Showing posts with label Blessings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blessings. Show all posts

Sunday, July 8, 2012

BLESSING WATER


Sunday is the optimal time, liturgically, to bless water since holy water reminds us of our baptism, through which we were born again as adopted children of God through the suffering, death and resurrection of Our Lord.  This we celebrate every Sunday, which is liturgical Easter each and every week.

The Scripture lessons for this Sunday happened to be about baptism (Epistle) and the sacraments, especially the Eucharist (Gospel), so there was added relevance.

One of the prayers of the Rite of Blessing Water is so beautiful I wanted to put it on this blog :

O God, Who for the salvation of mankind has built Thy greatest mysteries on this substance, water, in Thy kindness hear our prayers and pour down the power of Thy blessing + into this element, made ready for many kinds of purifications. May this, Thy creature, become an agent of divine grace in the service of Thy mysteries, to drive away evil spirits and dispel sickness, so that everything in the homes and other buildings of the faithful that is sprinkled with this water may be rid of all uncleanness and freed from every harm. Let no breath of infection, no disease-bearing air, remain in these places. May the wiles of the lurking Enemy prove of no avail. Let whatever might menace the safety and peace of those who live here be put to flight by the sprinkling of this water, so that the healthfulness, obtained by calling upon Thy holy name, may be made secure against all attack.

Friday, July 6, 2012

BLESSING OF WATER


We are running low on the Holy Water that was blessed a while back. So I will be blessing a new container before Mass this Sunday. You may want to take advantage of this and bring your own water in clean and appropriate containers (no product labels, for example). You may want to write your name with a marker or make some other sign, if possible, on your container in case someone brings an identical or similar container. Bring them FILLED with water and I will bless them along with the big one we keep in the sacristy. It makes no sense for you to bring an empty one and fill it with the water I am blessing to replenish our sacristy supply! : )

BIG FAVOR!  Not all in our community use the internet.  If you know their house phone numbers, please give them a call and alert them to this notice in case they'd like to bring their own containers this Sunday.  Thanks!

Monday, May 28, 2012

CONDO BLESSING


The blessing of any residence - in this case a condo - is a moment of grace for any family.

At Easter time, which we are still in, there is a specific blessing. 

It doesn't matter if the blessing takes place just when a family moves in, or if the family has lived there already for years.  A blessing is a blessing!

Blessings are not just for protection against evil spirits.  Many times, evil spirits have no special attraction to or connection with any particular place.  The blessing is a way of consecrating this home to the Lord, and to the Holy Family.  In having a home blessed, we are really saying that we want God to be honored in this place, by the way we live our family life.  It is a reminder that our faith is not just for church, but is also for the home.  If our faith is not lived in the home, something is missing from our going to church.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

BIRTHDAY BLESSING


Jared stopped by the Friary yesterday to ask for a blessing on his birthday. Happy Birthday Jared and God bless you!