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The Cistercian brothers to whom the land belonged erected a chapel, which immediately attracted pilgrims. An altar was consecrated as early as 1448. Pilgrimages to the Vierzehnheiligen continue to the present day between May and October. In the fall of 1445, young shepherd Hermann Leicht saw a crying child in a field near a Cistercian monastery in Langheim. As he bent down to pick up the child, it abruptly disappeared. A short time later, the child reappeared in the same spot along with two floating lights and Hermann reported it to the Cistercians. The next summer, he saw the child a third time. This time, the child bore a red cross on its chest and was accompanied by other figures. The child said they were the fourteen helpers and would help others if a chapel was erected for them. The two lights descended and the vision disappeared, after which the healing miracles began. The Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (German: Basilika Vierzehnheiligen) is a church located near the town of Bad Staffelstein near Bamberg, in Bavaria, southern Germany. The late Baroque-Rococo basilica, designed by Balthasar Neumann, was constructed between 1743 and 1772. It is dedicated to the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a group of saints venerated together in the Catholic Church, especially in Germany at the time of the Black Death.

The Basilica overlooks the river Main in Franconia. It sits on a hillside, and on the hillside opposite is Schloss Banz, a former Baroque abbey. Together they are known as the Goldene Pforte or golden portal, an entryway to the historic Franconian towns of Coburg, Kronach, Kulmbach and Bayreuth.Free floating white putti bear the pulpit ornamented with the golden reliefs of the Evangelists surrounded by shellwork. The pulpit tester (sound board) is made of rays in a spherical shape.

In Mandaeism, mambuha (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡌࡁࡅࡄࡀ), sometimes spelled mambuga, is sacramental drinking water used in rituals such as the masbuta (baptism), while halalta (Classical Mandaic: ࡄࡀࡋࡀࡋࡕࡀ) is sacramental rinsing water used in rituals such as the masiqta (death mass).Throughout the centuries, members of the Orthodox Church have believed many springs of water to be miraculous. Some still flow, such as the one at Pochaev Lavra in Ukraine, and the Life-Giving Spring of the Theotokos in Constantinople (commemorated on Bright Friday).

In Wicca and other ceremonial magic traditions, a bowl of salt is blessed and a small amount is stirred into a bowl of water that has been ritually purified. In some traditions of Wicca, this mixture of water and salt symbolizes the brine of the sea, which is regarded as the womb of the Goddess, and the source of all life on Earth. The mixture is consecrated and used in many religious ceremonies and magical rituals.Catholic saints have written about the power of holy water as a force that repels evil. Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), a Doctor of the Church who reported visions of Jesus and Mary, believed fervently in the power of holy water and stated that she used it with success to repel evil and temptations. She wrote: Some Catholics believe that water from specific shrines (such as Lourdes) can bring healing – although that water is not the same as typical holy water found in parishes, since it has not been blessed by a priest. “The prayers said over the water are addressed to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, that through the power of the Blessed Trinity the spirits of evil may be utterly expelled from this world and lose all influence over mankind. Then God is besought to bless the water, that it may be effective in driving out devils and in curing diseases; that wherever it is sprinkled there may be freedom from pestilence and from the snares of Satan.”When blessing objects such as the palms on Palm Sunday, Paschal eggs and other foods for Easter, candles, or liturgical instruments and sacred vessels (at least in some traditions, such as in that of the Georgian Orthodox Church, icons and crosses must also be blessed, as they are not considered intrinsically holy and redeemed), the blessing is completed by a triple sprinkling with holy water using the words, “This (name of item) is blessed by the sprinkling of this holy water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

The drinking of “healing water” (āb-i shifā) is a practice in various denominations of Shia Islam. In the tradition of the Twelver Shi’a, many dissolve the dust of sacred locations such as Karbala (khāk-i shifa) and Najaf and drink the water (āb-i shifā) as a cure for illness, both spiritual and physical.V. O God, the Creator of all things, by water and the Holy Spirit you have given the universe its beauty and fashioned us in your own image. R. Bless and purify your Church. V. O Christ the Lord, from your pierced side you gave us your sacraments as fountains of salvation. R. Bless and purify your Church. V. Priest: O Holy Spirit, giver of life, from the baptismal font of the Church you have formed us into a new creation in the waters of rebirth. R. Bless and purify your Church.

The Ismaili tradition involves the practice of drinking water blessed by the Imam of the time. This water is taken in the name of the Imam and has a deep spiritual significance. This is evident from the names used to designate the water, including light (nūr) and ambrosia (amṛt, amī, amīras, amījal). This practice is recorded from the 13th and 14th centuries and continues to the present day. The ceremony is known as ghat-pat in South Asia.

In Ancient Greek religion, holy water called chernips (Greek: χέρνιψ) was created when a torch from a religious shrine was extinguished in it. In Greek religion, purifying people and locations with water was part of the process of distinguishing the sacred from the profane.Fr. John F. Sullivan, writing in the early twentieth century, noted that, “Besides the pouring of baptismal water … the sprinkling with holy water is a part of the ceremonies of Matrimony, of Extreme Unction and of the administration of the Holy Eucharist to the sick, and it is employed also in services for the dead.”Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from Christianity to Sikhism. The use of holy water as a sacramental for protection against evil is common among Lutherans, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Christians. In the Middle Ages Christians esteemed the power of holy water so highly that in some places fonts had locked covers to prevent the theft of holy water for unauthorized magic practices. The Constitutions of Archbishop Edmund Rich (1236) prescribe that: “Fonts are to be kept under lock and key, because of witchcraft (sortilege). Similarly the chrism and sacred oil are kept locked up.” In Hinduism, water represents God in a spiritual sense which is the central theme in Mantra Pushpam from Taithreeya Aranyakam of Yajur Veda. Bathing in holy water is, thus, a key element in Hinduism, and the Ganges is considered the holiest Hindu river. Holy water in Hinduism is thought to purify the soul and combat evil. Some Hindus use holy water to wash hands before ringing a bell.

There are two rites for blessing holy water: the “Great Blessing of Waters”, which is held on the Feast of Theophany and at baptisms, and the “Lesser Blessing of Waters” which is conducted according to need and local custom during the rest of the year, certain feast days calling for the Lesser Blessing of Waters as part of their liturgical observance. Both forms are based upon the Rite of Baptism. After the blessing of holy water the faithful are sprinkled with it and each drinks some of it.Holy water fonts have been identified as a potential source of bacterial and viral infection. In the late-19th century, bacteriologists found staphylococci, streptococci, coli bacilli, Loeffler’s bacillus, and other bacteria in samples of holy water taken from a church in Sassari, Italy. In a study performed in 1995, 13 samples were taken when a burn patient acquired a bacterial infection after exposure to holy water. The samples in that study were shown to have a “wide range of bacterial species”, some of which could cause infection in humans. During the swine-flu epidemic of 2009, Bishop John Steinbock of Fresno, California, recommended that “holy water should not be in the fonts” for fear of spreading infections. Also in response to the swine flu, an automatic, motion-detecting holy-water dispenser was invented and installed in an Italian church in 2009. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Episcopal Conferences directed that holy water be removed from the fonts or stoups.The Apostolic Constitutions, whose texts date to about the year 400 AD, attribute the precept of using holy water to the Apostle Matthew. It is plausible that the earliest Christians may have used water for expiatory and purificatory purposes in a way analogous to its employment in Jewish Law (“And he shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and he shall cast a little earth of the pavement of the tabernacle into it”, Numbers 5:17). Yet in many cases, the water used for the sacrament of Baptism was flowing water, sea- or river-water, which — in the view of the Catholic Church — could not receive the same blessing as that water contained in the baptisteries. However, Eastern Orthodox Christians do perform the same blessing, whether in a baptistery or for an outdoor body of water.V. Lord, holy Father, look with kindness on your children redeemed by your Son and born to a new life by water and the Holy Spirit. Grant that those who are sprinkled with this water may be renewed in body and spirit and may make a pure offering of their service to you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

V. Blessed are you, Lord, all-powerful God, who in Christ, the living water of salvation, blessed and transformed us. Grant that when we are sprinkled with this water or make use of it, we will be refreshed inwardly by the power of the Holy Spirit and continue to walk in the new life we received at Baptism. We ask this though Christ our Lord. R. Amen. The use of holy water in some synods of Lutheranism is for the baptism of infants and new members of the church. The water is believed to be blessed by God, as it is used in a sacrament. The water is applied to the forehead of the laity being baptised and the minister performs the sign of the cross. Lutherans tend to have baptismal water fonts near the entrance of the church. Pour out your Holy Spirit, to bless this gift of water and those who receive it, to wash away their sin and clothe them in righteousness throughout their lives, that, dying and being raised with Christ, they may share in his final victory. All praise to you, Eternal Father, through your Son Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns for ever. Amen.In Catholicism, holy water, as well as water used during the washing of the priest’s hands at Mass, is not allowed to be disposed of in regular plumbing. Roman Catholic churches will usually have a special basin (a sacrarium) that leads directly into the ground for the purpose of proper disposal. A hinged lid is kept over the holy water basin to distinguish it from a regular sink basin, which is often just beside it. Items that contained holy water are separated, drained of the holy water, and then washed in a regular manner in the adjacent sink.The 20th-century nun and mystic Saint Faustina in her diary (paragraph 601) said she once sprinkled a dying sister with holy water to drive away demons. Although this was wrong to do, since it was the priest’s duty, she remarked, “holy water is indeed of great help to the dying”.

Exorcizo te, creatura aquæ, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis, et in nomine Jesu Christi, Filii ejus Domini nostri, et in virtute Spiritus Sancti: ut fias aqua exorcizata ad effugandam omnem potestatem inimici, et ipsum inimicum eradicare et explantare valeas cum angelis suis apostaticis, per virtutem ejusdem Domini nostri Jesu Christi: qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos et sæculum per ignem. Deus, qui ad salutem humani generis maxima quæque sacramenta in aquarum substantia condidisti: adesto propitius invocationibus nostris, et elemento huic, multimodis purificationibus præparato, virtutem tuæ benedictionis infunde; ut creatura tua, mysteriis tuis serviens, ad abigendos dæmones morbosque pellendos divinæ gratiæ sumat effectum; ut quidquid in domibus vel in locis fidelium hæc unda resperserit careat omni immunditia, liberetur a noxa. Non illic resideat spiritus pestilens, non aura corrumpens: discedant omnes insidiæ latentis inimici; et si quid est quod aut incolumitati habitantium invidet aut quieti, aspersione hujus aquæ effugiat: ut salubritas, per invocationem sancti tui nominis expetita, ab omnibus sit impugnationibus defensa. Per Dominum, amen. Besides, holy water also used for Ethiopian Orthodox holidays such as Timkat (Epiphany) where Christians gather at notable squares and churches and priests bless holy water and spatter them. In Gondar, the Fasilides Bath is used to bathe and represents the Jordan River. Among the Eastern Orthodox and the Byzantine Rite Catholics, holy water is used frequently in rites of blessing and exorcism, and the water for baptism is always sanctified with a special blessing.A rubric directs that as each profaned object is addressed, “it may be symbolically cleansed by the use of signs of purification, such as water or incense.”

Sprinkling with holy water is used as a sacramental that recalls baptism. In the West the blessing of the water is traditionally accompanied by exorcism and by the addition of exorcised and blessed salt.I saw water proceeding out of the temple; from the right side it flowed, alleluia; and all those to whom that water came shall be saved, and shall say, alleluia, alleluia.

In Catholicism, Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and some other churches, holy water is water that has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, for the blessing of persons, places, and objects, or as a means of repelling evil.

In Holy Water and Its Significance for Catholics, Cistercian priest Henry Theiler states that in addition to being a strong force in repelling evil, holy water has the twofold benefit of providing grace for both body and soul.

The idea of “blessed water” is used in virtually all Buddhist traditions. In the Theravada tradition, water is put into a new pot and kept near a Paritrana ceremony, a blessing for protection. This “lustral water” can be created in a ceremony in which the burning and extinction of a candle above the water represents the elements of earth, fire, and air. This water is later given to the people to be kept in their home. Not only water but also oil and strings are blessed in this ceremony. Most Mahayana Buddhists typically recite sutras or various mantras (typically that of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara for example) numerous times over the water, which is then either consumed or is used to bless homes afterwards. In Vajrayana Buddhism, a Bumpa, a ritual object, is one of the Ashtamangala, used for storing sacred water sometimes, symbolizing wisdom and long life.

The new Rituale Romanum excludes the exorcism prayer on the water. Exorcised and blessed salt has traditionally been added to the holy water as well. Priests can continue to use the older form if they wish as confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI in Summorum Pontificum, which states “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too”.

In the Book of Occasional Services of the Episcopal Church (United States), in the rite for Restoring of Things Profaned, the bishop or priest while processing around the church or chapel recites Psalm 118 with the antiphon Vidi aquam:Holy water is kept in the holy water font, which is typically located at the entrance to the church (or sometimes in a separate room or building called a baptistery). Smaller vessels, called stoups, are usually placed at the entrances of the church, to enable people to bless themselves with it on entering.

Holy water has also been believed to ward off or act as a weapon against mythical evil creatures, such as vampires. In eastern Europe, one might sprinkle holy water onto the corpse of a suspected vampire in order to destroy it or render it inert. Thereafter, the concept proliferated into fiction about such creatures. One of the holiest sites in Sikhism, Harmandir Sahib, is surrounded by a pool of water called amritsar or amritsarovar. For those who wish to take a dip in the pool, the Temple provides a half hexagonal shelter and holy steps to Har ki Pauri. Bathing in the pool is believed by many Sikhs to have restorative powers, purifying one’s karma. Some carry bottles of the pool water home particularly for sick friends and relatives. The pool is maintained by volunteers who perform kar seva (community service) by draining and desilting it periodically. A priest may choose from three other formulae found in the Book of Blessings for blessing water. They are to be accompanied by the priest blessing the water with the sign of the cross. They are as follows:

We invite you to our Worship Services on Sunday to hear a word from our Pastor, Dr. Darnell Thomas, study the word of God with us on Wednesday nights, or visit our Calendar of events to participate in the many activities going on throughout the year.We are a spirit filled, bible based church of deliverance! We believe that every person who comes into the circle of our church family is sent by God Himself. As you look around the site and when you visit the church, it won’t take you long to discover the heartbeat of our church family. We grow together, worship together, serve together, laugh and cry together, and reach out to the world together with the life-changing truth of Jesus Christ. The Roman Ritual is a treasury of ecclesiastical blessings. The Missal, besides the blessing given at the end of Mass, contains only blessings associated with functions incidental to certain days of the year such as the blessing of palms and ashes. In the Pontifical are found the blessings that are performed de jure by bishops, such as blessing persons, kings, emperors, and princes at their coronation and the above-mentioned episcopal prerogatives. There follow blessings of persons with Holy Water before Mass, an adult who is sick, a number of sick people, a woman on the approach of confinement and another after childbirth, infants, children come to the use of reason or arrived at years of discretion, children on their presentation in Church, that they may lead good Christian lives and for boys and girls on the Feast of the Holy Infancy that they may grow up to imitate the virtues of the Saviour and reach salvation under His guidance.”Blessing” in the 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.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)”

Blessings are not sacraments; they are not of Divine institution; they do not confer sanctifying grace; and they do not produce their effects in virtue of the rite itself. They are sacramentals and, as such, they are held to produce the following specific effects:

Before a minister gives any blessing he should first satisfy himself that he is qualified, either by his ordinary or delegated powers. For the simple blessings of the Ritual, a soutane, surplice, and stole of the requisite colour will usually be sufficient. A clerk should be at hand to carry the Holy Water or incense if required or to prepare a lighted candle. The blessings are ordinarily given in a church but if necessary they can be administered elsewhere and without any sacred vestment.

The Catholic Church holds that things used in daily life, particularly in the service of religion, should be rescued from evil influences and endowed with a potency for good. The principal liturgical blessings recognized and sanctioned by Church are contained in the Roman Ritual and the Pontifical.

There is a blessing for the departure and return of pilgrims to the Holy Land, containing prayers and allusions to the Magi’s journey, to Abraham setting his face towards the distant land of Canaan and to the Angel companion of the younger Tobias before an appeal to God to send solace on the journey, shade from heat, shelter in storms and a haven of safety.

In the morning of Creation God blessed the living creatures that came from His hands, bidding them increase and multiply and fill the earth. When Noah emerged from the Ark, he received God’s benediction, 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”. 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.Some blessings are reserved to the Pope, some to bishops and some to parish priests. The first class includes the right to bless the pallium for archbishops, Agnus Deis, the Golden Rose, the Royal Sword and persons to whose blessing an indulgence is attached. He may depute others to give these. To bishops belongs the privilege of blessing abbots at their installation, priests at their ordination and virgins at their consecration; of blessing churches, cemeteries, oratories and all articles for use in connection with the altar, such as chalices, vestments and cloths, as well as military standards, soldiers, arms, and swords, and of imparting all blessings for which Holy Oils are required. Some of these may, on delegation, be performed by inferiors. Of the blessings which priests are generally empowered to grant, some are restricted to those who have external jurisdiction, like rectors or parish priests, and others are the exclusive prerogative of persons belonging to a religious order. An inferior cannot bless a superior or exercise ordinary powers in his presence. The priest, for instance, who is the principal celebrant of a Mass at which a bishop is present but is not the principal celebrant, is still not to give the final blessing without permission from the bishop.

Theologians distinguish blessings of an intermediate sort, by which things are rendered special instruments of salvation without at the same time becoming irrevocably sacred, such as blessed salt, candles, etc.In the Catholic Church, a blessing 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: The adoption of this rite by Jesus and his followers ensured its adoption at a very early stage in the Church’s history. Blessings, in the sense in which they are being considered, are entirely of ecclesiastical institution: the Church has confined their administration to those in sacerdotal orders. Priests are ordained “that whatsoever they bless may be blessed, and whatsoever they consecrate shall be consecrated”. In other words, priests can bless anything. The only case in which one inferior to a priest may bless is when the deacon blesses a candle on Holy Saturday, acting as a deputy and employing incense already blessed by the celebrant. All these effects are not necessarily inherent in any one blessing; some are caused by one formula, and others by another, nor are they infallibly produced. It depends altogether on the Church’s suffrages that persons using the things blessed derive supernatural advantages. There is no reason to limit the miraculous interference of God to the early ages of the Church’s history, and the Church never accepts these wonderful occurrences unless the evidence in support of their authenticity is absolutely unimpeachable.Blessings may be divided into two classes, invocative and constitutive. The former are those in which Divine benignity is invoked to bring some temporal or spiritual good without changing their former condition. Of this kind are the blessings given to children, and to articles of food. The latter class permanently depute persons or things to Divine service by imparting to them some sacred character, by which they are held to assume a new and distinct spiritual relationship, conferring a sacredness so that they cannot be divested of their religious character or turned to profane uses. Such are the blessings given churches and chalices by their consecration.

Whatever challenge we may be facing today, our God is able. There is no problem too difficult for Him to solve. Complaining about challenges and problems will not solve them. He commands us to speak the word of authority to the mountains of problems to move.Given these promises of miracle showers from heavenly places, we have no reason to remain in the valley of despondency or self-pity. Redeemed and blessed with all spiritual blessings, raised and seated with Christ, God’s children are established on the mountaintop of prosperity, holiness, health and liberty. In the believer’s exalted position with Christ, there is no sorrow, sickness, oppression, affliction, torment, mental problem, demonic oppression or bereavement, but light, joy, celebration and happiness. So, there is no basis for these problems to exist in the lives of children of God.

In every society, the way people talk, their disposition and attitudes reflect their status. The stature and facial appearance of a person may not change, but his/her position can change. When God gives the believer a new position in Christ, he becomes a new creature. God expects his language and disposition to become new, to march his new status. He does not degrade himself or honour the devil anymore by speaking negative things about his life and situation.

To get rid of these problems, we must forget past negative experiences and believe that God is able to do all things. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). Moses had the courage to confront Pharaoh; Joshua had the courage to march around the walls of Jericho for its collapse; David had the courage to face Goliath; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not afraid of Nebuchadnezzer; Daniel was not afraid of spending a night in the den with hungry lions; Mary believed she could conceive without knowing a man; Peter was able to walk on the sea at Christ’s bidding; and Peter with John did command the man at the Beautiful Gate to rise and walk because they all knew God is able to do all things. When God asked Moses to go to Pharaoh, he did not understand the implication and power of his new status until God began to perform signs and wonders through him. Thus, when the children of Israel were afraid of crossing the Red sea on sighting Pharaoh and his armies, Moses instructed them to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. When we understand our position in Christ, we shall become conquerors. Although God had been performing miracles through Joshua, when he realised his exalted spiritual status, he commanded the Sun to stand still upon Gibeon and the Moon in the valley of Ajalon until he defeated his enemies. Our new position in Christ gives us the word of authority. In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with grace, holiness, spiritual redemption, or divine will.Blessings in Islam have two aspects, according to major scholars of Islam. Blessings are given by Allah as a trial for mankind. Scholars of Islam believe that having fear of being gradually misled by blessings is an attribute of the pious, and not having fear from such even though one is constantly misbehaving is an attribute of the impious. Blessings can be a source of success in the afterlife if one is grateful to Allah for them and the same blessings can be a source for damnation in afterlife if a person is not constantly grateful to God for them.

‘To be blessed’ means to be favored by God, the source of all blessing. Blessings, therefore, are directly associated with, and are believed to come from, God. Thus, to express a blessing is like bestowing a wish on someone that they experience the favor of God, and to acknowledge God as the source of all blessing.Blessings and curses of Christ appear in the New Testament, as recounted in the Beatitudes of Luke 6:20-22. Within Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, and similar traditions, formal blessings of the church are performed by bishops, priests, and deacons. Particular formulas may be associated with episcopal blessings and papal blessings. In Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches blessings are bestowed by bishops and priests in a liturgical context, raising their right hand and making the sign of the cross with it over persons or objects to be blessed. They also give blessings to begin divine services and at the dismissal at the end.

In the Lutheran Churches, priests are often asked to bless objects frequently used by or sacred to individuals, such as a cross necklace; in addition, Lutheran clergy also bless the homes of members of the congregations.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church liturgical blessings are performed over people, objects, or are given at specific points during divine services. A priest or bishop usually blesses with his hand, but may use a blessing cross, candles, an icon, the Chalice or Gospel Book to bestow blessings, always making the Sign of the Cross therewith. When blessing with the hand, a priest uses his right hand, holding his fingers so that they form the Greek letters IC XC, the monogram of Jesus Christ. A bishop does the same, except he uses both hands, or may hold the crozier in his left hand, using both to make the Sign of the Cross. A bishop may also bless with special candlesticks known as the dikirion and trikirion. When blessing an object, the rubrics often instruct Orthodox bishops and priests to make use of such substances as incense and holy water. Also, formal ecclesiastical permission to undertake an action is referred to as a “blessing”. The blessing may be bestowed by a bishop or priest, or by one’s own spiritual father. When an Orthodox layperson bestows a blessing, he or she will hold the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand together (the same configuration used when making the Sign of the Cross on themselves), and make the sign of the cross over the person or object they are blessing.Indian religions, which includes Hinduism and other religions like Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, etc. are also called Dharmic religions, all of which are based on the different concept of dharma and karma and typical blessings are based on Adhiṣṭhāna, Añjali Mudrā, Darśana and Mudra, etc.

Clergy will normally receive a blessing from their ecclesiastical superiors to begin their ministry. In the Russian Orthodox Church pious laymen would go to a starets (elder) to receive his or her blessing before embarking upon any important work or making a major decision in their life. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a member may receive a special blessing, known as a patriarchal blessing, as guidance.Another tradition is Vāhan pujā (Hindi) or Vāgana poojai (Tamil வாகன பூஜை) ‘vehicle blessing’. This is a ritual that is performed when one purchases a new vehicle.

There is a special link between worshipper and guru during pujas, in which people may touch the guru’s feet in respect (Pranāma), or remove the dust from a guru’s feet before touching their own head.During the naivedya ritual, a devotee makes an offering of a material substance such as flowers, fruits, or sweets. The deity then ‘enjoys’ or tastes a bit of the offering, which is then temporarily known as bhogya. This now-divinely invested substance is called prasāda, and is received by the devotee to be ingested, worn, etc. It may be the same material that was originally offered, or material offered by others and then re-distributed to other devotees. In many temples, several kinds of prasada (e.g. nuts, sweets) are distributed to the devotees.

In the Roman Catholic Church a priest or bishop blesses the faithful with the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. According to the guidelines given by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments that govern the procedures for liturgical ceremonies, if a Roman Catholic layperson (a lay acolyte or parish administrator, for example) or any non-ordained religious (who is not the superior of the congregation) leads a Sunday service (other than a Mass, which requires a priest to celebrate), such as Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, or celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, he or she does not perform rites or sacraments reserved to the clergy and does not solemnly bless the people as a bishop, priest, or deacon would at the end of the service; an alternative format is used instead.

In Hawaii anything new (a new building, a new stretch of road to be opened, a new garden) receives a blessing by a Hawaiian practitioner (or Kahuna) in a public ceremony (involving also the unwinding of e.g. a maile lei).In Rabbinic Judaism, a blessing (or berakhah) is recited at a specified moment during a prayer, ceremony or other activity, especially before and after partaking of food. The function of blessings is to acknowledge God as the source of all blessing. A berakhah of rabbinic origin typically starts with the words, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe…” Rabbinic Judaism teaches that food ultimately is a gift of the one great Provider, God, and that to partake of food legitimately one should express gratitude to God by reciting the appropriate blessing of rabbinic origin prior, while torah mandates an informal blessing afterwards. Jewish law does not reserve recitation of blessings to only a specific class of Jews; but it does mandate specific blessings to specific occasions, so that, for example since medieval times, Jewish women chiefly recite a rabbinic blessing after lighting two Shabbat candles.In the Bible, positive and negative blessings are related; the book of Deuteronomy prescribes that obedience to the Law of Moses brings God’s blessing. One of the first incidences of blessing in the Bible is in Genesis, 12:1–2 where Abram is ordered by the God to leave his country and is told:The modern English language term bless likely derives from the 1225 term blessen, which developed from the Old English blǣdsian (preserved in the Northumbrian dialect around 950 AD). The term also appears in other forms, such as blēdsian (before 830), blētsian from around 725 and blesian from around 1000, all meaning to make sacred or holy by a sacrificial custom in the Anglo-Saxon pagan period, originating in Germanic paganism; to mark with blood. Due to this, the term is related to the term blōd, meaning ‘blood’. References to this indigenous practice, Blót, exist in related Icelandic sources.

There shall be showers of blessings is a Christian hymn which was written in 1883 by Daniel Webster (1840–1901) under the pseudonym of D. W. Whittle. It was given music by James McGranahan.The hymn is based on the “showers of blessing” referred to in Ezekiel 34:26–27. Webster wrote under various pseudonyms, including Daniel W. Whittle, Daniel Webster White, Whittle Daniel, Nathan and El Nathan.

After working as part of the editorial team for Medical News Today, Markus wrote a large body of medical information articles for our Knowledge Center. He has since worked independently and has now joined a small publishing company to work for clients such as the World Health Organization. Based in Edinburgh, he has qualifications in medical science and science communication, and enjoys photography.

A Dutch study found that showers can reduce sick days at work, but only if they are cold showers. The researchers reported that individuals who ended their showers with at least a 30-second blast of cold water were absent 29 percent less of the time than people who did not do so.

Although showering offers physical, mental, and emotional benefits, the daily shower that many people in the U.S. are in the habit of taking is probably more than most people need. Showering dries out the skin and hair, uses natural resources, and creates an additional source of water pollution.Personal hygiene does provide health benefits, and most people do need to shower regularly. In addition to its use for routine washing and grooming, water offers benefits relating to pain relief and treatment in the form of hydrotherapy.

The American Academy of Pediatrics say that the common practice of bathing babies daily is not really necessary. They suggest that the time to start regular full body washes is when infants are crawling around and beginning to eat food.A sitz bath is a method used to bathe sensitive or sore genitals in a way that relaxes inflammation. This MNT Knowledge Center article will inform you…Jessica is a clinical pharmacist with a doctorate in pharmacy. Her mission is to educate the public about disease prevention and healthy living. As a marathon runner and Ironman triathlete, she has personal reasons to keep herself fit and professional interests to share her knowledge with others.Rachel has been a freelance medical writer since 2004. She currently works as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at a Level I trauma center. To keep up with Rachel, follow her on Instagram.

Once young people hit puberty, how often they need to shower will vary from person to person. Many people suggest that daily showering is necessary at this time.The soaps and shampoos that people use when showering can dry out the skin and hair, leading to cracked skin and split ends. How rapidly this happens, which affects how often a person should shower, depends on the individual’s skin type, which could be oily or dry, and the climate in which they live.Trying to determine how often to shower depends on finding the right balance between using natural resources respectfully and what makes a person feel good and clean and fits with their schedule.

However, the main reason why people shower as much as they do is that it helps them meet social standards of cleanliness and personal appearance. Meeting these standards helps people feel at home in their working and social environments and their bodies.If people find that their skin feels tight after they step out of the shower, this is not a sign of being clean. Instead, it indicates that the skin is too dry.

The medical recommendation to meet basic physical and health needs is to shower once or twice a week. People working in certain types of job and those who do lots of exercise are likely to need to shower more often.To a lesser extent, spending time in the shower can have these same effects. Showering cleans the skin and removes dead skin cells to help clear the pores and allow the skin cells to function. It washes away bacteria and other irritants that could cause rashes and other skin problems. People who work with corrosive materials, dangerous chemicals, disease agents, and radioactive materials need to shower at the end of each of their shifts. In many parts of the world, taking a shower every day tends to be the norm. However, from a strictly medical perspective, it is not necessary for most people to shower this frequently.People who work at desk jobs and spend most of their time indoors do not have the same bathing needs as those who work with dangerous substances, animals, or in any jobs that people consider to be unhygienic. In studies focused on handwashing, researchers found that nurses with skin damage on their hands due to frequent washing and wearing gloves harbored more infectious agents than other nurses. The researchers concluded that when the frequency of washing leads to skin damage, it is counterproductive. In the winter, cold temperatures and indoor heating both contribute to dry skin. Many dermatologists recommend that individuals change their bathing routines during the winter to protect themselves from dry skin.Older adults may not require a shower every day to maintain the level of cleanliness necessary to protect their skin, ward off infection, and meet general standards of grooming. Taking a shower once or twice a week can often be sufficient to meet these criteria, and people can use warm washcloths in between to stay feeling fresh.

Amanda is a freelance health and medical education journalist, editor, and copywriter. She has worked on projects for pharma, charities, and agencies, and has written extensively for patients, healthcare professionals, and the general public.Horticulturalists, arborists, amateur gardeners, and anyone who spends a significant amount of time outdoors around a variety of plants can reduce their risk of rashes and other skin injuries by showering as soon as they come indoors. Doing this will help limit their exposure to plant sap, pollens, and other potential allergens, thus reducing the risk of a reaction.

Jennifer has loved writing and health since childhood. Rather than choose one over the other, she decided to mash them together and become a professional health writer. When she’s not crafting health articles and blogs, she enjoys spending time with her family and singing classical music.That night, Christ went to Gethsemane at the base of the Mount of Olives. Here in that olive orchard, “all the sins, sadness, sorrows, sickness, and suffering of all who had lived or would live upon the earth came upon Him, and He bled from every pore,” Elder Andersen said.

Students exit the Assembly Hall on Temple Square following an LDS Business College devotional with Elder Neil L. Andersen on Tuesday, November 19, 2019. Photo by Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News.In closing, Elder Andersen said, “How thankful I am for my life, my breath. How thankful I am for my moral agency, my ability to choose, to choose right over wrong, to choose to keep the commandments. How grateful I am for our Savior, Jesus Christ, who, through His Resurrection, has rescued us from death and who, through His pure life and willingness to take upon Himself our sins as we repent, has rescued us from the chains of the adversary and given us a way back into the Father’s presence.” The LDSBC Singers perform a musical number prior to Elder Neil L. Andersen speaking at an LDS Business College devotional at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square on Tuesday, November 19, 2019. Photo by Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News. “As I laid my hands upon his head, I felt to tell him something that I had not thought about in exactly the same way before,” Elder Andersen said. He was impressed to tell him that faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision. “He would need to choose faith.”In Germany, they found that most “Truthähne”—or turkeys—sold there actually came from France. They then found a turkey, which to their surprise had been imported from Utah, to eat in Germany for Thanksgiving.

“How thankful we are for He whom the Father called ‘my Beloved Son,’ who said, ‘Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.’ ‘Here am I, send me’” (Moses 4:2; Abraham 3:27).

In this terrible suffering, Jesus was “sore amazed” (Mark 14:33), meaning he was astonished, or awestruck. “Jesus had known since our premortal life that He would take upon Himself the sins of all, but He had never experienced the Atonement,” Elder Andersen explained. “The agony, the pain, was immeasurable.”