecy for us as this forum has been over it many, many times. I would suggest that you place your trust in God rather than being concerned about it.
 
Last edited:
Well, you can to the extent that a sacramental is blessed by use. Once you have used a rosary to pray the rosary, it already has a different character, for as a physical object it has disposed you to prayer. You haven’t blessed it in the way that a priest does, but by your action it has already taken a place as a physical object in God’s revelation of Himself to you.
CaptFun said:
Guessing at it … I’d THINK SO but I feel a bit like one of the foolish virgins running about looking for oil at "the merchants’ " at deadline time.
Click to expand...
This doesn’t have to do with not having the right sacramentals on hand when the time of trial comes. You might not be anywhere near home when that happens! It has to do with being in a relationship with God such that the flow of grace into your heart and will won’t be interrupted by a trial.

No one has yet lived to see the Second Coming, but generation after generation have gone to their final reward with and without seeing the end coming. If you do as St. Benedict bids monks to do (see especially Chapter 4 of the Rule), you can be peaceful about waiting until you see a priest again to have your newer sacramentals blessed.
 
Last edited:
Daily sacrifice has not and did not stop. In my archdiocese, public Masses were suspended (and while now available are limited to 50 people in attendance per)… but Mass never stopped. Priests everywhere continued to offer the holy sacrifice day after day after day. Many were live streamed.
 
Thanks for Catholic Encyclopedia post.

I now feel better for having started a thread that might be a bit light on importance (though I was sincere in wanting to know the details of it … lay “blessing” or its official definition.
 
No, you cannot bless it. If you have an emergency or no access to clergy at all, you can ask God to bless it for you. Otherwise, you’re supposed to ask a priest or deacon to bless it.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I wasn’t personally putting too much emphasis on what constitutes a blessed article FORMALLY.

But over time I’ve been given rosaries to distribute and use and it would occur to me that I didn’t know whether they were formally blessed. I gave and used them anyway … not doubting the efficacy of the prayers.

And there are times when clergy is not NEEDED to give a blessing. The well known “grace” prayers–

Bless US oh Lord, and THESE thy gifts (food and drink) … etc. seem to point toward times when THINGS can be blessed or consecrated for use by laypeople. I’m sometimes amused by the questions people come up with when pondering what ELSE might be meant by a prayer like “grace”.

😮 - Bless US?! Does this mean I can’t say a grace when I’m eating alone?! 😬
😄
If you are not sure if something is already blessed, simply ask the priest to bless it and then if it needs a blessing, it will have one.
Click to expand...
Good reminder. THESE days with Churches closed it’s hard to even sprinkle holy water on a rosary (or candle) and say a sign of the cross < which I’ve done on my way out of a church - I was blessing myself from the font … had the (rosary) … included it in the blessing and never questioned whether it “took”. But yes … a priestly blessing is more a formal blessing … and BETTER if one has that choice or DIY.

Thanks too for your final two paragraphs above re: The Three Days of Darkness (which have been on my mind … and as you point out PRIVATE revelations … and not all approved … and even if approved “not required to believe” in per the Church.

Nonetheless … aspects of the prophecies(s) do recall the darkness plague that punished Egypt in the Bible … and the involvement of celestial objects falling to earth and causing damage match up with some of St. John’s visions in Revelation. The information given as coping instructions per the private revelation(s) seem easy enough to comply with SHOULD it come. So … no apologies for looking into the matter … which, now that this VERY unlikely world stopping pandemic and scare has visited us … seems not so much a likelihood – but - likelier than before.

And should it even be a true and applicable prophecy … the lit candle is not what saves the person.

I summed up the prophecies briefly, yes. In case not everybody is a veteran CAF poster who’s had it with “THIS again!”.

In print your “Trust in God” – rather than being concerned about it ( candles and their legitimate blessing status per the possible chastisement) came off a little preachy and scoldy … which may not have been your intent at all. But it did make me smile. And there is something to be said for stating right priorities - even if in print the tone looks a bit eye-roily :roll_eyes:

😇 Thanks for taking time to post in detail and candor and for your information per the private revelations aspect of my post, Tis :point_up_2:t4:
 
twf said:
Daily sacrifice has not and did not stop. In my archdiocese, public Masses were suspended (and while now available are limited to 50 people in attendance per)… but Mass never stopped. Priests everywhere continued to offer the holy sacrifice day after day after day. Many were live streamed.
Click to expand...
True … and I’ve “attended” these masses. How unintentionally sloppily I shall not recount here. 😳 😱

Still. In MY lifetime this is as close to the fulfillment of that scripture as it’s ever been.
Many faithful Catholics have seen the loss of the faith and accessibility of the daily Mass (sacrifice) over the years. And in some countries where the holy sacrifice was once so accessible it has disappeared from view altogether (for now).

OUR end is likelier to be sooner than “the end of the world”. But being prepared to be called to our judgement … is a good plan. I will look forward to going back to mass … and hope that it’s not SO interfered with by our government’s “saving us” in an earthly way that Jesus gets the public worship He’s due.

The view of these empty Churches is a sight I never expected to see.
As per cyber masses? Mea culpa. I’ve found myself “attending” with my shoes off, drinking coffee, and even pausing it and attending to a passing bathroom need.

"Could you not watch with me for one hour?’ Jesus asked (in a tone of … at least disappointment it looks like). Hmm. For video mass I’ve been goin’ with the shortest version. Doh!

A 21 minute mass? Woo hoo!
Mea culpa.
 
CaptFun said:
Bless US oh Lord, and THESE thy gifts (food and drink) … etc. seem to point toward times when THINGS can be blessed or consecrated for use by laypeople.
Click to expand...
As I said above, you can ask God to bless things for you, including food.

“Bless us O Lord and these thy gifts” is asking God to bless you and the food. You do not say, “I bless us, and I bless this food.”
You as the layperson are not blessing the food. You’re asking God to do it. The words of the prayer are extremely clear on that.
 
Last edited:
As I said above, you can ask God to bless things for you, including food.

“Bless us O Lord and these thy gifts” is asking God to bless you and the food. You do not say, “I bless us, and I bless this food.”
You as the layperson are not blessing the food. You’re asking God to do it. The words of the prayer are extremely clear on that.
Click to expand...
Good point. Yes. The sign of the cross, and in the name of (the Trinity) should ideally precede that prayer of request and blessing.
 
Last edited:
Well, you can to the extent that a sacramental is blessed by use. Once you have used a rosary to pray the rosary, it already has a different character, for as a physical object it has disposed you to prayer. You haven’t blessed it in the way that a priest does, but by your action it has already taken a place as a physical object in God’s revelation of Himself to you. Petra G
Click to expand...
Your take seems to ring true to me. Because I’ve certainly said rosaries with rosaries that I’d no idea of whether they’d been formally blessed … and NEVER doubted the efficacy of the prayers. I’ve said rosary’s on my fingers and thumbs for safety of driving too. < Only those never “turned gold” … as some of my rosaries have < (the silver in the chain turned gold or another metallic color).

I WAS looking to see if there was a consecration prayer for a layperson to bless their own unblessed articles … and on that count so far, it seems (formally), no. But thanks for your view PetraG. I’m sure the Lord is not so conflicted about it. 😇

🤔 On the other hand … sometimes the Lord has asked for things to be done in a precise way … and when people get creative in their execution … it would have been better to just to go by the initial instructions to the letter.

My inability to get a “blessed candle” from the (now closed) Mission bookstore near me was a bit of putting to rest thoughts on the matter. My 99 cent store candle with a rather beautiful rendering of Our Lady of Guadaloupe on it will soon be lit to enhance a not-the-end-of-the-world day or night rosary soon. And I DO think its presence in that intentional manner will make it … well … more of a “blessed article” than it was before per your “blessed by use” explanation.

Anyhow I’m pretty sure that if I keep praying sincerely, I’ll avoid that horrifying
"depart from me you evildoer … "

sentence at the end of my life …

… or any attendant:
Code: 
" ... and take that unblessed 99 cent store candle 
 ... with my Mother's picture on it .. 
 ... with you!"
as well. 😵
 
Last edited:
It’s interesting that in some prayer books there are such things as The Blessing of an Advent Wreath/Christmas Tree/etc. There’s sometimes an option that if the prayer is said by a layman he does so with hands joined (if by a priest or deacon with hands extended) and the invitation to prayer is also changed. I would take this to mean that a lay person may ask God to bless something for their own devotion (as an act of piety) whereas a priest may bless items for others to use as sacramentals.
 
Thanks AD.

I look for a link to that … but another poster here was saying that a layperson may ask God to bless something. What would care I … by whom an article is blessed.
IF it gets blessed. 😄
 
This is all so interesting, I have wondered the same and some of the comments are so informative.
 
Thanks Victoria and all.

I’ve been a part of retreats and talks by Catholic speakers where the speaker asks the team or listeners to bless him/her with hands raised … and then asked God to bless him/her … followed by whatever audible prayers the others cared to “add”.

This is not blessing articles but a person (or their coming words). And while all present may be laypersons, they are part of the body of Christ, and CAN pray together, which IS a blessing … and Jesus said two or more could pray for anything (good understood) and He would be in their midst.

Rules are good, and there are distinctions that can be and are made.

In the OT during the Exodus, laypeople … and even leaders of the Israelites did run afoul of God by trying to do unauthorized things on their own steam. Like
Aaron and Miriam attempting to replace or make themselves equal to Moses. Or a group of Israelites making their own incense etc. in a way different than what God has prescribed.

These days its hard to GET an article blessed by a priest. And now the holy water fountains are dry to prevent the spread of Covid … so sprinkling that on a possibly unblessed item isn’t as possible as it used to be.

But I was musing to myself that it seems a little funny that a layperson … even a nonCatholic … can validly baptize an entire PERSON with an immortal soul … and not say … a rosary.

:thinking:face_with_raised_eyebrow:

I hope nobody starts a new CHURCH over this one. 😄 😇
 
Tis_Bearself said:
No, you cannot bless it. If you have an emergency or no access to clergy at all, you can ask God to bless it for you. Otherwise, you’re supposed to ask a priest or deacon to bless it.
Click to expand...
what about a father in relationship to his children? I have heard the father being head of the household has authority to bless his kids. Is that true?
 
Yes, lay people can give certain blessings. The “Book of Blessings” contains the official liturgical prayers for blessings in the Church and notes:

Other laymen and laywomen, in virtue of the universal priesthood, a dignity the possess because of their baptism and confirmation, may celebrate certain blessings, as indicated in the respective orders of blessings, by use of the rites and formularies designated for a lay minister. Such laypersons exercise this ministry in virtue of their office (for example, parents on behalf of their children) or by reason of some special liturgical ministry or in fulfillment of a particular charge in the Church, as is the case in many places with religious or catechists appointed by decision of the local Ordinary, after ascertaining their proper pastoral formation and prudence in the apostolate. But whenever a priest or deacon is present, the office of presiding should be left to him. (Book of Blessings, General Introduction, norm 18)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also confirms that lay people are permitted to bless in certain circumstances (although when lay people bless it is called a “sacramental”):

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 … Among sacramentals blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come first.

The “Book of Blessings” permits lay people to bless the following:
  • Bless their family or an individual member of the family (including on their birthday which has its own rite);
  • Bless their own marriage (for example on a wedding anniversary milestone) (and an engaged couple may also bless their union);
  • Bless themselves when expecting a child (and also after the birth of the child) (or after a miscarriage);
  • Bless an elderly member of their family (or any elderly person);
  • Bless a sick member of their family (or any sick person);
  • Bless a member of their family (or any person) suffering from an addiction;
  • Bless a member of their family (or any person) suffering from crime or oppression;
  • Bless a member of the family who is travelling or leaving home;
  • Bless their new home;
  • Bless a means of transportation;
  • Bless a boat and fishing gear;
  • Bless technical installations or equipment;
  • Bless tools or other equipment for work;
  • Bless animals;
  • Bless fields and flocks;
  • Bless seeds at planting time;
  • Bless on occasion of thanksgiving for a harvest;
  • Bless an athletic event;
  • Bless before and after meals;
  • Bless an advent wreath;
  • Bless a Christmas Manger or Nativity Scene;
  • Bless a Christmas tree;
  • Bless their home during Christmas and Easter seasons;
  • Bless throats on the feast of St Blasé;
  • Bless a St Joseph’s table;
  • Bless food for Easter;
  • Bless when visiting a Cemetery;
  • Bless food for Thanksgiving Day;
  • Bless in Thanksgiving
continued….
 
Last edited:
Wow. Thank ALL of you for responding and for all the wisdom given.

I thought I was being a bit frivolous ( sincere as I was in wanting info) in even bringing the matter up.

Glad I started this thread now.

I guess, with the Holy Spirit guiding, a person can be fruitful while spiritually sleepwalking – though that is not the most recommended plan for success. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Seek and you shall find is prolly better done with eyes OPEN. 😇

😴 ---- 👀
 
TominAdelaide said:
Unfortunately, only priests and deacons are permitted to bless religious articles (other than the ones mentioned above) such as rosaries, crucifixes, medals etc.
Click to expand...
Why is that unfortunate? I think it is wonderful that certain blessings are reserved to the dignity of the priesthood. It gives them a level of authority that no layman can impart.

Note also that there are blessings reserved to bishops alone. Such as the consecration of a new church altar.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top