God Bless You! What Does It Really Mean to be Blessed?
I was with a group of people the other day when one person in the group sneezed. Immediately someone said, “Bless you” and another said, “God bless you.” Saying “bless you” or “God bless you” after someone sneezes seems to be a reflex response. Most of us never even think about it, and the phrase continues to be passed down to each generation.
The phrase itself has biblical roots, especially in the Old Testament where there are many examples. We find blessings being bestowed in the very first book of the Bible. In Genesis 27 there is the story of how Jacob, at the encouragement of his mother Rebekah, deceived his father Isaac in receiving the coveted blessing set aside for the firstborn son, his brother Esau. In the book of Numbers 6:24 there is the renowned blessing verse, “The Lord bless you and keep you!” And in the New Testament, Jesus extends many blessings, especially in the Beatitudes. Other instances are found in the liturgy, such as the phrase, “The Lord be with you.”
It was a common phrase for Christians and used in many different circumstances. The phrase, “God bless you”, wasn’t attached to sneezing until the 7th century. According to Church history, the phrase derives from a papal decree issued during the reign of Pope Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great. When he assumed the papacy in the year 590, the bubonic plague was raging through Europe. An early sign that a victim had the virus was a sneeze. On February 6, 600, the Pope issued a decree asking Christians to use the expression, “God bless you”, to anyone who sneezes in order to protect them against falling ill.
There was another tradition that stated that a person is vulnerable to the devil when they sneeze. By saying “God bless you” you invoke God’s protection against any malevolent activity from occurring. The inclusion of “God” in the phrase is becoming less common. Saying simply “bless you” reduces religious implications or revelations about a person’s own beliefs. The phrase implies the same sentiment but by removing “God” from the phrase is considered by many to be more compassionate response, a non-offensive show of kindness. (While I don’t wish to offend anyone, I definitely don’t want to offend God by being afraid to proclaim his name.)
Regardless of whether a person is a believer or not of God’s existence, there is no denying that the phrase is a biblical prayer. Asking for God’s blessing upon someone who is suffering from sickness is a good thing. It is a kind gesture, one that, if prayed with faith, calls down God’s grace upon someone in need. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred, using the phrase “God bless you” will be graciously received.
And if not, don’t feel guilty if you receive a not so polite response. Just smile back and know that God’s love and blessings are never wasted.
July 20, 2023God Bless You! What Does It Really Mean to be Blessed?