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| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
In its widest acceptation this word has a variety of meanings in the sacred writings:
With these various significations it is not the present purpose to deal. Coming, then, to its strictlyliturgical and restricted sense, blessing may be described as a rite, consisting of aceremony andprayers performed in the name and with the authority of theChurch by a duly qualified minister, by whichpersons 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:
I. Antiquity;
II. Minister;
III. Objects;
IV. Efficacy; and
V. Rite employed in administering.
The custom of giving blessings goes back to the very earliest times. In the morning of Creation, on the completion of each day's work,God blessed the living creatures that came from His hands, bidding them increase and multiply and fill the earth (Gen. i-ii). WhenNoah emerged from the Ark, he receivedGod's benediction (Genesis 9:1), and this heritage he transmitted through his sons, Sem and Japheth, to posterity. The pages of theOld Testament testify abundantly to the great extent to which the practice of blessing prevailed in the patriarchal ages. The head of each tribe andfamily seemed to be privileged to bestow it with a special unction and fruitfulness, and thepriests at the express direction ofGod were wont to administer it to the people. "Thus shall you bless thechildren of Israel. . . and the Lord will turn His countenance and give them peace" (Numbers 6:23-26). That great value was attributed to blessings is seen from the strategy adopted by Rebecca to secure Jacob's blessing for her favourite son. In general estimation it was regarded as a mark of Divine complacency and as a sure way to secureGod's benevolence, peace, and protection. The New Dispensation saw the adoption of this rite byOur Divine Lord and HisApostles, and so, elevated, ennobled, andconsecrated by such high and holy usage, it came at a very early stage in theChurch's history to assume definite and concrete shape as the chief among hersacramentals.
Since, then, blessings, in the sense in which they are being considered, are entirely ofecclesiastical institution, theChurch has the power to determine who shall have theright andduty to confer them. This she has done by entrusting their administration to those who are insacerdotal orders. The solitary case in which one inferior to apriest is empowered to bless, is where thedeacon blesses thepaschal candle in the ceremonies ofHoly Saturday. This exception is more apparent than real. For in the instance referred to thedeacon acts by way of a deputy and, moreover, employs the grains ofincense already blessed by the celebrant. Priests, then, are the ordinaryministers of blessings, and this is only in the fitness of things since they areordained, as the words of the Pontifical run: "ut quæcumque benedixerint benedicantur, et quacumque consecraverint consecrentur" (That whatever they bless may be blessed, and whatever theyconsecrate shall beconsecrated). When, therefore,laymen andwomen 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 toGod which has nothing to recommend it but the merits of personalsanctity. The ordinary greetings and salutations that take places betweenChristians andCatholics, leavened by mutual wishes for a share of heavenly grace, must not be confounded withliturgical blessings.St. Gregory first definitely taught that theangels are divided into hierarchies or orders, each having its own role to play in the economy of creation. Similarly theChurch recognizes different orders or grades among herministers, assigning to some higher functions than to others. The working out of thisidea is seen in the case of conferring blessings. For while it istrue that apriest can ordinarily give them, some blessings are reserved to theSupreme Pontiff, some tobishops, and some toparishpriests and religious. The first class is not large. Thepope reserves to himself theright to bless thepallium forarchbishops,Agnus-Deis, theGolden Rose, the Royal Sword, and also to give that benediction ofpersons to which anindulgence of some days is attached. He may, and in the case of the last mentioned often does, depute others to give these. Tobishops belongs the privilege of blessingabbots at their installation,priests at theirordination, and virgins at theirconsecration; of blessing churches, cemeteries,oratories, and all articles for use in connection with the altar, such aschalices, vestments, and clothes, military standards, soldiers, arms, and swords; and of imparting all blessings for which Holy Oils are required. Some of these may, on delegation, be performed by inferiors. Of the blessings whichpriests are generally empowered to grant, some are restricted to those who have externaljurisdiction, like rectors orparishpriests, and others are the exclusive prerogative ofpersons belonging to areligious order. There is a rule, too, by which an inferior cannot bless a superior or even exercise the ordinary powers in his presence. Thepriest, for instance, who says Mass at which abishop presides is not to give the final blessing without permission from theprelate. For this curious custom authors cite a text from the Epistle to the Hebrews: "And without all contradiction that which is less is blessed by that which is greater" (vii, 7). It would seem an overstraining of the passage to say that it affords an argument for maintaining that an inferior minister cannot bless one who is his superior in rank or dignity, for the text either merely enunciates an incident of common usage, or means that the inferior by the fact that he blesses is the greater, since he acts as the representative ofGod.
The range of objects that come under the influence of theChurch's blessing is as comprehensive as the spiritual and temporal interests of her children. All the lower creatures have been made to serve man and minister to his needs. As nothing, then, should be left undone to enhance their utility towards this end, they are placed in a way under the direct providence of "Every creature of God is good. . .", asSt. Paul says "for it is sanctified by the word ofGod andprayer" (1 Timothy 4:4-5). There is also the reflection that the effects of the Fall extended to the inanimate objects of creation, marring in a manner the original aim of their existence and making them, in the hands ofevil spirits, ready instruments for the perpetration of iniquity. In the Epistle to the RomansSt. Paul describes inanimate nature, blighted by the primal curse, groaning in travail and anxiously awaiting its deliverance from bondage. "The expectation of the creature waiteth for the revelation of the Sons ofGod. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him that made it subject, in hope" (viii, 19-20). From this it will be easily seen how very reasonable is the anxiety of theChurch that the things which are used in daily life and particularly in the service of religion, should be rescued from contaminating influences and endowed with a potency for good. The principalliturgical blessings recognized and sanctioned by Church are contained in theRoman Ritual and thePontifical. TheMissal, besides the blessing given at the end of Mass, contains only those blessings associated with the great functions incidental to certain days of the year, such as the blessing of palms and ashes. In the Pontifical are found the blessings that are performedde jure bybishops, such as the solemn blessing ofpersons already referred to, the forms for blessing kings, emperors, and princes at theircoronation, and those before mentioned as of episcopal prerogative.
The great treasury of ecclesiastical blessings is the Roman Ritual.
First comes a blessing forpilgrims to the Holy Land, on their departure and return containing beautifulprayers and apt allusions to theMagi journeying through the Arabiandesert under the guidance of the Star, to Abraham leaving his own country and setting his face towards the distant land ofCanaan, to theAngel companion of the younger Tobias, and, finally, an appeal toGod to prove to the wayfarers a solace on their journey, a shade from summer heats, a shelter in storm, and a haven of safety. Next follow blessings ofpersons withHoly Water before Mass, for an adult who is sick, for a number of sick people, one for awoman on the approach of confinement and another after childbirth, blessings for infants, for children come to the use of reason and for those arrived at years of discretion, for children on their presentation in Church, that they may lead goodChristian lives, for boys and girls on the Feast of the Holy Infancy that they may grow up to imitate the virtues of the Saviour and reachsalvation under His guidance.
(a) In addition to the blessings already mentioned for articles destined for altar purposes, theRoman Ritual has formulæ for blessing crosses, images ofOur Lord, of the Blessed Virgin andsaints,church organs, processional banners, new bells for church uses and for other purposes, dress andcinctures worn inhonour ofOur Lady and of othersaints,monstrances,reliquaries, vessels for Holy Oils, church ornaments,clerical habits,medals, pictures, and crosses for the Stations,rosaries of all the recognized kinds, water, candles, the Trisagion of theHoly Trinity, the differentscapulars ofOur Lady, ofOur Lord, of theBlessed Trinity, of St. Joseph,St. Michael the Archangel, and othersaints. Most of the objects just enumerated, as, for instance,rosaries andscapulars, receive what is called anindulgenced blessing, that is to say, by thepious employment and use of thempersons are enabled to gain anindulgence.
(b) The following articles of food have benedictions assigned to them:paschal lamb, eggs, oil, wine, lard, cheese, butter, dripping, salt, and water which is used as antidote to rabies. There is also a form for everything that may be eaten. The fruits of the earth, such as grapes, corn, and the garnered harvest, seeds that are put into the earth, wine and the vintage, herbs and grasses may all in a fitting and appropriate language be "sanctified by the word ofGod andprayer".
(c) The lower animals which minister to the reasonable requirements of the humanfamily may have blessings invoked upon them in order that the measure of their usefulness may be increased. Thus, birds of the air, beasts of the field, bees that afford such examples of industry to man, horses and oxen broken to the yoke, and other beasts of burden are included in the formularies of the Ritual. The Creator is invoked to grant to the brute strength and health to bear his burthen and, if attacked by sickness or plague, to obtain deliverance.
(d) The Ritual has blessings for houses andschools and for the laying of their foundation stones; for stables for the lower animals and every other building of any description for which no special formula is at hand. There is also a special blessing for the bridal chamber.
(e) Lastly inanimate things that subserve the equitable needs and convenience ofsociety may receive from theChurch the stamp of her benediction before they are sent on their way to do their appointed tasks. Such, for instance, are new ships, new railways with trains and carriages, new bridges, fountains, wells, cornmills, limekilns, smelting-furnaces, telegraphs, steam engines, machines for producing electricity. The many serious accidents that occur explain the concern of theChurch for those whose lives are exposed to danger from these various sources.
The inquiry will be confined to the Blessings approved of by theChurch. As has been said, the value of a blessing given by a privateperson in his own name will be commensurate with his acceptableness beforeGod by reason of his individual merits andsanctity. A blessing, on the other hand, imparted with the sanction of theChurch has all the weight of authority that reaches to the voice of her who is the well-beloved spouse ofChrist, pleading on behalf of her children. The whole efficacy, therefore, of these benedictions, in so far as they areliturgical andecclesiastical, is derived from theprayers and invocations of theChurch made in her name by herministers.
Blessings may be divided into two classes, viz: invocative and constitutive. The former are those in which the Divine benignity is invoked onpersons or things, to bring down upon them some temporal or spiritual good without changing their former condition. Of this kind are the blessings given to children, and to articles of food. The latter class are so called because they permanently deputepersons or things to Divine service by imparting to them some sacred character, by which they assume a new and distinct spiritual relationship. Such are the blessings given churches andchalices by theirconsecration. In this case a certain abiding quality of sacredness is conferred in virtue of which thepersons or things blessed become inviolably sacred so that they cannot be divested of theirreligiouscharacter or be turned to profane uses. Again,theologians distinguish blessings of an intermediate sort, by which things are rendered special instruments ofsalvation without at the same time becoming irrevocably sacred, such as blessed salt, candles, etc. Blessings are notsacraments; they are not of Divine institution; they do not confersanctifying grace; and they do not produce their effects in virtue of the rite itself, orex opere operato. They aresacramentals and, as such, they produce the following specific effects:
All these effects are not necessarily inherent in any one blessing; some are caused by one formula, and others by another, according to the intentions of theChurch. Neither are these effects to be regarded asinfallibly produced, except in so far as impetration of theChurch has this attribute. The religious veneration, therefore, in which the faithful regard blessings has no faint ofsuperstition, since it depends altogether on theChurch's suffrages offered toGod that thepersons using the things she blesses may derive from them certainsupernatural advantages. Instances are alleged in the lives of thesaints wheremiracles have been wrought by the blessings of holy men andwomen. There is no reason to limit themiraculous interference ofGod to the early ages of theChurch's history, and theChurch never accepts these wonderful occurrences unless the evidence in support of their authenticity is absolutely unimpeachable.
Before a minister proceeds to impart any blessing he should first satisfy himself that it is one which he is duly qualified to give, either by his ordinary or delegated powers. He should next use the prescribed rite. As a rule, for the simple blessings of the Ritual, a soutane,surplice, and stole of the requisite colour will be sufficient. A clerk should be at hand to carry theHoly Water orincense if required, or to prepare a lighted candle. The blessings are ordinarily given in a church; but, ifnecessary, they can be lawfully administered elsewhere according to to the exigencies of place or other circumstances or privileges, and without any sacred vestment.
APA citation.Morrisroe, P.(1907).Blessing. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02599b.htm
MLA citation.Morrisroe, Patrick."Blessing."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 2.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1907.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02599b.htm>.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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