What does 'blessed' mean?

[tidbit]

What does it mean to have an object blessed?

Like, if you leave a prayer rope or cross to be blessed by a priest, what does he do to bless the object? What special properties does the object take on? How long does it last?

Is there a difference between something that is blessed and something that is holy?

Thanks!

 

[Akathist]

Christ came into the world to sanctify the world and return all things, all of nature to a pure state. The blessing does just that, the Priest's prayers and blessings represent the work of Christ and returns the item to a pure state.

Sometimes items are blessed by sprinkling with holy water. My icons are all blessed by being physically placed on the altar for a Divine Liturgy as well as being prayed over. My prayer rope was also on the Holy Altar for a Divine Liturgy.

The blessing lasts indefinately. Though our homes are blessed annually, I believe this is because typically we have new things each year and therefore the home is blessed again.

I looked and could not find a resource on this subject. I am sure there are plenty out there though and my fellow esteemed TAW members will have something you can go and read on this subject.

 

[Annoula]

i am not a linguist but i like investigating my language so i can give a brief analysis of the word blessing in greek.

the word is ευλογία = ey - logos, which means "good word".
so we can assume that blessing is something like we "say" a good word about something or someone. we give them a positive and optimistic air.

at least that's my understanding.

can't comment on the rest though...

 

[Michael G]

What does it mean to have an object blessed?

Like, if you leave a prayer rope or cross to be blessed by a priest, what does he do to bless the object? What special properties does the object take on? How long does it last?
Is there a difference between something that is blessed and something that is holy?

Thanks!

Blessing is asking God to look favor on something, not performing magic. Things don't just instantly last twice as long because they are blessed, nor do they take on properties not normally ascribed to that object if blessed. Blessing is rather merely offering to God what is already his, and asking him to look with favor on that item and make it holy.

 

[HandmaidenOfGod]

Things don't just instantly last twice as long because they are blessed...

As in the case of the blessed baskets of food during Pascha, where the food flys twice as fast!

 

[PaladinValer]

Blessings are temporary?

Someone has been playing too much Dungeons and Dragons

Back OT, I have a few blest Bibles, two blest Rosaries (one Anglican one Marian), and a blest icon (Christ Pantocrator [Sinai]).

Edit: Meant to say "temporary." Bah I'm pooped...

 

[Michael G]

Blessings are temorary?

Someone has been playing too much Dungeons and Dragons

Back OT, I have a few blest Bibles, two blest Rosaries (one Anglican one Marian), and a blest icon (Christ Pantocrator [Sinai]).

Who said that?

 

[Dust and Ashes]

Who said that?

Tidbit asked how long blessings last.

 

[Michael G]

Tidbit asked how long blessings last.

They last forever.