I write these “To Such As These” posts every now and then to explain some aspect of the Catholic faith to children. I try to use simple language so you can just read it directly to them instead of having to put it into your own words! The category name is inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
Today, we will be looking at blessing items.
If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in this category, pop them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!
Last month, we moved into a new home and once we got most of the boxes out of the way, we invited our parish priest to come over and bless our house. Some people say that blessing your home banishes evil spirits and breaks curses, and while it may do that, it does more.
What is a blessing?
The Church teaches us that a blessing is “a prayer invoking God’s power and care upon some person, place, thing, or undertaking” (CCC glossary). What this means is that when we ask for a blessing from God, we are calling on Him to bring his power and care over whatever it is we are blessing.
First this tells us that all blessings come from God. We as human beings have no power to bless things or people ourselves (even priests!), but we do have the authority to call upon God to ask for His blessing.
Now, when we ask for God’s blessing, we are putting whatever is being blessed under His power and care, which means that we are giving it to Him and trusting Him to look after it. So, when we have something blessed, we are giving it to God. Some people say it is like a consecration, which means that it is setting it aside for a specific purpose.
What kinds of things can we ask God to bless?
Below is a list of some of the things that I have had blessed, and what was asked for when I had them blessed:
- Bible: blessing on the Bible and on me to increase in love and understanding when I read it
- Rosaries and other religious ornaments: blessing on the items and on me and my family to grow closer to God in prayer
- Car: blessing on the car and on those traveling in it for protection
- House: blessing on the house and all who enter it
In all these examples, I like that the blessing is extended to those using the objects being blessed. It makes sense, since all these objects are given to us by God to steward (that means that they are sort of on loan but He trusts us to look after them), we can then offer the use of these objects back to God and ask for His guidance and help in using them!
Who can make a blessing?
Some blessings are reserved for priests, for example the blessing of incense to be used at Mass, or Holy Water, and especially the bread and wine to be used for the Eucharist. There are even a few blessings that may only be performed by the Pope! However, the Catholic Church specifically tells us that every person who has been baptised is called to be a “blessing” and to bless (CCC, no. 1669). If someone has authority over another person, the person with authority can ask God for a blessing, for example, parents may bless their children. We can also ask God to bless others in our prayers, and you might have done this yourself!
So, blessings aren’t magical, they’re simply a prayer to ask God to bring His power and care over us and our things. And you can ask God for certain blessings too!
May God bless you always!
Talking Points
- Have you ever asked a priest to bless anything? What do you remember about the blessing?
- Do you remember getting a blessing from someone? What was it like?
- Is there someone you would like to ask God to bless now? Let’s pray for them together.
Do you bless your children or godchildren? Do they know it? What is your blessing for your children and godchildren like? We do a simple “God bless [Name]” as part of our bedtime/family prayers, but I’d love to hear how others do it, so leave your ideas in the comments!
Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!
Mom Things Through Christ 