Blessing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A blessing, (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the infusion of something with holiness, divine will, or one's hopes. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
From the beginning until the end of time the whole of God`s work is a blessing. (paragraph 1078)
Within Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism and similar traditions, formal blessings of the church are performed by bishops, priests, and sometimes deacons, but as in many other religions, anyone may formally bless another.
A curse, at least in its most formal sense, is the opposite of a blessing. Compare charm.
In the Bible, blessings and curses are related; the book of Deuteronomy prescribes that obedience to the Torah brings God's blessing, while disobedience brings a curse. The Priestly Blessing is set forth at Numbers 6:24-26:
- May the LORD bless you, and keep you;
- May the LORD make his face shine to upon you, and be gracious to you;
- May the LORD turn his countenance to you and grant you peace.
This formula has been introduced into Christian worship as well. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus pronounces blessings on the poor, the humble, and the persecuted in the Beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.
One of the first incidences of blessing in the Bible is in Genesis 12, where Abram is ordered by the LORD to leave his country and told:
`I will bless you, I will make your name great.` (v 1-2)
Blessing can also be a request for permission, as in "gaining your parents' blessing" would consist of having been granted consent.
In Spanish, there is a blessing which can be used as a tender farewell, especially from a parent: Vaya con Dios (Go with God), also Adios (A Dios, to God), French Adieu.
Blessing is also a term used for marriage in the Unification Church.
Blessing is the collective noun for a group of Unicorns.
[edit] Etymology
To bless (from Anglo-Saxon blēdsian or blētsian, Common Germanic blōdisōjan) originally meant "to sprinkle with blood" during the pagan sacrifices called "Blót" (reference: AHD).
