THE ROMAN RITUAL


Translated by PHILIP T. WELLER, S.T.D.


Copyright 1964 Philip T. Weller



PART XI. BLESSINGS AND OTHER SACRAMENTALS



CONTENTS IN THIS FILE:

Blessings and other sacramentals, introduction and general rules 
	Blessings for special days and feasts
	Blessings of persons
	Blessings of animals
	Blessings of places not designated for sacred purposes
	Blessings of places designated for sacred purposes 
	Blessings of things designated for sacred purposes
	Blessings of things designated for ordinary use

Processions, general rules
	Rites for processions

Exorcism, introduction and general rules
	Rite for exorcism

Litanies

Blessings formerly reserved to religious orders 

Appendix: reception of converts; profession of faith; 
itinerarium; prayers at meals; oath against modernism

Index

Index of psalms, canticles, hymns 



BLESSINGS AND OTHER SACRAMENTALS


INTRODUCTION

A subheading to the above heading could well be: "The 
Sacramentals--Christ in Daily Life." In the ordination service, 
the Church, through the bishop, anoints and blesses the hands of 
the newly made priest, accompanying the action with these words: 
"May it please you, O Lord, to consecrate and sanctify these 
hands by this anointing and our blessing; that whatever they 
bless may be blessed, and whatever they consecrate may be 
consecrated in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." By this and 
other ceremonies in the rite for ordination the young priest has 
it impressed on him that his sacramental ministry, namely, the 
power to offer sacrifice, the duty of preaching the word of God 
in Mass and of distributing the Bread of life to the people, the 
duty of administering the other sacraments, the duty of 
dispensing blessings and other sacramentals--that all these 
constitute the main reason for his being what he is, a mediator 
between God and men, the dispenser of God's mysteries.

For a priest all else must be kept subordinate to his sacramental 
ministry. In the first age of the Church the apostles, as soon as 
they discovered that other works were interfering with their 
strictly priestly ministrations, ordained other men as deacons or 
assistants, whose function it was to take over a large share of 
those activities not absolutely required of pastors of souls. So 
nowadays too the priest can find auxiliaries to aid him in the 
office of teaching, in the good work of visiting the sick and 
seeking out the stray sheep, in tending to the needs of the poor 
and the widows and orphans, in keeping files and financial books, 
in running parish organizations and recreational programs. But he 
cannot turn over to them his sacramental powers, neither the 
greater ones of consecrating at Mass, of baptizing, of absolving, 
of anointing, nor even the lesser ones of bestowing on persons 
and objects the official blessing of the Church. Her 
sacramentals, then, ought not to be "the twentieth-century 
stepchildren of Mother Church," as someone has referred to them.

If it is true that in the world of today conditions are not 
conducive to a high evaluation and appreciation of the seven 
sacraments of Christ, then surely it can be admitted all the more 
readily that the sacramentals fare even worse. If a certain 
measure of humility and simplicity is needed by man to recognize 
God at work with, and in, and for us in the greater mysteries, 
the Eucharist and the other sacraments, it is required even in 
greater measure to recognize His action in those consecratory 
acts which are lesser than those seven, namely, the sacramentals. 
Pride and sophistication are a hindrance to understanding that 
God, when He created the universe, consecrated all creation, not 
alone man, but every lower form; and that Christ, in redeeming 
the world after the Fall, removed the curse fallen on creation, 
not only from man but from the lesser species as well. Thus for a 
long time the sacramental acts such as the many consecrations and 
blessings of the Church have been, if not actually disdained, 
looked upon with apathy and indifference by her children. So much 
so that some are apt to be disedified rather than edified when 
they are made aware that the Church has a mind to speak a 
blessing on horse, silkworm, bonfire, beer, bridal chamber, 
medicine, or lard.

God's ultimate purpose in creating the world is the manifestation 
of His goodness and excellence, and a communication of them in 
part to His creatures. Consequently, creation's first reason for 
existence is to glorify the Creator. Human beings fulfill this 
obligation to glorify God by living in conformity with the laws 
which govern human existence, but they do so more nobly still in 
those positive acts of religion, sacrifice, sacraments, social 
and private prayer, consecrations, and blessings. For in this 
latter way man does not praise God in isolation, but he is united 
with the praise which his elder brother, Jesus Christ, 
everlastingly renders to the Blessed Trinity. Irrational 
creatures fulfill their obligation also in their existence and 
functions, according to the laws that govern their nature. This 
is their silent voice of praise. But lower creation too is 
destined to take part in the direct and positive act of praising 
the Creator. The psalms and canticles leave no doubt about this. 
The fall of man caused lower creatures to be separated from God, 
for they were bound to God through mankind. And they became once 
more consecrated in the redemption, not purely for their own 
sake, but for the purposes of higher creation. Therefore, in 
union with man, and in union with the God-man, the rest of 
creation participates in the praise which without ceasing raises 
its voice to the adorable Trinity.
In the Epistle to the Romans St. Paul records that the complete 
emancipation of creation will not be effected until the end of 
time. But ever since our Lord transfigured lower creatures by 
employing them in sacramental ways--consider His use of bread, 
wine, water, oil, sacred signs--material things have been 
participating with Him and with man in divine worship. And where 
Christ left off, the Church continues. The consecration and 
transfiguration of the creatures of God is done through 
sacraments and sacramentals. The passion and resurrection of 
Jesus notwithstanding, the individual man is not justified until 
the fruit of these momentous acts is communicated to him by way 
of sacramental sanctification. Lower creatures in similar fashion 
are freed from their enslavement by being sacramentalized. Before 
the Church will use them in the service of God or of men, she 
wills that first they be exorcised of any allegiance to Satan, 
then sanctified by her consecratory hand.

Certainly there is a difference of kind and of efficacy between 
the seven sacraments and the lesser sacraments called 
sacramentals. There is a difference of degree in the seven 
sacraments themselves. One is not so necessary or sublime as 
another. Furthermore, it is not true to say without qualification 
that one distinction between sacraments and sacramentals is that 
the former owe their institution to Christ, the latter to the 
Church. For some of the sacramentals definitely come directly 
from Christ, exactly how many and actually which ones is not 
clear. There is one sacramental, however, of whose origin there 
is not a particle of doubt. This is the mandatum, the washing of 
feet, carried out by our Lord at the Last Supper, and today still 
used in the liturgy of Maundy Thursday. What requires stressing 
here is that men should not belittle the sacramentals because of 
the fact that they owe their institution in greatest part not to 
the positive will and act of Christ, but instead to the will and 
act of the Church. For in the light of the doctrine of the 
mystical body both have a sacred origin, the sacraments from the 
personal, historical Christ, the sacraments from the mystic 
Christ--Christ living and working in His mystical bride, the 
Church. The sacramentals are aptly designated as extensions and 
radiation of the sacraments. Both are sources of divine life; 
both have an identical purpose, divine life. They have, moreover, 
an identical cause, the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ; 
albeit they differ in nature, efficacy, and intensity.

Because man is weakened by sin both in his mental and physical 
faculties, he needs in striving for salvation, in addition to the 
sacraments themselves, other supernatural aids constantly at 
hand, in order to overcome his own inherent weakness as well as 
the obstacles put in his way by creature things. These 
auxiliaries, the sacramentals, are the many powerful supports by 
which man's course to heaven can be lightened, affording 
protection against the enemies of his soul and promoting bodily 
well-being in the interests of the soul. As the code of Canon Law 
defines them: sacramentals are objects and actions which the 
Church is wont to use, somewhat as she uses the sacraments, in 
order to obtain through her intercession effects, especially 
effects of a spiritual nature (can. 1144).

As Christ has endowed with infallible grace the outward signs by 
which sacraments are effected, so in a similar way the Church has 
endowed with spiritual powers the outward signs by which 
sacramentals are constituted. And why are such simple things like 
the sacramentals so efficacious in the life of grace? Because 
their efficacy is dependent on the power of the Church's 
impetration, and not solely on the devotion of the subject who 
uses them. We say that the sacraments work "ex opere operato," 
that is, in virtue of the outward signs that are posited. On the 
other hand, we are accustomed to hear that the sacramentals work 
"ex opere operantis," which would mean in virtue of the intensity 
of devotion in those who use them. Yet this is only part of the 
truth. The thing is cast in an altogether different light when it 
is stated in full precision, namely, that the sacramentals work 
"ex opere operantis Ecclesiae," which means that their efficacy 
is in first place dependent on the power of the Church's 
intercession, and only secondly on the devout dispositions of the 
subject concerned. Back in the Middle Ages, William of Paris 
stated: "The efficacy of the sacramentals is rooted in the 
nobility of the Church, which is so pleasing to God and so 
beloved by Him that she never meets with a refusal from Him."[1] 
The matter could hardly be expressed better. Owing to the 
resurgence of the doctrine of the mystical body, it has been 
granted to our times to view the Church once more in her true 
nature as the body of Christ, flesh of His flesh, bone of His 
bone, more intimate a part of Him than a bride is of her 
bridegroom. Therefore, it is not exactly improper to speak of an 
efficacy "ex opere operato" in the case of sacramentals. For 
example, an altar that receives the consecration of the Church is 
consecrated and remains consecrated, no matter how fervent and 
devout was the bishop who performed the consecration.

Sacramentals have been classified in many ways. But a simple and 
clear way of classifying them is to divide them into three 
groups. First, those that lay the basis for divine worship by 
creating the place and the atmosphere, by raising up certain 
persons--apart from bishops, priests, and deacons--officially 
designated to perform divine worship, and by supplying the 
appurtenances necessary for divine worship, for example: (a) the 
consecration of a church and an altar, or the consecration of a 
cemetery; (b) the blessing of an abbot, of monks and virgins, of 
the ministers in minor orders; (c) the consecration of a chalice 
or paten, the consecration of a church bell, the blessing of 
vestments, etc. Second, those used in the course of celebrating 
Mass and administering the sacraments; for example, the 
incensation of the altar, the reading of the Gospel, the last 
blessing, or the giving of salt and the anointings in baptism. 
Third, those that extend from the worship in church to the 
Christian home and family circle, to the occupations of farming, 
industry, and trades; for example, the blessing of a home, field, 
animals, printing presses, fire-engine, etc.

Although we have stressed the truth that the sacramentals derive 
their efficacy chiefly from the intercessory power of the Church, 
we may not minimize the role played by man's own subjective 
dispositions. The sacraments, too, for that matter, demand 
something of the individual recipient--at the very least that the 
subject place no obstacle in the way of grace. But in the case of 
the sacramentals man's cooperation has a very large part to play 
if they are to attain their full purpose. Their function is to 
provide an atmosphere in which the virtue of religion can thrive, 
and to produce a psychological reaction in man, to raise his 
thoughts and aspirations out of the realm of the profane and up 
to the realm of the sacred, to fix his heart on the things of the 
spirit, to impress on his consciousness God's will for him and 
God's providence always hovering over him.

Before ascending into heaven our Lord, in His infinite wisdom and 
love, bequeathed to His followers the seven sacraments, which 
were to occupy the center of their religious life, to be like so 
many milestones for them on the journey to heaven. But He also 
foresaw that the periphery of the Christian life could be 
sanctified by further supports of a lesser kind, supernatural 
helps that would be constantly at hand, even every hour, serving 
to consecrate the works and activities of the day and to lighten 
its burdens and sorrows. Thus He indicated to the apostles in 
broad lines how they might make use of other signs and symbols in 
furthering the work of sanctifying souls. Seeing that the Master 
Himself had employed the sign of the cross, the act of exorcism, 
the washing of feet at the Last Supper, and had commanded them to 
do like things in His name, the apostles were soon imitating Him, 
performing exorcisms and blessing creatures, as St. Paul has 
testified in 1 Timothy 4.5. Certainly the Church was inspired by 
the Holy Spirit, when, following the apostolic period, she began 
to introduce rites that we now call sacramentals, such as the 
solemn blessing of baptismal water, of oils, salt, and bread, of 
first-fruits, and the blessing of milk and honey in connection 
with first holy communion of the neophytes on Easter morning, to 
mention only some of the ceremonies that very early embellished 
the celebration of Mass and the administration of the other 
sacraments. How wrong were men like Luther and Harnack when they 
asserted that the sacramentals of the Catholic Church were an 
invention of the Middle Ages, and scarcely better than a return 
to the legalistic rites of the Talmud and the Pharisees. In 
response to the natural craving of man for ritual and ceremonial, 
for tokens and memorials, the Church gave her children, instead 
of "panis et circenses," blessed bread and religious processions, 
instead of antiques, sacred relics and medals. The legitimate 
demands of a Christian people were as much a factor as the will 
of the Church herself in promoting the development and the 
multiplication of pious ceremonies. Soon every province of life 
was consecrated by the Church's benediction. From the church 
edifice the sacramentals widen out to embrace the totality of 
Christian life. Home and hearth, granary and workshop, field and 
meadow, vineyard and orchard, fountain and river receive a 
consecration. In private life there was a blessing for the wife 
who had recently conceived and one for the woman in the pangs of 
labor; a blessing for the lad who had just reached the age when 
he could be introduced to the ABC's, and one for the young man 
about to sprout his first beard; for the sick, blessed 
medicaments of water, salt, bread, and herbs, instead of a 
doctor, harder to come by then than even now. Public life also 
had its blessings, a blessing of a king and queen, emperor and 
empress, a blessing of a knight and his accouterments of sword 
and lance, a blessing of public penitents, of pilgrims, of 
crusaders. In time of plague and famine, a deprecatory blessing 
against rats, mice, locusts, and noxious vermin. In time of 
calamity, a blessing to protect the people against fire, wind, 
earthquake, and flood.

In all this, to be sure, abuse and superstition eventually crept 
in, especially in the later Middle Ages. When diocesan synods 
failed to stem such misuse of sacred things, Paul V finally 
stepped in, and by a Bull of June 16, 1614, published the 
official Roman Ritual for the universal Church, to which model 
all diocesan rituals were thenceforth to conform. But in the 
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the abuse was revived, 
particularly through the religious orders, who printed private 
collections of blessings and especially exorcisms with prayers 
and formulas of such a nature as to outdo even the superstitions 
of the late Middle Ages.

Perhaps it is a conscientious fear of reviving superstition that 
prompts us to be so hesitant about restoring the sacramentals to 
their onetime place of honor. Or perhaps, as we say, you can't 
turn back the clock. Young men no longer grow beards, save for an 
exceptional group, and professional exterminators have arisen to 
make short shrift of every kind of pest, from bedbug to termite. 
Admittedly we would look foolish trying to revive some of the 
olden pious customs. Yet there are a good many sacramentals, most 
of those given in this ritual, that could be resurrected to 
considerable profit. With some efforts at instruction and with 
continual encouragement, the people's sensibilities as to their 
significance and value would be aroused, as it has been shown 
where it has been tried.

							--TRANSLATOR



ENDNOTES

1. "De sacramentis," 1.524.



PART XI. BLESSINGS AND OTHER SACRAMENTALS



CHAPTER I: GENERAL RULES CONCERNING BLESSINGS

1. Any priest may confer the blessings of the Church, except 
those reserved to the Pope, to bishops, or to others.

A reserved blessing which is conferred by a priest who does not 
have the required delegation is valid, but illicit, unless the 
Holy See has declared otherwise in the reservation.

Deacons and lectors can give validly and licitly only those 
blessings expressly allowed by law.

2. Both constitutive and invocative blessings are invalid if the 
forms prescribed by the Church are not observed.

3. Blessings are designed primarily for Catholics, but may 
likewise be given to catechumens. Moreover, unless the Church 
expressly forbids, they may be imparted to non-Catholics to 
assist them in obtaining the light of faith, or together with it, 
bodily health.

4. Objects which have received the constitutive blessing should 
be treated reverently, and should never be put to profane or 
improper use, even though they may be personal possessions.

5. Blessings of the sacred appurtenances which, according to 
liturgical law, should be blessed before they are used, may be 
conferred by:

(a) cardinals and all bishops;

(b) an ordinary who is not a bishop, in the churches and 
oratories of his own province;

(c) a pastor in the churches and oratories located within the 
confines of his parish, and rectors of churches in their own 
churches;

(d) priests delegated thereto by the Ordinary of the place, 
subject to the extent of the delegation and the power of the one 
delegating;

(e) religious superiors and their priest subjects whom they 
delegate, in their own churches and oratories and in churches of 
nuns who are under their spiritual care.

N.B. Rule No. 5 with its five parts is now obsolete in view of 
the new "Instruction" of September 26, 1964.

6. In every blessing outside of Mass the priest should be vested 
in surplice and stole of the color proper to the day, unless the 
rubrics prescribe otherwise.

7. The one who blesses should stand with head uncovered; and at 
the beginning of each blessing, unless otherwise stated, he says:

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. May He also be with you.

He then says the proper prayer or as many as are given.

Lastly he sprinkles the object with holy water, and if called 
for, incenses it, without saying anything.

8. When a priest blesses he should be assisted by a server who 
holds the holy water and aspersory, and he should follow the 
Ritual or the Missal.

9. Care should be taken that during a blessing nothing indecorous 
is placed upon the altar, e.g., eatables. But things of this 
nature should be placed upon a table conveniently arranged.



CHAPTER II: BLESSINGS FOR SPECIAL DAYS AND FEASTS OF THE CHURCH 
YEAR


1. RITE FOR PROVIDING HOLY WATER

Some minor changes have been made in this rite, such as the 
omission of certain words, putting salt into the water only once, 
and the use of the short conclusion for the orations (see 
"Ephemerides Liturgicae" 75 [1961] 426). The holy-water font is a 
counterpart of the baptismal font; and the sacramental use of 
holy water is related to the great sacrament of water, baptism. 
Easter is the day par excellence for baptism, and every Sunday is 
a little Easter. Consequently, on the Lord's day the Church 
blesses water to be used in the ceremony of renewal of baptism, 
for as often as she sprinkles us with the blessed water a sign is 
given us of that sacrament which once bestowed the gift of life. 
The rubrics direct that the water may be blessed either in the 
church proper or in the sacristy. For the edification of the 
people it might be well to perform this blessing in the sight of 
the people, at least occasionally. The practice of putting salt 
into the water comes no doubt from the incident of the miraculous 
cure of the poisonous well (see 4 Kings 2.19-21), where the 
prophet Eliseus used salt to purify the water of the well.

1. On Sundays, or whenever this blessing takes place, salt and 
fresh water are prepared in the church or in the sacristy. The 
priest, vested in surplice and purple stole, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth.

2. The exorcism of salt follows: God's creature, salt, I cast out 
the demon from you by the living + God, by the true + God, by the 
holy + God, by God who ordered you to be thrown into the water-
spring by Eliseus to heal it of its barrenness. May you be a 
purified salt, a means of health for those who believe, a 
medicine for body and soul for all who make use of you. May all 
evil fancies of the foul fiend, his malice and cunning, be driven 
afar from the place where you are sprinkled. And let every 
unclean spirit be repulsed by Him who is coming to judge both the 
living and the dead and the world by fire.

All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, we humbly appeal to your mercy and 
goodness to graciously bless + this creature, salt, which you 
have given for mankind's use. May all who use it find in it a 
remedy for body and mind. And may everything that it touches or 
sprinkles be freed from uncleanness and any influence of the evil 
spirit; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Exorcism of the water:

God's creature, water, I cast out the demon from you in the name 
of God + the Father almighty, in the name of Jesus + Christ, His 
Son, our Lord, and in the power of the Holy + Spirit. May you be 
a purified water, empowered to drive afar all power of the enemy, 
in fact, to root out and banish the enemy himself, along with his 
fallen angels. We ask this through the power of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who is coming to judge both the living and the dead and 
the world by fire.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
O God, who for man's welfare established the most wonderful 
mysteries in the substance of water, hearken to our prayer, and 
pour forth your blessing + on this element now being prepared 
with various purifying rites. May this creature of yours, when 
used in your mysteries and endowed with your grace, serve to cast 
out demons and to banish disease. May everything that this water 
sprinkles in the homes and gatherings of the faithful be 
delivered from all that is unclean and hurtful; let no breath of 
contagion hover there, no taint of corruption; let all the wiles 
of the lurking enemy come to nothing. By the sprinkling of this 
water may everything opposed to the safety and peace of the 
occupants of these homes be banished, so that in calling on your 
holy name they may know the well-being they desire, and be 
protected from every peril; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

3. Now the priest pours the salt into the water in the form of a 
cross, saying:

May this salt and water be mixed together; in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, source of irresistible might and king of an invincible 
realm, the ever-glorious conqueror; who restrain the force of the 
adversary, silencing the uproar of his rage, and valiantly 
subduing his wickedness; in awe and humility we beg you, Lord, to 
regard with favor this creature thing of salt and water, to let 
the light of your kindness shine upon it, and to hallow it with 
the dew of your mercy; so that wherever it is sprinkled and your 
holy name is invoked, every assault of the unclean spirit may be 
baffled, and all dread of the serpent's venom be cast out. To us 
who entreat your mercy grant that the Holy Spirit may be with us 
wherever we may be; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

4. On Sundays after the water is blessed and before Mass begins 
the celebrant sprinkles the altar, himself, the ministers, and 
the people as prescribed in the Missal and in the ceremony of the 
Ritual given below.

5. Christ's faithful are permitted to take holy water home with 
them to sprinkle the sick, their homes, fields, vineyards, and 
the like. It is recommended too that they put it in fonts in the 
various rooms, so that they may use it to bless themselves daily 
and frequently.


2. THE SUNDAY BLESSING WITH HOLY WATER

There has been a slight change made in this ceremony--the priest 
no longer says the Miserere while he sprinkles the people (see 
"Ephemerides Liturgicae" 75 [1961] 426), and the wording of the 
rubric for Passiontime and Eastertime also has been altered. The 
significance of this blessing is touched on in the commentary 
given above, and the frequent omission of this blessing is noted 
with regret. Some say that it interferes with the introit 
procession, but some solution could be found.

The priest who is to offer the Mass, vested in cope of the proper 
color, comes to the altar, and as he kneels on the step with the 
ministrants (also in Eastertime) he receives the aspersory from 
the deacon. First he sprinkles the altar three times 
(simultaneously intoning the antiphon), then himself, and then he 
stands and sprinkles the ministrants. The choir takes up the 
singing of the antiphon, during which time the celebrant 
sprinkles the clergy and the people. The proper antiphons are 
given below (for the music for these see the music supplement).


Antiphon outside Eastertime

Purify me with hyssop, * Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash 
me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Ps. 50.1. Have mercy on me, 
God, * in your great kindness. V. Glory be to the Father, and to 
the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. * As it was in the beginning, is 
now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Purify me with 
hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall 
be whiter than snow.

The antiphon is sung thus at the sprinkling with holy water on 
all  Sundays outside Eastertime; but the doxology is not said 
during Passiontime, and the antiphon is repeated right after the 
psalm verse.

During Eastertime, from Easter Sunday until Pentecost inclusive 
the following antiphon is sung:


Antiphon during Eastertime

I saw water * flowing out from beneath the threshold of the 
temple, alleluia; and all to whom this water came were saved, and 
they shall say, alleluia, alleluia. Ps. 117. Give thanks to the 
Lord, for He is good, * for His mercy endures forever. V. Glory 
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. * As it 
was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without 
end. Amen. I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of 
the temple, alleluia; and all to whom this water came were saved, 
and they shall say, alleluia, alleluia.

The first antiphon given above is resumed on Trinity Sunday.

On Easter Sunday, in churches where there is a baptismal font, 
the water used for the sprinkling is that which has been blessed 
during the Easter Vigil, that which was taken from the font 
before the holy oils were poured in.

After the singing of the antiphon the priest, who by this time 
has returned to the altar, stands at the foot of the altar, and 
with hands folded chants the following:

P: Lord, show us your mercy (alleluia).

All: And grant us your salvation (alleluia).

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Hear us, holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, and in 
your goodness send your holy angel from heaven to watch over and 
protect all who are assembled in this dwelling, to be with them 
and give them comfort and encouragement; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.


3. BLESSING OF WINE

on the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

At the end of the principal Mass on the feast of St. John, 
Apostle and Evangelist, after the last Gospel, the priest, 
retaining all vestments except the maniple, blesses wine brought 
by the people. This is done in memory and in honor of St. John, 
who drank without any ill effects the poisoned wine offered to 
him by his enemies.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
If it please you, Lord God, bless + and consecrate + this vessel 
of wine (or any other beverage) by the power of your right hand; 
and grant that, through the merits of St. John, apostle and 
evangelist, all your faithful who drink of it may find it a help 
and a protection. As the blessed John drank the poisoned potion 
without any ill effects, so may all who today drink the blessed 
wine in his honor be delivered from poisoning and similar harmful 
things. And as they offer themselves body and soul to you, may 
they obtain pardon of all their sins; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Lord, bless + this creature drink, so that it may be a health-
giving medicine to all who use it; and grant by your grace that 
all who taste of it may enjoy bodily and spiritual health in 
calling on your holy name; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, 
come on this wine (or any other beverage) and remain always.
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water. If the blessing is given 
privately outside of Mass, the priest is vested in surplice and 
stole and performs the ceremony as given above.


4. ANOTHER FORM FOR BLESSING WINE

on the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

At the end of Mass, after the last Gospel, the following is said:


Psalm 22

(for this psalm see Rite for Baptism of Children)

After the psalm: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have 
mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:) 

P: And lead us not into temptation. 

All: But deliver us from evil. 

P: Save your servants. 

All: Who trust in you, my God. 

P: Lord, send them aid from your holy place. 

All: And watch over them from Sion. 

P: Let the enemy have no power over them. 

All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm them. 

P: Then if they drink anything deadly. 

All: It will not harm them. 

P: Lord, heed my prayer. 

All: And let my cry be heard by you. 

P: The Lord be with you. 

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray. Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, who 
willed that your Son, co-eternal and consubstantial with you, 
come down from heaven and in the fulness of time be made flesh 
for a time of the blessed Virgin Mary, in order to seek the lost 
and wayward sheep and carry it on His shoulders to the sheepfold, 
and to heal the man fallen among robbers of his wounds by pouring 
in oil and wine; may you bless + and sanctify + this wine which 
you have vintaged for man's drink. Let all who taste or drink of 
it on this holy feastday have health of body and soul; by your 
grace let it be a solace to the man who is on a journey and bring 
him safely to his destination; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, who spoke of yourself as the true vine and the 
apostles as the branches, and who willed to plant a chosen 
vineyard of all who love you, bless + this wine and empower it 
with your blessing; so that all who taste or drink of it may, 
through the intercession of your beloved disciple John, apostle 
and evangelist, be spared every deadly and poisonous affliction 
and enjoy bodily and spiritual well-being. We ask this of you who 
live and reign forever and ever.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
God, who in creating the world brought forth for mankind bread as 
food and wine as drink, bread to nourish the body and wine to 
cheer the heart; who conferred on blessed John, your beloved 
disciple, such great favor that not only did he himself escape 
the poisoned potion, but could restore life by your power to 
others who were dead from poison; grant to all who drink this 
wine spiritual gladness and everlasting life; through Christ our 
Lord.
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


5. BLESSING OF EPIPHANY WATER

on the Eve of Epiphany

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Dec. 6, 1890)


{This blessing comes from the Orient, where the Church has long 
emphasized in her celebration of Epiphany the mystery of our 
Lord's baptism, and by analogy our baptism. This aspect is not 
neglected in western Christendom, although in practice we have 
concentrated on the visit of the Magi. Many years before the 
Latin Rite officially adopted the blessing of Epiphany water, 
diocesan rituals, notably in lower Italy, had contained such a 
blessing.}


1. At the appointed time the celebrant, vested in white cope (if 
a bishop, the mitre is worn but removed during the prayers), and 
the deacon and subdeacon, vested in white dalmatic and tunic 
respectively, come before the altar. They are preceded by 
acolytes, who carry the processional cross and lighted candles 
(which are put in their proper place), and by the other clergy. A 
vessel of water and a container of salt are in readiness in the 
sanctuary.

First the Litany of the Saints is sung, during which time all 
kneel. After the invocation "That you grant eternal rest," etc. 
the celebrant rises and sings the following two invocations, the 
second in a higher key:

That you bless + this water. R. We beg you to hear us. That you 
bless + and sanctify + this water R. We beg you to hear us.

Then the chanters continue the litany up to and including the 
last Lord, have mercy.

After this the celebrant chants Our Father the rest inaudibly 
until:

P: And lead us not into temptation. 

All: But deliver us from evil.

2. Then the following psalms are sung:


Psalm 28

(for this psalm see Rite for Baptism of Adults)


Psalm 45

P: God is our refuge and our strength, * an ever-present help in 
distress.

All: Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and 
mountains plunge into the depths of the sea;

P: Though its waters rage and foam * and the mountains quake at 
its surging.

All: The Lord of hosts is with us; * our stronghold is the God of 
Jacob.

P: There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, * the 
holy dwelling of the Most High.

All: God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed; * God will 
help it at the break of dawn.

P: Though nations are in turmoil, kingdoms totter, * His voice 
resounds, the earth melts away;

All: The Lord of hosts is with us; * our stronghold is the God of 
Jacob.

P: Come, see the deeds of the Lord, * the astounding things He 
has wrought on earth.

All: He has stopped wars to the end of the earth; * the bow he 
breaks; He splinters the spears; He burns the shields with fire.

P: Desist, and confess that I am God, * exalted among the 
nations, exalted upon the earth.

All: The Lord of hosts is with us; * our stronghold is the God of 
Jacob.

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.


Psalm 146

P: Praise the Lord, for He is good; * sing praise to our God, for 
He is gracious; it is fitting to praise Him.

All: The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; * the dispersed of Israel He 
gathers.

P: He heals the brokenhearted * and binds up their wounds.

All: He tells the number of the stars; * He calls each by name.

P: Great is our Lord and mighty in power; * to His wisdom there 
is no limit.

All: The Lord sustains the lowly; * the wicked He casts to the 
ground.

P: Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; * sing praise with the 
harp to our God.

All: Who covers the heavens with clouds, * who provides rain for 
the earth;

P: Who makes grass sprout on the mountains * and herbs for the 
service of men;

All: Who gives food to the cattle, * and to the young ravens when 
they cry to Him.

P: He delights not in the strength of the steed, * nor is He 
pleased with the fleetness of men.

All: The Lord is pleased with those who fear Him, * with those 
who hope for His kindness.

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

The celebrant then chants:


Exorcism against Satan and the apostate angels

In the name of our Lord Jesus + Christ and by His power, we cast 
you out, every unclean spirit, every devilish power, every 
assault of the infernal adversary, every legion, every diabolical 
group and sect; begone and stay far from the Church of God, from 
all who are made in the image of God and redeemed by the precious 
blood of the divine + Lamb. Never again dare, you cunning 
serpent, to deceive the human race, to persecute the Church of 
God, nor to strike the chosen of God and to sift them as + wheat. 
For it is the Most High God who commands you, + He to whom you 
heretofore in your great pride considered yourself equal; He who 
desires that all men might be saved and come to the knowledge of 
truth. God the Father + commands you. God the Son + commands you. 
God the Holy + Spirit commands you. The majesty of Christ, the 
eternal Word of God made flesh + commands you; He who for the 
salvation of our race, the race that was lost through your envy, 
humbled Himself and became obedient even unto death; He who built 
His Church upon a solid rock, and proclaimed that the gates of 
hell should never prevail against her, and that He would remain 
with her all days, even to the end of the world. The sacred 
mystery of the cross + commands you, as well as the power of all 
the mysteries of Christian faith. The exalted Virgin Mary, Mother 
of God + commands you, who in her lowliness crushed your proud 
head from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception. The 
faith of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and the other apostles 
+ commands you. The blood of the martyrs and the devout 
intercession of all holy men and women commands you.

Therefore, accursed dragon and every diabolical legion, we adjure 
you by the living + God, by the true + God, by the holy + God, by 
the God who so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten 
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have 
life everlasting; cease your deception of the human race and your 
giving them to drink of the poison of everlasting damnation; 
desist from harming the Church and fettering her freedom. Begone 
Satan, you father and teacher of lies and enemy of mankind. Give 
place to Christ in whom you found none of your works; give place 
to the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church, which Christ 
Himself purchased with His blood. May you be brought low under 
God's mighty hand. May you tremble and flee as we call upon the 
holy and awesome name of Jesus, before whom hell quakes, and to 
whom the virtues, powers, and dominations are subject; whom the 
cherubim and seraphim praise with unwearied voices, saying: Holy, 
holy, holy, Lord God of hosts!

Next the choir sings the following antiphon and canticle:


Antiphon

Today the Church is espoused to her heavenly bridegroom, for 
Christ washes her sins in the Jordan; the Magi hasten with gifts 
to the regal nuptials; and the guests are gladdened with water 
made wine, alleluia.


Canticle of Zachary

Luke 1.68-79

P: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! * He has visited His 
people and brought about its redemption.

All: He has raised for us a stronghold of salvation * in the 
house of David His servant,

P: And redeemed the promise He had made * through the mouth of 
His holy prophets of old--

All: To grant salvation from our foes * and from the hand of all 
that hate us;

P: To deal in mercy with our fathers * and be mindful of His holy 
covenant,

All: Of the oath he had sworn to our father Abraham, * that He 
would enable us--

P: Rescued from the clutches of our foes--* to worship Him 
without fear,

All: In holiness and observance of the Law, * in His presence, 
all our days.

P: And you, my little one, will be hailed 'Prophet of the Most 
High'; * for the Lord's precursor you will be to prepare His 
ways;

All: You are to impart to His people knowledge of salvation * 
through forgiveness of their sins.

P: Thanks be to the merciful heart of our God! * a dawning Light 
from on high will visit us

All: To shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the 
shadowland of death, * and guide our feet into the path of 
peace."

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

Or instead of the "Benedictus" the "Magnificat" may be chosen 
(for the Magnificat see Blessing of Homes). At the end of the 
canticle the antiphon given above is repeated. Then the celebrant 
sings: 

P: The Lord be with you. 

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, who on this day revealed your only-begotten Son to all 
nations by the guidance of a star, grant that we who now know you 
by faith may finally behold you in your heavenly majesty; through 
Christ our Lord. 
All: Amen.

Next he blesses the water: 

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth.

From here on the exorcism of salt and the prayer that follows it, 
the exorcism of water and the two prayers that follow it, the 
mixing of the salt and water and then the concluding prayer--all 
of these are the same as the ones used on pp. 395-97.

At the end of the blessing the priest sprinkles the people with 
the blessed water.

Lastly the "Te Deum" is sung (for the "Te Deum" and its oration 
see Renewal of the Marriage Vows).


6. BLESSING OF GOLD, INCENSE, MYRRH 

on Epiphany

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Accept, holy Father, from me, your unworthy servant, these gifts 
which I humbly offer to the honor of your holy name and in 
recognition of your peerless majesty, as you once accepted the 
sacrifice of the just Abel and the same kind of gifts from the 
three Magi.

God's creatures, gold, incense, and myrrh, I cast out the demon 
from you by the Father + almighty, by Jesus + Christ, His only-
begotten Son, and by the Holy + Spirit, the Advocate, so that you 
may be freed from all deceit, evil, and cunning of the devil, and 
become a saving remedy to mankind against the snares of the 
enemy. May those who use you, with confidence in the divine 
power, in their lodgings, homes, or on their persons, be 
delivered from all perils to body and soul, and enjoy all good 
things. We ask this through the power and merits of our Lord and 
Savior, the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of 
God, and of all the saints, in particular the godly men who on 
this day venerated Christ the Lord with the very same gifts.
All: Amen.

God, the invisible and endless One, in the holy and awesome name 
of your Son, be pleased to endow with your blessing + and power 
these creatures of gold, incense, and myrrh. Protect those who 
will have them in their possession from every kind of illness, 
injury, and danger, anything that would interfere with the well-
being of body and soul, and so be enabled to serve you joyously 
and confidently in your Church; you who live and reign in perfect 
Trinity, God, forever and ever.
All: Amen.

And may the blessing of almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy + 
Spirit, come upon these creatures of gold, incense, and myrrh, 
and remain always.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


7. BLESSING OF CHALK 

on Epiphany

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Bless, + O Lord God, this creature, chalk, and let it be a help 
to mankind. Grant that those who will use it with faith in your 
most holy name, and with it inscribe on the doors of their homes 
the names of your saints, Casper, Melchior, and Baltassar, may 
through their merits and intercession enjoy health in body and 
protection of soul; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


8. BLESSING OF HOMES 

on Epiphany 

As the priest comes into the home he says:

P: God's peace be in this home. 

All: And in all who live here.

P. Ant.: Magi from the East came to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; 
and opening their treasure chests they presented Him with 
precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true 
God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial. Alleluia.


Canticle of the Magnificat

Luke 1.46-55

P: "My soul * extols the Lord;

All: And my spirit leaps for joy in God my Savior.

P: How graciously He looked upon His lowly maid! * Oh, see, from 
this hour onward age after age will call me blessed!

All: How sublime is what He has done for me, * the Mighty One, 
whose name is 'Holy'!

P: From age to age He visits those * who worship Him in 
reverence.

All: His arm achieves the mastery: * He routs the haughty and 
proud of heart.

P: He puts down princes from their thrones, * and exalts the 
lowly;

All: He fills the hungry with blessings, * and sends away the 
rich with empty hands.

P: He has taken by the hand His servant Israel, * and mercifully 
kept His faith,

All: As He had promised our fathers * with Abraham and his 
posterity forever and evermore."

P: Glory be to the Father.

All: As it was in the beginning.

Meanwhile the home is sprinkled with holy water and incensed. At 
the end of the Magnificat the antiphon is repeated. Then the 
priest says Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:) 

P: And lead us not into temptation. 

All: But deliver us from evil. 

P: Many shall come from Saba. 

All: Bearing gold and incense.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May he also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, who on this day revealed your only-begotten Son to all 
nations by the guidance of a star, grant that we who now know you 
by faith may finally behold you in your heavenly majesty; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Responsory: Be enlightened and shine forth, O Jerusalem, for your 
light is come; and upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus 
Christ born of the Virgin Mary.

P: Nations shall walk in your light, and kings in the splendor 
of- your birth.

All: And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

Let us pray.
Lord God almighty, bless + this home, and under its shelter let 
there be health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, 
mildness, obedience to your commandments, and thanksgiving to God 
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May your blessing remain always 
in this home and on those who live here; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.


9. BLESSING OF CANDLES

on the Feast of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, almighty and all-mild, by your Word alone you created the 
manifold things in the world, and willed that that same Word by 
whom all things were made take flesh in order to redeem mankind; 
you are great and immeasurable, awesome and praiseworthy, a 
worker of marvels. Hence in professing his faith in you the 
glorious martyr and bishop, Blaise, did not fear any manner of 
torment but gladly accepted the palm of martyrdom. In virtue of 
which you bestowed on him, among other gifts, the power to heal 
all ailments of the throat. And now we implore your majesty that, 
overlooking our guilt and considering only his merits and 
intercession, it may please you to bless + and sanctify + and 
impart your grace to these candles. Let all men of faith whose 
necks are touched with them be healed of every malady of the 
throat, and being restored in health and good spirits let them 
return thanks to you in your holy Church, and praise your 
glorious name which is blessed forever; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


10. BLESSING OF THROATS

on the Feast of St. Blaise


{This is one of the most popular blessings. St. Blaise was bishop 
of Sebaste in Cappadocia, and was martyred by beheading about 
A.D. 316. Not much more can be affirmed of him with any degree of 
historical accuracy, but legends about him are numerous. One day-
-so goes the legend--Blaise met a poor woman whose only pig had 
been snatched up in the fangs of a wolf but at the command of the 
bishop the wolf restored the pig alive to its owner. The woman 
did not forget the favor, for later, when the bishop was 
languishing in prison, she brought him tapers to dispel the 
darkness and gloom. To this story may be attributed the practice 
of using lighted candles in bestowing the blessing of St. Blaise. 
While in prison he performed a wonderful cure on a boy who had a 
fishbone lodged in his throat and who was in danger of choking to 
death. From this account we have the longtime custom of invoking 
the Saint for all kinds of throat trouble.}


After blessing the candles on the feast of St. Blaise, the priest 
holds two candles fastened like a cross to the throat of the 
person kneeling before him, and says:

By the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God 
deliver you from every malady of the throat, and from every 
possible mishap; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and 
of the Holy Spirit.
R. Amen.


11. BLESSING OF BREAD, WINE, WATER, FRUIT

For the Relief of Throat Ailments

on the Feast of St. Blaise

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites on Sept. 25, 1883)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, Savior of the world, who consecrated this day by the 
martyrdom of blessed Blaise, granting him among other gifts the 
power of healing all who are afflicted with ailments of the 
throat; we humbly appeal to your boundless mercy, begging that 
these fruits, bread, wine, and water brought by your devoted 
people be blessed + and sanctified + by your goodness. May those 
who eat and drink these gifts be fully healed of all ailments of 
the throat and of all maladies of body and soul, through the 
prayers and merits of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr. We ask this 
of you who live and reign, God, forever and ever.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


12. IMPOSING BLESSED ASHES
on Ash Wednesday

The priest says, as he sprinkles the blessed ashes on the head of 
the person:

Gen. 3.19: Remember, man, that you are dust, and into dust you 
will return.


13. BLESSING OF HOMES

on Holy Saturday and during Eastertime[1]

1. The parish priest (or a priest who has his permission), vested 
in surplice and white stole, visits the homes of his parishioners 
on Holy Saturday or another day during Eastertime, in order to 
bless the homes and their occupants with the Easter water. He 
should be assisted by a server who carries a vessel containing 
blessed water taken from the baptismal font before the holy oils 
were added. As he enters the home he says:

P: God's peace be in this home.
All: And in all who live here.

2. Then he sprinkles the dwelling's main room and the occupants, 
saying the antiphon:

I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple, 
alleluia; and all to whom this water came were saved, and they 
shall say, alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 117.) Give thanks to the 
Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. V. Glory be 
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was 
in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. 
Amen. I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the 
temple, alleluia; and all to whom this water came were saved, and 
they shall say, alleluia, alleluia.

Next he says: 

P: Lord, show us your mercy, alleluia. 
All: And grant us your salvation, alleluia. 
P: Lord, heed my prayer. 
All: And let my cry be heard by you. 
P: The Lord be with you. 
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Hear us, holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God; and as 
you guarded the homes of the Israelites from the avenging angel 
on their flight from Egypt, if their homes were signed with the 
blood of a lamb--therein prefiguring our Easter sacrifice in 
which Christ is the victim--so likewise in your goodness send 
your holy angel to watch over and protect all who live in this 
home, to be with them and give them comfort and encouragement; 
through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

3. The rite described above is used also when the blessing of 
homes is carried out on another day in Eastertime, in accord with 
local custom.


14. THE EASTER BLESSINGS OF FOOD


{The Easter blessings of food owe their origin to the fact that 
these particular foods, namely, fleshmeat and milk products, 
including eggs, were forbidden in the Middle Ages during the 
Lenten fast and abstinence. When the feast of Easter brought the 
rigorous fast to an end, and these foods were again allowed at 
table, the people showed their joy and gratitude by first taking 
the food to church for a blessing. Moreover, they hoped that the 
Church's blessing on such edibles would prove a remedy for 
whatever harmful effects the body might have suffered from the 
long period of self-denial. Today the Easter blessings of food 
are still held in many churches in the U. S., especially in those 
of the Slavic peoples.}


A. Blessing of Lamb

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, who by your servant Moses commanded your people in their 
deliverance from Egypt to kill a lamb as a type of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and prescribed that its blood be used to sign the two 
door-posts of their homes; may it please you to bless + and 
sanctify + this creature-flesh which we, your servants, desire to 
eat in praise of you. We ask this in virtue of the resurrection 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you forever 
and ever.
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


B. Blessing of Eggs

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you. 

Let us pray.
Lord, let the grace of your blessing + come upon these eggs, that 
they be healthful food for your faithful who eat them in 
thanksgiving for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
lives and reigns with you forever and ever.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

C. Blessing of Bread

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, bread of angels, true bread of everlasting 
life, be pleased to bless + this bread, as you once blessed the 
five loaves in the wilderness, so that all who eat of it may 
derive health in body and soul. We ask this of you who live and 
reign forever and ever.
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


D. Another Blessing of Bread

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, be pleased to 
bless + this bread, imparting to it your hallowed favor from on 
high. May it be for all who eat of it a healthful food for body 
and soul, as well as a safeguard against every disease and all 
assaults of the enemy. We ask this of our Lord Jesus Christ, your 
Son, the bread of life who came down from heaven and gives life 
and salvation to the world; who lives and reigns with you, in the 
unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


E. Blessing of New Produce

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord, bless + this new produce, N., and grant that those who eat 
of it in praise of your holy name may be nourished in body and 
soul; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.


15. BLESSING OF CROSSES

which are to be set in vineyards, fields, etc.,
on or about May 3

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, Feb. 10, 1888)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, merciful Father and our unalloyed 
comfort, in virtue of the bitter suffering that your only-
begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, endured for us sinners on 
the wood of the cross, bless + these crosses which your faithful 
will set up in their vineyards, gardens, fields, and other 
places. Shield the land where they are placed from hail, tornado, 
storm, and every onslaught of the enemy, so that the produce, 
ripened for the harvest, may be gathered to your honor by those 
who put their trust in the holy cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
your Son, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


16. BLESSING OF A BONFIRE

on the Vigil of the Birthday of St. John the Baptist

conferred by the clergy outside of church

In the Church's veneration of her saints the cult of John the 
Baptist had from earliest times and continues to have a most 
prominent and honored place. John gave testimony of the true 
light that shines in the darkness, although he proclaimed in 
utter humility: "He must increase, but I must decrease." And the 
Master also spoke in highest praise of His precursor: "I say to 
you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet 
than John the Baptist." Attuned to the words of the Gospel the 
Christians of former times were filled with love and enthusiasm 
for this saint, and expressed a justifiable conviviality at the 
approach of his feastday by lighting a bonfire the night before 
in front of their churches, in the market-place, on the hilltops, 
and in the valleys. The custom of St. John bonfires, indicative 
of a people with unabashed and childlike faith, continues in some 
places to this day.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth. 
P: The Lord be with you. 
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord God, almighty Father, the light that never fails and the 
source of all light, sanctify + this new fire, and grant that 
after the darkness of this life we may come unsullied to you who 
are light eternal; through Christ our Lord. 
All: Amen.

The fire is sprinkled with holy water; after which the clergy and 
the people sing the following hymn (for the music see the music 
supplement):


Hymn: Ut queant laxis

O for your spirit, holy John, to chasten 
Lips sin-polluted, fettered tongues to loosen;
So by your children might your deeds of wonder 
Meetly be chanted.

Lo! a swift herald, from the skies descending, 
Bears to your father promise of your greatness; 
How he shall name you, what your future story, 
Duly revealing.

Scarcely believing message so transcendent, 
Him for a season power of speech forsaketh, 
Till, at your wondrous birth, again returneth, 
Voice to the voiceless.

You, in your mother's womb all darkly cradled, 
Knew your great Monarch, biding in His chamber, 
Whence the two parents, through their offspring's merits, 
Mysteries uttered.

Praise to the Father, to the Son begotten, 
And to the Spirit, equal power possessing, 
One God whose glory, through the lapse of ages, 
Ever resounding.

P: There was a man sent from God.
All Whose name was John.

Let us pray.
God, who by reason of the birth of blessed John have made this 
day praiseworthy, give your people the grace of spiritual joy, 
and keep the hearts of your faithful fixed on the way that leads 
to everlasting salvation; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.


17. BLESSING OF HERBS

on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary


{This blessing comes from Germany, and formulas for it are found 
as early as the tenth century. The blessing of herbs was reserved 
only to the feast of the Assumption. Herbs had not our restricted 
English meaning but included all kinds of cultivated and wild 
flowers, especially those which in some way had a symbolic 
relation to our Lady. The people brought herbs to church on her 
feast not only to secure for themselves another blessed object, 
but also to make of the occasion a harvest festival of 
thanksgiving to God for His great bounty manifested in the 
abundant fruits of the earth. The herbs were placed on the altar, 
and even beneath the altar-cloths, so that from this close 
contact with the Eucharist they might receive a special 
consecration, over and above the ordinary sacramental blessing of 
the Church.}


After the Asperges if it is a Sunday, otherwise immediately 
before Mass, the priest, standing before the altar and facing the 
people who hold the herbs and fruits in their hands, says in a 
clear voice:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth.


Psalm 64

P: To you we owe our hymn of praise, O God, in Sion; to you must 
vows be fulfilled, you who hear prayers.

All: To you all flesh must come* because of wicked deeds.

P: We are overcome by our sins; * it is you who pardon them.

All: Happy the man you choose, * and bring to dwell in your 
courts.

P: May we be filled with the good things of your house, * the 
holy things of your temple.

All: With awe-inspiring deeds of justice you answer us, * O God 
our Savior,

P: The hope of all the ends of the earth * and of the distant 
seas.

All: You set the mountains in place by your power, * you who are 
girt with might;

P: You still the roaring of the seas, * the roaring of their 
waves and the tumult of the peoples.

All: And the dwellers at the earth's ends are in fear at your 
marvels; * the farthest east and west you make resound with joy.

P: You have visited the land and watered it; * greatly have you 
enriched it.

All: God's watercourses are filled; you have prepared the grain. 
* Thus have you prepared the land:

P: Drenching its furrows, * breaking up its clods,

All: Softening it with showers, * blessing its yield.

P: You have crowned the year with your bounty, * and your paths 
overflow with a rich harvest;

All: The untilled meadows overflow with it, * and rejoicing 
clothes the hills.

P: The fields are garmented with flocks and the valleys blanketed 
with grain. * They shout and sing for joy.

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

P: The Lord will be gracious.

All: And our land will bring forth its fruit.

P: You water the mountains from the clouds.

All: The earth is replenished from your rains.

P: Giving grass for cattle.

All: And plants for the benefit of man.

P: You bring wheat from the earth.

All: And wine to cheer man's heart.

P: Oil to make his face lustrous.

All: And bread to strengthen his heart.

P: He utters a command and heals their suffering.

All: And snatches them from distressing want. 

P: Lord, heed my prayer. 
All: And let my cry be heard by you. 
P: The Lord be with you. 
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, who by your word alone brought into 
being the heavens, earth, sea, things seen and things unseen, and 
garnished the earth with plants and trees for the use of man and 
beast; who appointed each species to bring forth fruit in its 
kind, not only for the food of living creatures, but for the 
healing of sick bodies as well; with mind and word we urgently 
call on you in your great kindness to bless + these various herbs 
and fruits, thus increasing their natural powers with the newly 
given grace of your blessing. May they keep away disease and 
adversity from men and beasts who use them in your name; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
God, who through Moses, your servant, directed the children of 
Israel to carry their sheaves of new grain to the priests for a 
blessing, to pluck the finest fruits of the orchard, and to make 
merry before you, the Lord their God; hear our supplications, and 
shower blessings + in abundance upon us and upon these bundles of 
new grain, new herbs, and this assortment of produce which we 
gratefully present to you on this festival, blessing + them in 
your name. Grant that men, cattle, flocks, and beasts of burden 
find in them a remedy against sickness, pestilence, sores, 
injuries, spells, against the fangs of serpents or poisonous 
creatures. May these blessed objects be a protection against 
diabolical mockery, cunning, and deception wherever they are 
kept, carried, or otherwise used. Lastly, through the merits of 
the blessed Virgin Mary, whose Assumption we are celebrating, may 
we all, laden with the sheaves of good works, deserve to be taken 
up to heaven; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
God, who on this day raised up to highest heaven the rod of 
Jesse, the Mother of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that by her 
prayers and patronage you might communicate to our mortal nature 
the fruit of her womb, your very Son; we humbly implore you to 
help us use these fruits of the soil for our temporal and 
everlasting welfare, aided by the power of your Son and the 
prayers of His glorious Mother; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

And may the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy 
Spirit, come upon these creatures and remain always.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water and incensed.


18. BLESSING OF SEED AND SEEDLINGS 

on the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, we ask and 
beseech you to look with merry countenance and fair eyes on these 
seeds and seedlings. And as you proclaimed to Moses, your 
servant, in the land of Egypt, saying: "Tell the children of 
Israel that when they enter the land of promise which I shall 
give them, they are to offer the first-fruits to the priests, and 
they shall be blessed"; so too at our request, O Lord, be 
merciful and pour out the blessing + of your right hand upon 
these seeds, which you in your benevolence bring forth to sustain 
life. Let neither drought nor flood destroy them, but keep them 
unharmed until they reach their full growth and produce an 
abundant harvest for the service of body and soul. We ask this of 
you who live and reign in perfect Trinity forever and ever.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, sower and tiller of the heavenly word, 
who cultivate the field of our hearts with heavenly tools, hear 
our prayers and pour out abundant blessings upon the fields in 
which these seeds are to be sown. By your protecting hand turn 
away the fury of the elements, so that this entire fruit may be 
filled with your blessing, + and may be gathered unharmed and 
stored up in the granary; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water and may be incensed.



ENDNOTES

1. On Nov. 16, 1955, the C.S.R. issued this directive: "Let the 
local Ordinaries give proper directions so that this blessing may 
be given at a more convenient time either before or after 
Easter."



CHAPTER III: BLESSINGS OF PERSONS


1. BLESSING OF AN EXPECTANT MOTHER

at the approach of confinement


{In the Middle Ages it was customary for a pastor to announce 
from the pulpit on Sundays the names of women whose time of 
childbirth was close at hand, and to ask the people's prayers for 
them. But his solicitude did not stop there. He also visited the 
homes of such women, first said prayers outside the home, and 
then entered and administered the sacraments and the sacramentals 
of the Church. Without going quite to these lengths today, an 
occasional word of instruction about this very fine blessing 
would encourage some women to present themselves for it.}


P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Save your servant.

All: Who trusts in you, my God.

P: Let her find in you, Lord, a tower of strength. 

All: In the face of the enemy.

P: Let the enemy have no power over her.

All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm her. 

P: Lord, send her aid from your holy place.

All: And watch over her from Sion.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you. 

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, who enable us, your servants, in our 
profession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the 
three Persons in the eternal Godhead, and to adore their oneness 
of nature, their co-equal majesty; grant, we pray, that by 
steadfastness in that faith this servant of yours, N., may ever 
be guarded against all adversity; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Lord God, Creator of all things, mighty and awesome, just and 
forgiving, you alone are good and kind. You saved Israel from all 
manner of plagues, making our forefathers your chosen people, and 
hallowing them by the touch of your Spirit. You, by the co-
operation of the Holy Spirit, prepared the body and soul of the 
glorious Virgin Mary to be a worthy dwelling for your Son. You 
filled John the Baptist with the Holy Spirit, causing him to leap 
with joy in his mother's womb. Accept the offering of a humble 
spirit, and grant the heartfelt desire of your servant, N. who 
pleads for the safety of the child you allowed her to conceive. 
Guard the life that is yours; defend it from all the craft and 
spite of the pitiless foe. Let your gentle hand, like that of a 
skilled physician, aid her delivery, bringing her offspring safe 
and sound to the light of day. May her child live to be reborn in 
holy baptism, and continuing always in your service, be found 
worthy of attaining everlasting life; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

The priest sprinkles the woman with holy water and then adds the 
following:


Psalm 66

P: May God have pity on us and bless us; * may He let His face 
shine upon us.

All: So may His way be known upon earth; * among all nations, His 
salvation.

P: May the peoples praise you, O God; * may all the peoples 
praise you.

All: May all the nations be glad and exult because you rule the 
peoples in equity; * you guide the nations on earth.

P: May the peoples praise you, O God; * may all the peoples 
praise you.

All: The earth has yielded its fruits; * God, our God, has 
blessed us.

P: May God bless us, * and may all the ends of the earth fear 
him.

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

P: Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

All: Let us praise and glorify Him forever.

P: God has given His angels charge over you.

All: To guard you in all your paths.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord, we beg you to visit this dwelling, and to drive away from 
it and from this servant of yours, N, all the enemy's wiles. Let 
your holy angels be appointed here to keep her and her offspring 
in peace; and let your blessing + ever rest upon her. Save them, 
almighty God, and grant them your everlasting light; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, 
come on you and your child, and remain with you forever. 
All: Amen.


2. BLESSING OF A MOTHER AFTER CHILDBIRTH


{This blessing is often referred to as the churching of women, 
but the Roman Ritual more appropriately calls it simply the 
blessing of a woman after childbirth. The practice of "churching 
a woman" developed out of a related practice in the Old Testament 
(cf. Lev 12.1-8). According to the Mosaic Law a woman incurred 
legal uncleanness in childbirth and remained unclean until her 
legal purification. This view, that a woman incurs some kind of 
defilement in childbirth, persisted even in Christian times, 
especially in the East, but in the West too, despite the 
opposition of Pope Gregory the Great (d. 604). The sufferings of 
childbirth were looked upon as part of the penalty imposed on Eve 
and on all her daughters. Yet it must be understood clearly that 
the Jews did not say there was actually any stain of sin on the 
mother in consequence of giving birth to a child, but merely a 
restriction imposed by law. With Christ's coming womankind was 
elevated and ennobled, and motherhood too was more clearly seen 
as something honorable, deserving a blessing rather than a 
purification. The exact time of origin of this sacramental is not 
known, except that it is very ancient, and dates possibly from 
the first half of the fourth century.}


1. After giving birth to a child a mother may wish to give thanks 
to God in church for a safe delivery, and to obtain the Church's 
blessing. This has long been a devout and praiseworthy practice. 
The priest, vested in surplice and white stole (assisted by a 
server who carries the aspersory), goes to the threshold of the 
church. The woman kneels there, holding a lighted candle.


{The very fact that the priest goes to meet her and escort her 
into the church is in itself a mark of respect for the mother, 
and puts one in mind of a bishop who meets a royal personage or 
anyone of high rank when the latter comes to a cathedral to 
attend a solemn function. The rest of the rite speaks for itself; 
but it may be pointed out that psalm 23, which the priest recites 
over the woman, is a psalm of majesty, praise, and gratitude.}


The priest sprinkles her with holy water, saying: 

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth.

He then says the following antiphon and psalm 23: 

Antiphon: This woman shall receive a blessing from the Lord and 
mercy from God, her Savior; for she is one of the people who seek 
the Lord.


Psalm 23

(for this psalm see Rite for Burial of Children)

After psalm 23 the above antiphon is repeated.


{In the "Collectio Rituum," both for Germany and the U. S. A., 
the antiphon and the psalm are omitted; and according to the same 
ritual the priest says first "Peace be with you"; then "Come into 
the temple of God"; and then the "Magnificat." If the priest 
wishes he may substitute the "Magnificat" for psalm 23.}


2. Then the priest places the end of the stole hanging from his 
left shoulder in the hand of the woman and leads her into the 
church, saying: 

Come into God's house. Adore the Son of the blessed Virgin Mary, 
and thank God who has given you the grace of motherhood.

3. The woman kneels before the altar, giving thanks to God for 
the benefits He has bestowed on her. The priest continues: 

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our 
Father (the rest inaudibly until:) 

P: And lead us not into temptation. 

All: But deliver us from evil. 

P: Save your servant. 

All: Who trusts in you, my God. 

P: Lord, send her aid from your holy place. 

All: And watch over her from Sion. 

P: Let the enemy have no power over her. 

All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm her.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, who by means of the blessed Virgin 
Mary's childbearing has given every Christian mother joy, even in 
her pains of bringing forth her child; look kindly on this 
servant of yours who has come in gladness to your holy dwelling 
to offer her thanks. And grant that after this life, through the 
merits and prayers of that same blessed Mary, she and her child 
may be deemed worthy of attaining the happiness of everlasting 
life; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

The "Collectio Rituum," both for Germany and the U. S. A., 
provide the following blessing for the child:

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, begotten before time 
was, yet willing to be an infant within time; who love childhood 
innocence; who deigned to tenderly embrace and to bless the 
little ones when they were brought to you; be ready with your 
dearest blessings for this child as he (she) journeys through 
life, and let no evil ways corrupt his (her) understanding. May 
he (she) advance in wisdom and grace with the years, and be 
enabled ever to please you, who are God, living and reigning with 
the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
All: Amen.

4. The priest again sprinkles her with holy water, saying:

May the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and 
Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.

5. The blessing of a woman after childbirth ought to be given by 
the pastor, if he is requested to do so. But any priest may 
impart it in any church or public oratory, in which case he 
should notify the superior.


3. BLESSING OF A WOMAN AFTER CHILDBIRTH

in a case where the child was stillborn

or died after birth


{The "Collectio Rituum," both of Germany and the U. S., give the 
following blessing of a mother whose child was stillborn or died 
after birth.}


The priest meets the woman at the threshold of the church, 
sprinkles her with holy water, and says:

God's peace be with you.
Come into God's house. Adore the Son of the blessed Virgin Mary, 
and ask God to console and comfort you.

Then he leads her and those who accompany her to the altar. They 
kneel before the altar; whereas the priest goes up to the altar 
predella, turns to them, and says the following:


Psalm 120

P: I lift up my eyes toward the mountains; * whence shall help 
come to me?

All: My help is from the Lord, * who made heaven and earth.

P: May He not suffer your foot to slip; * may He who guards you 
not slumber;

All: Indeed He neither slumbers nor sleeps, * the guardian of 
Israel.

P: The Lord is your guardian; * the Lord is your shade; He is 
beside you at your right hand.

All: The sun shall not harm you by day, * nor the moon by night.

P: The Lord will guard you from all evil; * He will guard your 
life.

All: The Lord will guard your coming and your going, * both now 
and forever. 

P: Glory be to the Father. 

All: As it was in the beginning.

After the psalm the priest continues:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our 
Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.
All: But deliver us from evil.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, lover of holy purity, who chose in your 
wisdom and goodness to call this woman's child to your heavenly 
kingdom; be pleased also, O Lord, to show your mercy to this 
servant of yours, comforting her with your love, helping her to 
accept bravely your holy will. Thus comforted by the merits of 
your sacred passion, and aided by the intercession of blessed 
Mary, ever a Virgin, and of all the saints, may she be united at 
last with her child for all eternity in the kingdom of heaven. We 
ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.
All: Amen.

As he sprinkles her with holy water in the form of a cross, the 
priest concludes:

May the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and 
Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever. 
All: Amen.


4. BLESSING OF AN INFANT OR LITTLE CHILD

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: Our God is merciful.
All: He is the Lord who watches over little children. 
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, begotten before time 
was, yet willing to be an infant within time; who love childhood 
innocence; who deigned to tenderly embrace and to bless the 
little ones when they were brought to you; be ready with your 
dearest blessings for this child (these children) as he (she) 
(they) journey(s) through life, and let no evil ways corrupt his 
(her) (their) understanding. May he (she) (they) advance in 
wisdom and grace with the years, and be enabled ever to please 
you, who are God, living and reigning with the Father, in the 
unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
All: Amen.

Then the priest sprinkles the infant (or infants) with holy 
water, saying:

May the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and 
Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever. 

All: Amen.


5. BLESSING OF A CHILD

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth. 
P: The Lord be with you. 
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray. 
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who said: "Let the 
little children come to me, and do not stop them. The kingdom of 
God belongs to such as these," pour out the power of your 
blessing + on this child, and consider the faith and devotion of 
the Church and of its parents. Advancing in virtue and wisdom 
before God and men, may he (she) reach a blessed old age and 
finally attain everlasting salvation. We ask this of you who live 
and reign forever and ever.
All: Amen.


Psalm 112

After the psalm the priest continues:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our 
Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, 
come upon you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.


6. BLESSING OF CHILDREN

when on some special occasion they are assembled in church for 
this purpose

At the appointed time the children assemble in church under the 
tutelage of parents or teachers to ensure quiet and order. When 
they are properly placed, boys and girls separate, the priest 
approaches and speaks to them very briefly and simply on a 
suitable topic. Then standing and facing them he says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.

After this the following antiphon and psalm are sung (for the 
music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: Praise, you children of the Lord, * praise the name of 
the Lord.


Psalm 112

(for this psalm see Rite for Burial of Children)

At the end of the psalm the antiphon is repeated. This psalm and 
its antiphon may be omitted if the blessing is imparted less 
solemnly or only to a few. Next the priest says:

P: Let the little children come to me.

All: The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

P: Their angels.

All: Ever see the face of the heavenly Father.

P: Let the enemy have no power over them.

All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm them. 

P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, who embraced the little children when they 
came or were brought to you, and laying your hands on them 
blessed them and said: "Let the little children come to me, and 
do not stop them. The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these; 
and their angels ever see the face of my Father;" we beg you to 
look with favor on the innocence of these children here present 
and on the devotion of their parents, and to bless + them today 
through our ministry. Let them ever advance in your grace and 
goodness, the better to know you, love you, fear you, and serve 
you, and happily reach their blessed destiny. We ask this of you, 
Savior of the world, who live and reign with the Father and the 
Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
We beg you, Lord, through the intercession of the blessed Mary, 
ever a Virgin, to defend this family of yours from every kind of 
adversity; and as they offer their hearts to you, protect them in 
your kindness and mercy from all wiles of the enemy; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
God, who by your wondrous providence gave us your holy angels as 
our guardians, grant that we, your suppliants, may ever be 
shielded by their protection, and finally enjoy their fellowship 
in heaven; through Christ our Lord. 
All: Amen.

Making the sign of the cross over them, he blesses them, saying:

May God bless you, and may He be the guardian of your hearts and 
your understanding, the Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit. 
All: Amen.

He then sprinkles the children with holy water.


7. BLESSING OF CHILDREN 

on Feastdays of the Holy Childhood Association

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
We implore you, almighty God, to bless + these children, and we 
ask that you keep them in your love. Strengthen their hearts by 
the power of the Holy Spirit, sanctify their lives, foster their 
innocence. Keep their minds intent on good, help them to prosper, 
give them peace, health, and charity. By your might and 
protection shield them always from every temptation of men or 
demons. And in your mercy may they finally attain the happiness 
and rest of Paradise; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, who embraced the little children when they 
came or were brought to you (here the priest extends his hands 
over them), and laying your hands on them blessed them and said: 
"Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them. The 
kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these; and their angels ever 
see the face of my Father;" we beg you to look with favor on the 
devotion of these boys and girls here present, and let your 
blessing come on them in fullest measure. Let them ever advance 
in your grace and goodness, the better to know you, love you, 
fear you, and serve you, and happily reach their blessed destiny. 
We ask this of you, Savior of the world, who live and reign with 
the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. 
All: Amen.

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, 
come upon you, keep and direct you, and remain with you forever. 
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


8. BLESSING OF PILGRIMS

before they set out for the holy shrines

In accord with ancient ecclesiastical discipline, pilgrims who 
are to visit the holy shrines should obtain a letter of 
recommendation from their Ordinary or pastor before they set out. 
Having put their affairs in order, they prepare themselves with 
sacramental confession, assist at Mass and receive holy 
communion. In this Mass the Collect for pilgrims (pro re gravi) 
is said. After Mass they kneel before the priest who says the 
following (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: May the almighty and merciful Lord lead you in the way 
of peace and prosperity. May the Angel Raphael be your companion 
on the journey and bring you back to your homes in peace, health, 
and happiness.

Then the Canticle of Zachary is said; and after the canticle the 
above antiphon is repeated. Then the priest continues:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our 
Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation. 

All: But deliver us from evil. 

P: Save your servants. 

All: Who trust in you, my God. 

P: Lord, send them aid from your holy place. 

All: And watch over them from Sion. 

P: Let them find in you, Lord, a fortified tower. 

All: In the face of the enemy. 

P: Let the enemy have no power over them. 

All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm them. 

P: May the Lord be praised at all times. 

All: May God, our helper, grant us a happy journey. 

P: Lord, shows us your ways. 

All: And lead us along your paths. 

P: Oh, that our life be bent. 

All: On keeping your precepts. 

P: For the crooked ways will be made straight. 

All: And the rough places plain. 

P: God has given His angels charge over you. 

All: To guard you in all your undertakings. 

P: Lord, heed my prayer. 
All: And let my cry be heard by you. 
P: The Lord be with you. 
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray. 
God, who led the children of Israel dry-shod through the sea, and 
showed the way to the three Magi by the guidance of a star; grant 
these pilgrims, we pray, a happy journey and peaceful days, so 
that, with your holy angel as a guide, they may safely reach 
their destination and finally come to the haven of everlasting 
salvation.

God, who led your servant, Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans, 
and kept him safe in all his wanderings; may it please you, we 
pray, also to watch over these servants of yours. Be to them, 
Lord, a help in their preparations, comfort on the way, shade in 
the heat, shelter in the rain and cold, a carriage in tiredness, 
a shield in adversity, a staff in insecurity, a haven in 
shipwreck; so that under your guidance they may happily reach 
their destination, and finally return safe to their homes.

Lord, we beg you to hear our request that you guide the steps of 
your servants along the path of well-being that comes from you, 
and that in the midst of this fickle world they may always live 
under your protection.

Grant, we pray, O almighty God, that your family of pilgrims find 
a safe route; and heeding the admonitions of blessed John, the 
precursor, come finally to Him whom John foretold, your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hear, Lord, our prayers, and kindly accompany your servants on 
their journey; and as you are present everywhere lend them your 
aid at all times, so that with you as their shield they will be 
defended from all dangers and pay you their homage of gratitude; 
through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

May the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and 
Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

If there is only one pilgrim the prayers are said in the 
singular; but if the priest who bestows the blessing is a member 
of the pilgrimage they are said in the plural.


9. BLESSING OF PILGRIMS 

on their return

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.

Next the following antiphon and psalm are sung (for the music see 
the music supplement):

Antiphon: See, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.


Psalm 127

(for this psalm see Rite for Marriage within Mass)

After the psalm the above antiphon is repeated. Then the priest 
continues:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our 
Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Blessed are they who come in the name of the Lord.

All: Blessed be you by the Lord who made heaven and earth.

P: Look with favor, Lord, on your servants and their works.

All: And keep them in the way of your precepts.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
We beg you, Lord, be appeased, and lavish on your servants pardon 
and peace, so that being cleansed of all their transgressions 
they may serve you with tranquil hearts.

Almighty everlasting God, the ruler of our lives and destinies, 
grant to your servants continual and abundant peace, so that 
those whom you have brought back safely to their various 
occupations may bask in the security of your protection.

God, the support of the lowly, you who console us by the love of 
our brethren; bestow your grace on our brotherhood, so that we 
may always see your presence in those in whom you live by your 
grace; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

May the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and 
Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever. 
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


PRAYER OF POPE PAUL VI FOR PRISONERS


{This prayer was composed by Pope Paul VI for the inmates of 
Rome's Regina Coeli prison, which he visited on April 9, 1964. It 
deserves a place in the Ritual; and we are grateful to the 
N.C.W.C. News Service for its permission to print it.}


Lord, they tell me I must pray; but how can I pray when I am so 
unhappy? How can I speak to you in the conditions in which I find 
myself? I am sad; I am angry. Sometimes I am desperate. I would 
like to curse rather than pray. I suffer deeply because everyone 
is against me and criticizes me because I am here, away from my 
own family and from my activities. I am without peace, and how 
can I pray, O Lord? 

I know you were good, you were wise, you were innocent. Yet they 
slandered you, they dishonored you, they tried you, they beat 
you, they crucified you, they put you to death? But why? Where is 
justice? And you were able to forgive those who treated you so 
unjustly and so cruelly. You were able to pray for them. Indeed, 
they tell me that you allowed yourself to be put to death in that 
manner in order to save your executioners, to save all us sinful 
men. And also to save me?

If this is so, Lord, it means that one may be good at heart even 
though the condemnation of the courts of men weighs on one's 
shoulders. I too, Lord, feel at the bottom of my heart that I am 
better than others would believe. I know what justice is, what 
honesty is, what honor is, and what goodness is. Before you, 
these thoughts stir in me. Do you see them? Do you see how 
disgusted I am with my miseries? Do you see that I would like to 
cry out and weep? Do you understand me, Lord? Is this my prayer?

Yes, this is my prayer. From the depths of my bitterness I raise 
my voice to you. Do not reject it. You at least, who have 
suffered as I have, more than I have, you at least, Lord, listen 
to me. I have so many things to ask of you. Give me, Lord, peace 
of heart. Give me a tranquil conscience, a new conscience capable 
of good thoughts.

Indeed, Lord, to you I say it. If I have been remiss, forgive me. 
We all have need of forgiveness and mercy. I am praying to you 
for myself. And then, Lord, I pray to you for my loved ones, who 
are still so dear to me. Lord, assist them. Lord, console them. 
Lord, tell them to remember me and to love me still. I have so 
much need to know that somebody is still thinking of me and loves 
me. And also on these companions in misfortune and affliction, 
together here in this prison, Lord, have mercy. Mercy on 
everyone. Yes, also on those who make me suffer, on all. We are 
all men of this unhappy world. But we are, Lord, your creatures, 
your likeness, your brothers, O Christ. Have pity on us.

To our poor voice we add the sweet and innocent voice of the 
Madonna, of the most blessed Mary, who is your Mother, and who is 
for us also a Mother of intercession and consolation. Lord, give 
us your peace; give us hope. Amen.


11. BLESSING OF SICK PILGRIMS

The priest, vested in surplice and white stole, places the end of 
the stole on the head of the sick person, and reads the following 
passage from the Gospel. If he blesses more than one he holds the 
stole above them with his right hand.

P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
P: A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.
All: Glory be to you, O Lord.

Matthew 13.44-52

At that time Jesus said to His disciples: "The kingdom of heaven 
reminds me of a treasure buried in the field; as soon as a person 
discovers it, he hides it again, and off he goes in his joy and 
sells all his possessions and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven reminds me of a merchant in quest 
of beautiful pearls; as soon as he discovers one pearl of great 
value, off he goes and promptly sells all his possessions and 
buys it.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven reminds me of a dragnet thrown into 
the sea and taking in fish of every description; when it is 
filled, the crew haul it on the beach and settle down to sorting 
what is usable into receptacles, and throwing away what is 
worthless. So it will be at the end of the world. The angels will 
go forth and separate the sinners from among the saints and 
consign them to the blazing furnace. There it is that weeping and 
gnashing of teeth will really be heard.

"Do you understand all these lessons?" "Yes," they replied. 
"Therefore," He continued, "every teacher initiated in the 
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a 
household who produces from his store new things and old."

After the Gospel he blesses the sick person, saying:

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, 
come upon you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.

Then he presents the end of the stole to the sick to be kissed, 
and sprinkles him with holy water, saying:

May God sprinkle you with the dew of His grace and bring you to 
everlasting life.
All: Amen.


12. BLESSING OF A SICK ADULT

The priest on entering the sick-room says:

P: God's peace be in this home.
All: And in all who live here.

Then he goes up to the sick person and continues:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, as I, in all humility, enter this home, let 
there enter with me your peace and your mercy. Let all wiles of 
the devil be driven far from here, and let your angels of peace 
take over and put down all wicked strife. Teach us, O Lord, to 
recognize the majesty of your holy name, and bless what we are 
about to do; you who are holy, you who are kind, you who abide 
with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
We entreat you, Lord, to look with favor on your servant who is 
weak and failing, and revive the soul you have created. Chastened 
by suffering may he (she) know that he (she) has been saved by 
your healing; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Merciful Lord, consoler of all who believe in you, we appeal to 
your boundless compassion that at my humble visit you will also 
visit this servant of yours, lying on his (her) bed of pain, as 
you visited the mother-in-law of Simon Peter. Graciously stand by 
him (her), Lord, so that he (she) may recover his (her) lost 
strength, and join with your Church in returning thanks to you, 
who are God, living and reigning forever and ever.
All: Amen.

Then he holds his hand outstretched over the sick person and 
says:

May our Lord Jesus Christ be with you to guard you, within you to 
preserve you, before you to lead you, behind you to protect you, 
above you to bless you; He who lives and reigns with the Father 
and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
All: Amen.

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, 
come upon you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.

He sprinkles the sick person with holy water.


13. BLESSING OF SICK CHILDREN

If children who are ill are old enough to receive the sacrament 
of anointing of the sick, the same prayers and ceremonies are 
used as given in the chapter dealing with the visitation and care 
of the sick, depending on circumstances of time and illness. But 
for younger children the following can be used:

On entering the room of the sick child the priest says:

P: God's peace be in this home.
All: And in all who live here.

Next he sprinkles the sick child, the bed, and the room without 
saying anything. Then he says psalm 112; and after the psalm he 
continues:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our 
Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.

All: But deliver us from evil.

P: Our God is merciful.

All: He is the Lord who watches over little children. 

P: Let the little children come to me.

All: The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, by whose power all things grow to maturity, and once mature 
retain their strength, reach out your right hand to this boy 
(girl) who is afflicted at this tender age. Let him (her) regain 
health, grow up to manhood (womanhood), and serve you in 
gratitude and fidelity all the days of his (her) life; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Merciful God and Father, our unalloyed comfort, who, having the 
interests of your creatures at heart, are inclined in your 
goodness to bestow the grace of healing not only on the soul but 
on the body as well; be pleased to raise up this sick child from 
his (her) bed of suffering, and to return him (her) in full 
health to your Church and to his (her) parents. May he (she) then 
throughout the days of his (her) life, as he (she) advances in 
favor and knowledge in your sight and that of men, serve you in 
righteousness and holiness, and render you due thanks for your 
goodness; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
God, who in a marvelous way have disposed the ministries of 
angels and of men, mercifully grant that the life on earth of 
this boy (girl) may be under the protection of those who minister 
to you in heaven; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

After this prayer the priest puts his right hand on the head of 
the child and says:

They shall lay their hands upon the sick and all will be well 
with them. May Jesus, Son of Mary, Lord and Savior of the world, 
through the merits and intercession of His holy apostles Peter 
and Paul and all His saints, show you favor and mercy.

If he wishes, the priest may add the following passage from the 
Gospel, depending on the child's condition and the desire of the 
parents:

P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
P: + The beginning of the holy Gospel according to St. John.
All: Glory be to you, O Lord.

As the priest says "The beginning," etc., he signs himself on the 
brow, mouth, and breast in the usual way; and signs the sick 
child in the same way, if the child cannot do so himself.

For this passage from the Gospel see John 1.1-14.

Lastly he blesses the child, saying:

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, 
come upon you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.

He sprinkles him (her) (them) with holy water.

If there are several sick children in the room the prayers given 
above are said in the plural.


14. RITE FOR IMPARTING THE PAPAL BLESSING TO THE PEOPLE

The rite to be used by those priests to whom this faculty has 
been granted by the Holy See 

(According to a decree of the Congregation of Sacred Rites,
March 12, 1940)

1. The people are to be informed of the day, the time, and the 
church where the papal blessing will be given. When they are 
assembled in church a short and edifying instruction should be 
delivered to them in order to arouse a spirit of devotion and 
compunction. After this the priest, vested in surplice and white 
stole, kneels at the altar and implores God's help as follows (he 
is not assisted by anyone):

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: Lord, save your people.
All: And bless your inheritance.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Then he stands and says this oration:

Let us pray.
Almighty and merciful God, grant us your aid from your holy 
place, and graciously hear the prayers of these people who humbly 
ask for pardon of their sins, and look for your blessing and your 
grace. Kindly reach out your right hand over them, and pour out 
your blessing in fullest measure, that fortified with your gifts 
they may come to everlasting life and happiness; through Christ 
our Lord.
All: Amen.

2. He then goes to the corner of the altar-steps at the epistle 
side, and blesses the people with one sign of the cross, saying 
in a clear voice:

May the almighty God bless you, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.

3. Priests who enjoy the faculty of imparting the papal blessing 
are obliged to observe the prescribed form, and may use this 
faculty only in the church designated. They may not use it on the 
same day or in the same city or place on and in which a bishop 
imparts it.


15. THE PAPAL BLESSING

With Plenary Indulgence at the end of a Sermon, Mission, or 
Retreat

(Approved by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, May 11, 1911)

If the Brief states that the papal blessing with plenary 
indulgence at the end of a sermon is to be given with a crucifix-
-i.e., according to the rite prescribed here--a single sign of 
the cross is made with a crucifix, using the form:

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, 
come upon you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.



CHAPTER IV: BLESSINGS OF ANIMALS


1. BLESSING OF CATTLE, HERDS, FLOCKS

(cattle, oxen, sheep, goats, swine, etc.)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth. 
P: The Lord be with you. 
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord God, King of heaven and earth, Word of the Father by whom 
were made all creatures destined for our sustenance; we beg you 
to look with favor on our lowly condition; and as you have given 
us assistance in our work and in our needs, so may you bless, + 
shield, and watch over these animals (this animal) with your 
mercy and heavenly care. And to us, your servants, be pleased to 
give everlasting grace together with creature needs, thus 
enabling us to praise and glorify and offer thanks to your holy 
name; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water:


2. BLESSING OF HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you. 
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, our refuge and our strength and source of all goodness, heed 
the holy prayers of your Church, and grant that we fully obtain 
whatever we ask for in faith; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, who helped the illustrious St. Antony 
to emerge unscathed from the many temptations that beset him in 
this world; help also your servants to grow in virtue by his 
noble example, and to be delivered from the ever-present dangers 
of this life by his merits and intercession; through Christ our 
Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Lord, let these animals have your blessing + to the benefit of 
their being, and by the intercession of St. Antony deliver them 
from all evil; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


3. BLESSING OF SICK ANIMALS

The priest, vested in surplice and purple stole, says:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Deal not with us, Lord, as our sins deserve.

All: Nor take vengeance on us for our transgressions. 

P: You, O Lord, will save both men and beasts.

All: Just as you, O God, show mercy again and again. 

P: You open your hand.

All: And fill every living creature with your blessing.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, who supplied even dumb animals to lighten man's toil, we 
humbly entreat you to preserve these creatures for our use, since 
without them mankind cannot subsist; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
We humbly entreat your mercy, O Lord, praying that in your name 
and by the power of your blessing + these animals may be cured of 
the dire sickness that afflicts them. Let the devil's power over 
them be utterly abolished, and do you, Lord, protect their life 
and health against recurrent sickness; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Have pity on us, Lord, we beg you, and turn away every scourge 
from your faithful. Rid our beasts of the dread sickness that is 
destroying them, so that we who are justly punished when we go 
astray may feel your gracious mercy when we repent; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


4. BLESSING OF FOWL OR ANY KIND OF BIRD

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, author of all nature, who, among the many created species, 
also brought forth winged creatures from the primeval waters for 
the use of mankind; from which Noe, on coming out of the Ark, 
offered you a pleasing holocaust; who commanded your people, 
delivered from Egypt through Moses, your servant, to eat these 
winged creatures, separating the clean from the unclean; we 
humbly entreat you to bless + and to sanctify this flesh of clean 
birds, so that all who eat thereof may be filled with your 
bounteous blessing, and may deserve to come to the feast of 
everlasting life; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


5. BLESSING OF BEES

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord God almighty, who made the heavens and the earth, and all 
living things in the air and on land for the use of mankind; who 
ordered, through the ministers of holy Church, that candles made 
from the industry of bees should be lighted during the solemn 
mystery in which the most sacred body and blood of Jesus Christ, 
your Son, is confected and consumed; send your holy blessing + 
upon these bees and these beehives, causing them to multiply and 
to produce and to be kept from harm, so that their yield of wax 
can be turned to your honor, to that of the Son and Holy Spirit, 
and to the veneration of the blessed Virgin Mary; through Christ 
our Lord. 
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


6. BLESSING OF SILKWORMS

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, Creator and King of the universe, who in creating living 
things endowed each with the power of propagating its kind; we 
pray that in your kindness you bless + these silkworms, thus 
fostering them and increasing their numbers. Let your holy altars 
be adorned with the fruit of their industry. And let your 
faithful people, resplendent in silken apparel, acknowledge you 
with heartfelt praise as the donor of every good. We ask this of 
you who, with your only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, live 
and reign forever and ever.
All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.


7. DEPRECATORY BLESSING AGAINST PESTS

(mice and rats, locusts, worms, etc.)

The priest vests in surplice and purple stole, and coming to the 
field or place infested with these creatures, says:

Antiphon: Arise, Lord, help us; and deliver us for your kindness' 
sake.

Ps 43.1: O God, our ears have heard, our fathers have declared to 
us.

All: Glory be to the Father.

P: As it was in the beginning.

All Ant.: Arise, Lord, help us; and deliver us for your kindness' 
sake.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
We entreat you, Lord, be pleased to hear our prayers; and even 
though we rightly deserve, on account of our sins, this plague of 
mice (or locusts, worms, etc.), yet mercifully deliver us for 
your kindness' sake. Let this plague be expelled by your power, 
and our land and fields be left fertile, so that all it produces 
redound to your glory and serve our necessities; through Christ 
our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, the donor of all good things, and the 
most merciful pardoner of our sins; before whom all creatures bow 
down in adoration, those in heaven, on earth, and below the 
earth; preserve us sinners by your might, that whatever we 
undertake with trust in your protection may meet with success by 
your grace. And now as we utter a curse on these noxious pests, 
may they be cursed by you; as we seek to destroy them, may they 
be destroyed by you; as we seek to exterminate them, may they be 
exterminated by you; so that delivered from this plague by your 
goodness, we may freely offer thanks to your majesty; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.


Exorcism

I cast out you noxious vermin, by God + the Father almighty, by 
Jesus + Christ, His only-begotten Son, and by the Holy + Spirit. 
May you speedily be banished from our land and fields, lingering 
here no longer, but passing on to places where you can do no 
harm. In the name of the almighty God and the entire heavenly 
court, as well as in the name of the holy Church of God, we 
pronounce a curse on you, that wherever you go you may be cursed, 
decreasing from day to day until you are obliterated. Let no 
remnant of you remain anywhere, except what might be necessary 
for the welfare and use of mankind. Be pleased to grant our 
request, you who are coming to judge both the living and the dead 
and the world by fire.
All: Amen.

The places infested are sprinkled with holy water.



CHAPTER V: BLESSINGS OF HOMES, BUILDINGS, OR PLACES

not designated for sacred functions


1. BLESSING OF A CORNERSTONE

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray. God, from whom every good thing takes its start and 
receives its steady and full growth; grant, we beg of you, that 
what we commence for the glory of your name may be carried to 
completion by the ever-present aid of your fatherly wisdom; 
through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


2. BLESSING OF A PRIVATE OR DOMESTIC ORATORY

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth. 
P: The Lord be with you. 
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray. 
God, who sanctify the places dedicated to your name, pour out 
your grace + on this house of prayer, that all who here call on 
your name may experience your kind assistance; through Christ our 
Lord. 
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


3. BLESSING OF AN APARTMENT OR A HOME

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. 
All: Who made heaven and earth. 
P: The Lord be with you. 
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray. 
Lord God almighty, bless + this apartment (or home), that it be 
the shelter of health, purity, and self-control; that there 
prevail here a spirit of humility, goodness, mildness, obedience 
to the commandments, and gratitude to God the Father, Son, and 
Holy Spirit. May this blessing remain on this place and on those 
who live here now and always. 
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


4. BLESSING OF HOMES

Outside of Eastertime

A pastor or another priest may wish to sprinkle with holy water a 
particular home or the homes of the faithful in general. On 
entering the home he says: 

P: God's peace be in this home. 

All: And in all who live here.

As he sprinkles the principal room he says: 

Antiphon: Purify me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of 
sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Ps. 50.1) Have 
mercy on me, God, in your great kindness.

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy 
Spirit.

All: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world 
without end. Amen.

P: Ant. Purify me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. 
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Hear us, holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, and in 
your goodness send your holy angel from heaven to watch over and 
protect all who live in this home, to be with them and give them 
comfort and encouragement; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.


5. ANOTHER BLESSING OF A HOME

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God the Father almighty, we fervently implore you for the sake of 
this home and its occupants and possessions, that you may bless + 
and sanctify + them, enriching them by your kindness in every way 
possible. Pour out on them, Lord, heavenly dew in good measure, 
as well as an abundance of earthly needs. Mercifully listen to 
their prayers, and grant that their desires be fulfilled. At our 
lowly coming be pleased to bless + and sanctify + this home, as 
you once were pleased to bless the home of Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob. Within these walls let your angels of light preside and 
stand watch over those who live here; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


6. BLESSING OF A BRIDAL CHAMBER

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord, bless + this bridal chamber, that those who share it may 
abide in your peace and conform themselves to your will. And as 
they grow older may they know many happy years together, and come 
finally to your heavenly kingdom; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water.


7. BLESSING OF A SCHOOL

On entering the school the priest sprinkles the rooms with holy 
water saying:

P: God's peace be in this school.

A]l: And in all who assemble here.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, who bade your apostles to pray that peace 
might come on any house they entered, we entreat you to bless + 
by our ministry this building destined for the education of the 
young. Bestow your peace and blessing on it in full measure, so 
that its teachers and pupils may experience your saving grace, as 
did Zaccheus when you came into his home. Bid your angels to keep 
guard here and to drive away all power of the enemy. Inspire the 
teachers with knowledge, wisdom, and holy fear. Foster their 
pupils with grace from on high, so that they may grasp, retain, 
and put into practice the lessons they are taught. May teachers 
and pupils alike so please you by a truly virtuous life that they 
may finally deserve to be received into your everlasting home in 
heaven; through you, Jesus Christ, our Savior and our God, who 
live and reign forever and ever.
All: Amen.


8. SOLEMN BLESSING OF A SCHOOL

On a Sunday or feastday chosen by the pastor and the patron and 
duly announced, the celebrant and the clergy and other assistants 
assemble in the rectory or other suitable place, where they vest 
in white vestments. At the appointed time--everything being in 
order--they march in solemn procession to the church, singing the 
Litany of the Saints or other sacred hymns; and the church bells 
are rung. The procession proceeds in the following order: 
schoolchildren (with one of them carrying their banner), the 
choir, the subdeacon with the processional cross, the patron or 
his representative, the rest of the faithful, and lastly the 
clergy and the ministrants. Having come into church the celebrant 
kneels on the lowest step of the main altar and intones the "Veni 
Creator" in the usual way (for the music see the music 
supplement). If there is no church at the place, the first part 
of the service is held in the room of assembly and vesting.


Hymn: Veni Creator
(for the text of this hymn see Veni Creator)

At the end of the hymn the celebrant chants:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our 
Father (the rest inaudibly until:)

P: And lead us not into temptation.
All: But deliver us from evil.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
God, who instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of 
the Holy Spirit, guide us by your Spirit to desire only what is 
good and so always to find joy in His comfort.

God, who know the secrets of man's heart and will, from whom 
nothing is hidden; chasten our innermost thoughts by the 
outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that we may perform this 
blessing in a worthy manner, and thus obtain for your faithful 
the welfare they seek.

We beg you, Lord, let a breath of your grace prompt our 
undertakings and guide them along their course, so that our least 
prayer and work may ever begin in you and end in you; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

P: Let the little children come to me.

All: The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, we humbly beg you to look with favor on 
your children. Pour out on their hearts the grace of the Holy 
Spirit, that through Him they may ever be enlightened and 
instructed in whatever is pleasing to you, and so make progress 
in wisdom, age, and grace; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
Deacon: Let us go forth in peace.
All: In Christ's name. Amen.

Now the celebrant goes in solemn procession to bless the school. 
Arriving there he stands outside before the door and chants:

P: May God's peace be in this school.
All: And in all who assemble here.

He intones the following antiphon. The choir continues with it 
and the psalm verse and repeats the antiphon at the end. For the 
music see the music supplement.

Purify me with hyssop, * Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash 
me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Ps. 50.1) Have mercy on me, 
God, * in your great kindness. V. Glory be to the Father, and to 
the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. * As it was in the beginning, is 
now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Purify me with 
hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall 
be whiter than snow.

While this is being sung he sprinkles the outer walls with holy 
water at least the front. After this he chants:

P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Almighty and merciful God, who conferred on your priests above 
all others so great a grace, that whatever they do worthily and 
exactly in your name is regarded as being done by you; we pray 
that in your kindness you may be present wherever we are present 
and may bless + whatever we bless. And at our lowly coming, 
through the merits of your saints, may demons flee and the angel 
of peace be at hand.

Holy Lord, almighty Father, through the intercession of St. 
Ignatius and St. Aloysius, bless + this building, bless + our 
coming, bless + our entering here, as you were pleased to bless 
the home of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Now all enter the school. The celebrant goes into the main room 
and there chants:

P: May God's peace be in this school.
All: And in all who assemble here.

Accompanied by the choir and clergy the celebrant goes up to the 
table which is covered with a linen cloth and on which is placed 
a crucifix and two lighted candles. There he chants the 
following:

P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Hear us, holy Lord and Father, almighty everlasting God, and in 
your goodness send your holy angel from heaven to watch over and 
protect all who assemble in this school, teachers and pupils, to 
be with them and give them comfort and encouragement; through 
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your disciples: "In whatever home 
you enter, greet it, saying, 'Peace be in this home'"; let this 
same peace, we pray, abide in this school and in all who assemble 
here, teachers and pupils. Shield them, Lord, from all sickness. 
Inspire the teachers with knowledge, wisdom, and holy fear. 
Foster their pupils with your grace, so that they may grasp, 
retain, and put into practice the many salutary and useful 
lessons they are taught. May it please you, through our lowly 
ministry, to bless + and to sanctify + this school. Let your 
angels of light dwell within its walls and stand guard over the 
teachers and pupils; you who live and reign forever and ever.
All: Amen.

Then the celebrant again intones the antiphon of the "Asperges" 
as above; and while the choir sings the rest of it he walks 
around the room and sprinkles it with holy water. Coming back to 
the table he puts incense in the thurible and blesses it with the 
words:

Through the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel, who stands 
at the right of the altar of incense, and that of all the angels, 
be pleased, Lord, to bless + this incense and to accept it as a 
fragrant offering; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

After this he takes the thurible and incenses the room. During 
the incensation the choir sings the following antiphon and psalm 
verses (for the music see the music supplement):

Antiphon: May this incense blessed by you ascend to you, O Lord, 
and may your kindness descend upon us.


Psalm 140.2-4

Let my prayer come like incense before you; * the lifting up of 
my hands, like the evening sacrifice.
Lord, set a watch before my mouth, * a guard at the door of my 
lips.
Let not my heart incline to the evil * of engaging in deeds of 
violence.
Glory be to the Father.
As it was in the beginning.

After the incensation the celebrant stands before the crucifix 
and chants:

P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
We beg you, O Lord, to visit this school and to drive out all 
wiles of the enemy. Let your holy angels dwell here and keep a 
peaceful watch over all who assemble here, teachers and pupils, 
and let your blessing be with them at all times.

Lord, bless + this school, and let there be found here health and 
holiness, virtue and glory. Let there prevail here a spirit of 
humility, goodness, mildness, gentleness, docility, fidelity and 
obedience to your law, and gratitude to God, the Father, Son, and 
Holy Spirit. Let this blessing remain here for all time, and let 
the seven-fold gifts of