How and when to ask for blessings from the priest. How to correctly ask and receive a blessing from the priest. When to ask for a blessing from the priest

Priests (that is, people who have received the grace of the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Priesthood for the sacred service of the Church of Christ) - bishops (bishops) and priests (priests) sign us with the sign of the cross. This kind of overshadowing is called a blessing.
When a priest or bishop blesses us with his hand, he folds his fingers so that they depict the letters IC XC, that is, Jesus Christ. This means that through the priest our Lord Jesus Christ Himself blesses us. Therefore, we must accept the blessing of a priest with reverence.
When in a church the clergy make the sign of the cross or the Gospel, an image or a cup, everyone crosses themselves and makes a bow from the waist, and when they make the sign of the cross with candles, bless with their hand or burn incense, and pronounce the words of general blessing “Peace to all” and others, then it is necessary to make a bow from the waist without making the cross signs; At the same time, you should not fold your hands, as is done during a personal blessing, much less bring them to your lips or chest.

To receive a personal blessing from a priest or bishop, you need to fold your hands in a cross: right over left, palms up, saying the words: “Bless, father (or bishop).” Having received a blessing, we kiss the hand that blesses us - we kiss, as it were, the invisible hand of Christ the Savior Himself. As St. John Chrysostom says, “it is not man who blesses, but God with his hand and tongue.” This is clear from the words of the priest - “God bless!” Call on God’s blessing not only in important matters and dangerous undertakings, but also in all your ordinary everyday activities: on your food, so that you can eat it for health; for your honest work and in general for your good undertakings, so that they are successful; on your path, so that it may be prosperous; on your children, so that they grow up in faith and piety; for all your wealth, so that it may increase for the benefit of you and your neighbors.

Receiving a Blessing

A familiar picture of our days: a priest, standing on the salt, proclaims: “The blessing of the Lord is upon you” - and makes the sign of the cross over the parishioners. The praying grandmothers fold their palms in prayer and for some reason press them to their chests, performing an unknown ritual. There is a clear misunderstanding here of how to treat a clergyman and what a priestly blessing is. Every believer considers it imperative when meeting a priest to ask him for a pastoral blessing, but many do this incorrectly. Of course, there are no strict canons on this issue, but the traditions of the Church and simple common sense tell us how to behave.
Blessing has many meanings. The first of these is greeting. Only someone equal in rank has the right to shake hands with a priest; everyone else, even deacons, receive a blessing from him when they meet the priest. To do this, you need to put your palms together, the right one on top of the left, in order to receive the blessing hand in them and kiss it as a sign of respect for the sacred dignity. And for nothing more! The folding of the palms does not have any mysterious meaning; grace does not “fall” in them, as some old women teach. You can be blessed by a priest not only when he is in church clothes, but also in civilian clothes; not only in the temple, but also on the street, in a public place. However, you should not approach an unveiled priest who does not know you for a blessing outside the church.
In the same way, every layman says goodbye to a priest. If several priests are standing nearby, and you want to be blessed by everyone, then first you need to approach the senior one.
The second meaning of a priestly blessing is permission, permission, parting words. Before starting any responsible business, before traveling, as well as in any difficult circumstances, we can ask the priest for advice and blessings and kiss his hand.
Finally, there are blessings during the church service. The priest, saying: “Peace to all,” “The blessing of the Lord is upon you,” “The grace of our Lord,” makes the sign of the cross over those praying. In response, we humbly bow our heads without folding our hands - after all, it is impossible to kiss the blessing right hand. If the priest overshadows us with sacred objects: the Cross, the Gospel, the Chalice, the icon, we first cross ourselves and then bow.

You should not approach the blessing at an inopportune moment: when the priest is giving communion, censing the temple, anointing with oil. But you can do this at the end of confession and at the end of the liturgy, while kissing the Cross. You should not abuse the blessing by approaching the same priest several times a day. The words “bless, father” should always sound joyful and solemn to a layman, and they should not be turned into a saying.
Without God's blessing, no business can succeed. That is why our pious ancestors tried to begin every business after prayer and having received a blessing from the priest.

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Blessing of the Priest

The clergy (i.e., especially dedicated people performing divine services) - our spiritual fathers: bishops (bishops) and priests (priests) - make the sign of the cross over us. This kind of overshadowing is called blessing.

Blessing hand of a priest

When the priest blesses us, he folds his fingers so that they represent the letters: Is. Xs., that is, Jesus Christ. This means that through the priest our Lord Jesus Christ Himself blesses us. Therefore, we must accept the blessing of a priest with reverence.

So we fold our hands to receive the blessing

When we hear the words of general blessing in church: “peace to all” and others, then in response to them we must bow, without the sign of the cross. And in order to receive a blessing for yourself separately from a bishop or priest, you need to fold your hands in a cross: right over left, palms up. Having received a blessing, we kiss the hand that blesses us - we kiss, as it were, the invisible hand of Christ the Savior Himself.

• Who overshadows us with the sign of the cross?
• What is this autumn called?
• How does a priest fold his hand to give a blessing?
• What does this mean?
• How should we fold our hands when we approach the blessing?
• What should you do after receiving a blessing?

Blessing has different meanings. For example, one of the meanings is greeting. According to church traditions, only those equal in rank can greet the priest’s hand; all other deacons receive a blessing from him upon meeting. It is worth noting that you can ask for a blessing from a priest not only when he is dressed in a cassock, this can also be done when he is in civilian clothes on the street or at home. Of course, if we talk about blessing as a rite, then the priest must be in a cassock and it must be carried out only within the walls of the temple. HOW TO CORRECTLY ASK FOR BLESSINGS FROM THE FRATE? Many people first ask for a blessing, but then say that it does not give anything. The point is that you need to know the “rules” of how to ask for a blessing from the priest. After all, if you ask for a blessing for a job without having one or for a marriage without a groom, then it is clear that you will not be able to feel the sacrament of this rite. You should also remember that you cannot come to the blessing at the time of communion. This ritual can be performed after the Liturgy. And so what is the correct way to ask for a blessing from the priest: Using the example of work, before receiving a blessing from the priest, you must first find a job, and then come to him and ask for guidance so that everything works out for you there. The priest must find out whether it will harm your health, and if it concerns marriage, the priest will ask whether he belongs to a different faith. After this he will approve of it and say: “God bless.” HOW DOES THE RITE HAPPEN? Blessing as a rite is the sign of the cross, which is made by bishops and priests. During the blessing, the clergyman does this with his hand. At the same time, he folds his fingers so that they represent the IS XC. This means that through the priest the Lord himself blesses us. Therefore, we must accept the blessing with reverence. It should be noted that in ancient times, marriages were not performed without the blessing of a priest, people did not go on trips, etc. It was believed that without this ritual a person’s life would be in great danger and no business would be successful. After all, as you know, prayer and blessing are the most powerful way to protect yourself in any place and city. Today, in order to receive a blessing in person, not during the service, you need to fold your hands with a cross (the right palm is placed on the left, palms up). At the same time, you need to say the following words: “Bless, father.” After receiving it, you must kiss the priest’s hand. This symbolizes as if we ourselves are kissing the invisible hand of Christ. WHICH PRIEST TO TAKE A BLESSING FROM? Sometimes it happens that, having come to church and seeing several priests together, a person is at a loss as to which of the priests he will turn to. First of all, pay attention to their rank. Whoever is higher in rank receives the blessing. If a hieromonk and a bishop are standing nearby, then you need to contact the bishop. The eromonk does not have such completeness. Since episcopal grace is equated with apostolic grace. Also, if a priest and an archpriest are standing nearby, then you need to contact the archpriest. And if the abbot is also a hieromonk, then it is recommended to ask for a blessing from the abbot. IS IT POSSIBLE TO READ THE KATHIST WITHOUT THE BLESSING OF A PRIEST? Many parishioners are interested in the question of whether it is necessary to take a blessing to read the akathist. It really all depends on the frequency of reading. If a person just wants to read it sometimes, then the blessing is not obligatory. And if this reading happens regularly, then you should definitely contact the priest and receive a blessing for this.

How to take a blessing from a priest

It is not customary to address a priest by his first name or patronymic; he is called by his full name - the way it sounds in Church Slavonic, with the addition of the word “father”: “Father Alexy” or “Father John” (but not “Father Ivan”!) or (as is customary among the majority of church people) “father.” You can also address a deacon by his name, which should be preceded by the word “father,” or “father deacon.” But from a deacon, since he does not have the grace-filled power of ordination to the priesthood, he is not supposed to take a blessing.

"Bless you!" - this is not only a request to give a blessing, but also a form of greeting from the priest, with whom it is not customary to greet with worldly words like “hello.” If you are next to the priest at this moment, then you need to make a bow from the waist, touching the fingers of your right hand to the floor, then stand in front of the priest, folding your hands with your palms up - the right one on top of the left. Father, making the sign of the cross over you, says: “God bless” or: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit” - and places his right, blessing hand on your palms. At this moment, the lay person receiving the blessing kisses the priest's hand. It happens that kissing the hand confuses some beginners. We should not be embarrassed - we are not kissing the priest’s hand, but Christ himself, who at this moment is invisibly standing and blessing us... And we touch with our lips the place where there were wounds from the nails on Christ’s hands...

A man, accepting a blessing, can, after kissing the priest’s hand, kiss his cheek, and then his hand again.

The priest can bless from a distance, and also apply the sign of the cross to the bowed head of a layman, then touching his head with his palm. Just before taking a blessing from a priest, you should not sign yourself with the sign of the cross - that is, “be baptized against the priest.” Before taking a blessing, usually, as we have already said, a bow is made from the waist with the hand touching the ground.

If you approach several priests, the blessing must be taken according to seniority - first from the archpriests, then from the priests. What if there are many priests? You can take a blessing from everyone, but you can also, after making a general bow, say: “Bless, honest fathers.” In the presence of the ruling bishop of the diocese - a bishop, archbishop or metropolitan - ordinary priests do not give blessings; in this case, the blessing should only be taken from the bishop, naturally, not during the liturgy, but before or after it. The clergy, in the presence of the bishop, may respond with a bow in response to your general bow to them with the greeting “bless.”

The situation during a service looks tactless and irreverent when one of the priests goes from the altar to the place of confession or to perform baptism, and at that moment many parishioners rush to him for a blessing, crowding each other. There is another time for this - you can take the blessing from the priest after the service. Moreover, when parting, the priest’s blessing is also asked for.

Who should be the first to approach the blessing and kiss the cross at the end of the service? In a family, this is done first by the head of the family - the father, then by the mother, and then by the children according to seniority. Among the parishioners, men approach first, then women.

Should I take a blessing on the street, in a store, etc.? Of course, it’s good to do this, even if the priest is in civilian clothes. But it is hardly appropriate to squeeze, say, to the priest at the other end of a bus full of people to take a blessing - in this or a similar case it is better to limit yourself to a slight bow.

How to address the priest - “you” or “you”? Of course, we address the Lord with “you” as the one closest to us. Monks and priests usually communicate with each other on a first-name basis, but in front of strangers they will certainly say “Father Peter” or “Father George.” It is still more appropriate for parishioners to address the priest as “you.” Even if you and your confessor have developed such a close and warm relationship that in personal communication You’re on first-name terms with him, it’s hardly worth doing that in front of strangers; within the walls of a church such treatment is inappropriate, it hurts the ears. Even some mothers, wives of priests, in front of parishioners, try to address the priest as “you” out of delicacy.

Tell me, please, what does a priest’s blessing mean?

Is it true that if I took a blessing from one priest, then 15 minutes after that, when I meet another priest, I should not take a blessing from him, because this is already nonsense? What should I do if, upon entering the room, I see several priests - from which of them should I take the blessing first? Or take everyone's blessing?

Questions like these often confuse new Christians.

We asked the cleric of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Klin, Archpriest Alexy Tyukov, to answer them.

By accepting a blessing from a bishop or priest, a person thereby testifies to his Orthodox faith, his churchliness, confessing the tenth member of the “Creed”: “I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” A person who receives a blessing from a clergyman, by his faith, receives it from the Chief Shepherd of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Kissing the hand of the bishop or priest who blessed him, he not only pays veneration to the person bearing the sacred rank, but his kiss refers, first of all, to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in whose Name the priest blessed us.

In our interpersonal relationships, we greet each other every day, wishing the person we meet health, good day, joy, peace. And these verbal well-wishes are often associated with some kind of bodily actions that we habitually perform: we shake hands, when we meet, we can exchange a brotherly kiss, or embrace the person we meet in a friendly hug. In the bosom of the Church of Christ, there are also such bodily actions that express our inner spiritual state, our reverence, our desire, our spiritual search; this also includes the ancient tradition of receiving a blessing from a person invested with holy orders. When we meet a priest or bishop in a church, on the street or in another setting, we accept a blessing from him and by this action we not only want to receive some kind of prayer cover, support, blessing for some of our business, for the next day, but This is how we greet the clergyman we meet and say hello to him. If we have already accepted such a blessing from one clergyman, and soon met another, then, of course, the inner feeling tells the churchgoer that this meeting must also be treated properly by accepting this priest’s blessing as well. We won’t explain to the priest or bishop we meet that we already took a blessing fifteen minutes ago, so excuse me, I won’t take your blessing. You should not embarrass a person and give him a reason to think of you as a person who is not churchly enough and who has little desire for spiritual life.

There are life situations when it is impossible to take a blessing from all the priests we meet at that moment, for example, if we are on a bus where the clergy are sitting, or in the cabin of an airplane. Naturally, we cannot go through the entire salon, raising each clergyman and asking him for a blessing. In this case, we will take a blessing from the priest closest to us, and by bowing slightly to other priests, we will thereby show our respect. We will do the same if we are in some kind of audience, at a conference, meeting, where we can meet many clergy. In this case, we will take a blessing from the nearest or familiar priest, if we can approach him without disturbing anyone, and we will respectfully bow to other priests or bishops who are in the visible space for us. And this will be church behavior and will not cause any negative attitude towards us.