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Blessing in Roman Catholicism, in the narrow liturgical sense, is a rite consisting of a ceremony and prayers performed in the name and with the authority of the Church by a duly qualified minister by which persons or things are sanctified as dedicated to Divine service or by which certain marks of Divine favour are invoked upon them. In a wider sense blessing has a variety of meanings in the sacred writings: * Synonymous with praise; thus the Psalmist, "I will bless the Lord at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth."〔(Ps. 34, 2, NAB)〕 * A wish or desire that all good fortune, especially of a spiritual or supernatural kind, may go with the person or thing, as the Psalmist says, "Blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee".〔Psalm 127:2, Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition〕 * The sanctification or dedication of a person or thing to some sacred purpose; e.g., Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it....〔(Matt.26:26, NAB)〕 * A gift, as when Naaman addresses Eliseus: "Now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant".〔(2 Kings 5:15 KJV)〕 ==The Old Testament== In the morning of Creation God blessed the living creatures that came from His hands, bidding them increase and multiply and fill the earth.〔(Gen. 1:22, NAB)〕 When Noah emerged from the Ark, he received God's benediction,〔(Gen. 9:1 NAB)〕 which he transmitted through his sons Shem and Japheth to posterity. The Old Testament shows that, in the patriarchal ages, heads of tribe and family seem privileged to bestow blessings, and priests when directed by God, administered it to the people. "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel... and the Lord will turn His countenance and give them peace".〔(Num. 6:23-26 NAB)〕 The great value attributed to blessings is seen in Rebecca's effort to secure Jacob's blessing for her son. It was regarded as a sure way to secure God's benevolence, peace and protection. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Every baptized person is called to be a 'blessing' and to bless. Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more its administration is reserved to the ordained ministry (bishops, priest, deacons)" 〔 CCC, 1997, § 1669〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Blessing (Roman Catholic Church)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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