Blessing Children

I know this is a blog for Mothers but thought you could pass this on to your dear husbands. It's also important for us to know that we may bless the children in the absence of the father.


Fathers blessing their children; 1955


THE PARENTAL BLESSING: In an address before the sixteenth annual
convention of the National Catholic Conference on Family Life in
1949, the Rt. Rev. Archabbot Ignatius Esser, O.S.B., recalled an
incident that was very striking. He said that several years
previously there was a headline in our Catholic papers which read,
"Bishop Kneels for Mother's Blessing." He continued, "It was the Most
Reverend F. T. Roch, D.D., Bishop of Tuticurin, India. He met his
mother at the railroad station and there, in the presence of a
multitude of people, he `knelt before his mother to receive her
blessing, and the grand old lady placed her wrinkled hands on the
head of her illustrious son and blessed him'."

Many of our fathers and mothers do not know that they have this
privilege. In our times, especially in this country, the custom has
fallen into disuse. This is one custom which by all means should be
fostered. There should be no difficulty in reintroducing it. Young
parents will find that, if the practice is started early in their
family life, there will be no trouble in keeping it up. And the
parents of older families will surely not refuse to bless their
children, even if grown-up, if they ask the blessing of them.

How it is done: Archabbot Esser suggests that the parents place their
hands on the head of the kneeling child and say: "I bless you, my
child, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit." Then they make the Sign of the Cross upon the forehead with
the thumb of the right hand. If all of the children are blessed at
the same time, the parent simply traces a cross over them while the
words are pronounced. He says that other appropriate words may be
used. They may be varied to suit any occasion. A letter to an absent
son or daughter might include a "God bless you, my child." Also, the
parents, when they are at the point of death, should give their last
blessing to their children.

The importance of this blessing was brought out by St. Ambrose when
he said: "You may not be rich; you may be unable to bequeath any
great possessions to your children; but one thing you can give them;
the heritage of your blessing. And it is better to be blessed than to
be rich."

It is not too much out of place to mention here that one should ask
the priest's blessing whenever he visits one's home or when one
visits him.