Should you say "God bless you" to a priest? What is a kind word you could give to a priest?

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Should we say “God bless you” to a priest, even though he has the most ability to grant God’s blessing??? i.e. Is it acting “superior” in a sense to tell the priest “God bless you”?

If this is not appropriate, what is a kind word you could give to a priest?
 
That’s a good question. I have often wondered the same thing.
 
Redwood said:
Should we say “God bless you” to a priest, even though he has the most ability to grant God’s blessing??? i.e. Is it acting “superior” in a sense to tell the priest “God bless you”?

If this is not appropriate, what is a kind word you could give to a priest?
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Good question Redwood. I have said that to a priest before…without thinking, and it struck me the same as it seems to do you. I wasn’t quite comfortable with it. Of course no priest is going to be offended, but I would also be interested in alternative spiritual ways to wish our priests well that doesn’t seem to place me on equal footing.

For clarification (for me I mean), to say, “God bless you” in gratefulness for conferring a benefit is different. “Oh God bless you Father for coming to us at this difficult time”, as a form of thanks, seems okay. But as a way of concluding some time together is where I was uncomfortable.
 
Why not?
A priest is not God; he is a man like us (of course I’m a woman but I mean ‘man’ in the sense 'of ‘human’).

If you would say “God bless you” to any other human being (and I trust you would), why not to a priest?

It is not presumptuous.

Priests ask us for our prayers frequently and I’m glad to give them.

Since God is the one ‘blessing us’ when we sneeze, why shouldn’t we invoke or ask for God to bless a priest who sneezes? it’s not like WE are blessing a priest in this phrase (and it’s not like we ‘bless’ other people when we use the phrase either.)
 
Usually when a priest blesses us, and uses “God bless you” (say at the end of Mass), it is in the setting of a Mass.

And when the priest comes to give us a particular blessing, say a house blessing, again, it is a kind of priestly function.

But perhaps people are confused by the word ‘bless’ and think that in saying "God bless you’ that we LAY PEOPLE are somehow conferring a blessing.

We aren’t.

Lay people may bless certain people or things in certain circumstances but the blessing is a ‘lay’ blessing, not a priestly one. A father may ‘bless’ his son (as Isaac did to Jacob); this is not a ‘priestly’ blessing though.

We say a blessing at table before and after meals but it does not have the same force or authority as the priest holding up the host and chalice at consecration, or saying "Bless and approve our offerings Lord’.

Perhaps if we realize that the saying of "God bless you’ is not US saying, “Oh bless you my child” and that we are not trying to ‘usurp’ a priestly ‘blessing’, we’ll be more comfortable.

Until then, maybe you should simply say "Geshundheit’ ! No pesky English!
 
As I understand it:
The priest has authority to give a blessing in the name of God.
A lay person may pray, asking God to bless someone.
It’s not the same, and there is nothing wrong with a lay person asking God to bless someone, including asking blessings for a priest.
 
Reepicheep said:
As I understand it:
The priest has authority to give a blessing in the name of God.
A lay person may pray, asking God to bless someone.
It’s not the same, and there is nothing wrong with a lay person asking God to bless someone, including asking blessings for a priest.
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It could soften it a bit if you were to say, "May God Bless You
 
Redwood said:
Should we say “God bless you” to a priest, even though he has the most ability to grant God’s blessing??? i.e. Is it acting “superior” in a sense to tell the priest “God bless you”?

If this is not appropriate, what is a kind word you could give to a priest?
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if a priest sneezes im sure it would not be inappropriate for you to say God Bless you.
 
Begin with:

Dóminus vobíscum.

To which a priest will respond:

Et cum spíritu tuo.

If you receive any other response, just smile and say:

Misereátur vestri omnípotens Deus,
et dimíssis peccátis vestris,
perdúcat vos ad vitam ætérnam.

.
 
mick321 said:
Begin with:

Dóminus vobíscum.

To which a true priest will respond:

Et cum spíritu tuo.

If you receive any other response, just smile and say:

Misereátur vestri omnípotens Deus,
et dimíssis peccátis vestris,
perdúcat vos ad vitam ætérnam.
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“Dominus vobiscum” is not a greeting for laymen to make. Where texts that include it can be read/sung by either a cleric or a layman (e.g., the Exsultet), they specifically direct that “Dominus vobiscum” is to be omitted unless read or sung by a priest or deacon.
 
It has seemed strange to me as well to say ‘God bless’ to a priest. I believe some Eastern Christians don’t like such a response by a layman to a priest.
 
MarkThompson said:
“Dominus vobiscum” is not a greeting for laymen to make. Where texts that include it can be read/sung by either a cleric or a layman (e.g., the Exsultet), they specifically direct that “Dominus vobiscum” is to be omitted unless read or sung by a priest or deacon.
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This guideline applies to its use within a liturgical context, right?

My 12 year old nephew and I have greeted each other in this fashion since he became an Extraordinary Form altar server 18 months ago. Usually he continues by leading me into Psalm 42 and then into a fast paced Confiteor - with us alternating lines - until he trips me up. The priest who trained my nephew in the EF heard one of these exchanges once.

He advised my nephew to go easy on me.

Inside thing, I guess.
 
I have said “God bless you” when my Pastor has sneezed. If I can say it for everyone else, and there is nothing wrong with that, I can say it for a priest also.
 
mick321 said:
This guideline applies to its use within a liturgical context, right?

My 12 year old nephew and I have greeted each other in this fashion since he became an Extraordinary Form altar server 18 months ago. Usually he continues by leading me into Psalm 42 and then into a fast paced Confiteor - with us alternating lines - until he trips me up. The priest who trained my nephew in the EF heard one of these exchanges once.

He advised my nephew to go easy on me.

Inside thing, I guess.
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I’ve never particularly heard it being used outside a liturgical context, but as far as the liturgy is concerned it’s very clear that it’s a priestly greeting. I’ve also read interpretations of the response “Et cum spiritu tuo / And with your spirit” that differentiate it from “And also with you / You too, pal” by reference to the priestly character of the one who receives it.

Also, it’s not an appropriate exchange between two people, because “vobiscum” is plural – it means “with you (all).” “Dominus tecum” would be the singular. Still, although you won’t be struck by lightning for using it, I’d leave it alone, just as you presumably wouldn’t use the episcopal greeting “Pax vobis.”
 
If you receive any other response, just smile and say:
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Misereátur vestri omnípotens Deus,
et dimíssis peccátis vestris,
perdúcat vos ad vitam ætérnam.
Click to expand...
That’s if you have more than one priest.

If it’s just one priest:

*Misereátur TUI omnípotens Deus,
et dimíssis peccátis TUIS,
perdúcat TE ad vitam ætérnam. * 😉
 
MarkThompson said:
I’ve never particularly heard it being used outside a liturgical context, but as far as the liturgy is concerned it’s very clear that it’s a priestly greeting. I’ve also read interpretations of the response “Et cum spiritu tuo / And with your spirit” that differentiate it from “And also with you / You too, pal” by reference to the priestly character of the one who receives it.

Also, it’s not an appropriate exchange between two people, because “vobiscum” is plural – it means “with you (all).” “Dominus tecum” would be the singular. Still, although you won’t be struck by lightning for using it, I’d leave it alone, just as you presumably wouldn’t use the episcopal greeting “Pax vobis.”
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Mark:

As a former TLM server, I began engaging my young nephew in the prayer/response dialog to help prepare for his first solo EF assist about a year ago. With the help of his priests, he has become fairly proficient and now helps train younger servers. In that capacity, he is required to know both the priest and server parts.

Thanks for the heads-up on the singular/plural thing. What a gem. I have not been taught Latin grammar in any formal sense and I doubt that my nephew has either. I will keep it in reserve - as a technical ace-in-the whole - to be used next time the kid starts “running the table” on me.

Dominus tecum.

:cool:
 
ProVobis said:
That’s if you have more than one priest.

If it’s just one priest:

*Misereátur TUI omnípotens Deus,
et dimíssis peccátis TUIS,
perdúcat TE ad vitam ætérnam. * 😉
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I’ve GOT to step up my game.

:cool:
 
ProVobis said:
If he tells you in confession “God bless you” you can respond with “Benedicat te Deus.”

But I’ve never done it in Latin. 🙂
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It is often followed with …“and please say a prayer for me”

to which I respond “as always”👍
 
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