What is a blessing, and can laypeople bless?

A blessing is a prayer that praises God for His goodness or asks Him to grant protection, grace, healing, or some other spiritual benefit. Baptized laypeople can bless in certain circumstances, while some blessings are reserved to bishops, priests, or deacons.

What a blessing means. God is the source of every blessing. When Christians bless God, they praise and thank Him. When they bless a person, meal, home, or object, they ask God to show His favor and help people use His gifts well (CCC 2626-2627). Scripture contains both forms. The Psalms repeatedly say, "Bless the Lord," while the priestly blessing asks God to bless and keep His people (Num 6:24-26). Jesus also took children in His arms and blessed them (Mk 10:16).

Blessings are sacramentals. Most formal blessings belong to the sacramentals instituted by the Church. Sacramentals are sacred signs that resemble the sacraments and prepare people to receive grace and cooperate with it (CCC 1667, 1670). They do not replace Baptism, Confession, the Eucharist, or the other sacraments. A blessed rosary, crucifix, home, or meal should turn the heart toward Christ. Blessing an object does not make it magical.

What laypeople may do. Through Baptism, every Christian shares in Christ's priestly mission and is called to be a blessing (CCC 1669). Parents may bless their children. Families may bless meals. A layperson may pray for God's blessing upon another person and may lead certain rites found in the Church's approved books. For example, a parent can trace the Sign of the Cross on a child's forehead and say, "May God bless you and keep you."

What is reserved to clergy. The Church determines who may preside at each liturgical blessing. The more closely a blessing concerns the Church's sacramental and ecclesial life, the more its celebration is entrusted to a bishop, priest, or deacon (CCC 1669). Certain solemn blessings and consecrations are therefore reserved. Laypeople should use the form assigned to them rather than imitate the gestures or formulas proper to an ordained minister. This distinction protects the different roles within Christ's Body. It does not mean that a layperson's sincere prayer is powerless.

Begin simply. Bless God before meals, ask His protection when a family member leaves home, and make the Sign of the Cross with faith. For a formal blessing of a home or religious object, ask your parish priest or deacon.