What is a blessing? When do we say a blessing? When do we want a blessing said or performed? Why might a blessing be asked for or offered?
According to the on-line Miriam-Webster Dictionary, a blessing is words of ‘approval, encouragement’, ‘a thing conducive to happiness or welfare.’ And the opposite of a blessing is a curse.
Is a blessing said with authority, with hope, with promise? With humility, doubt, wonder?
When a packet of garden seeds receive a blessing, will they grow more abundantly?
When one is approached for a blessing, what might cause us to hesitate? When is it appropriate to withold a blessing? Was God right or wrong in witholding Cain’s blessing? Was Jacob’s future dependent upon his reception of a blessing meant for someone else? Is it wise to seek out a blessing?
Whatever one believes about the act of extending a blessing to a person, creature or inanimate object, there can be the experience of the holy in the act itself, in the connection between the people involved. A peaceful night’s rest following the excorcism or blessing of a home. A calming of the breathing after a prayer of blessing in hospital. An increased sense of commitment to caring for one’s pet following a Blessing of the Animals service. A sensing of the presence of the holy in one’s gardening. Recognizing the kneeling when weeding as an act of prayer.
May these service and rituals of blessing enhance your life and those with whom you share blessings.
Services of Blessing
