Hey Deacon!

There are words we Christians use often without much thought. If we are asked to explain them, we might be caught short. This can be especially true when attempting to distinguish the differences between the use of the words blessing, blessed or blest (one syllable), and blessed (two syllables). 

It’s not unusual to hear people talk about being blessed and usually they mean in some sort of material, physical way. I was blessed with a new car. Or I was blessed with a pay raise. If someone does something nice or important we might say they were a blessing. For example, it was a blessing that Dan washed the dishes tonight or what a blessing it was to visit Mary at the nursing home. We might even talk about being blessed to live in the beautiful Ozarks or in our country. These are just a few of many examples. 

When we use the words blessing or blessed, we are directly or indirectly recognizing God’s handiwork. “Blessing” is an action or expression, often in the form of a prayer or spoken words, that is intended to invoke divine favor upon individuals, communities, or even objects, marking them as protected or even sanctified. On the other hand, the word “blessed” can function as a verb, an adjective or a noun. 

As a verb, blessed (pronounced as one syllable) is the past tense of “to bless,” which means to make or declare holy. When used as an adjective (pronounced as two syllables) it means “holy” as in the blessed Virgin Mary or as in the Canticle of Zachariah: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel . . .” As a noun, it refers to the souls in heaven --- the blessed (two syllables). Similarly, it is also the last designation for a holy person before being designated as a canonized saint. 

To better understand how blessings and being blessed can go hand-in-hand, I recall the blessings of candles that take place during the Candlemas procession on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. At the beginning of this sacred liturgy, liturgical candles are blessed for use in the Church along with candles brought by parishioners for use in their homes. And because the feast of St. Blaise is celebrated the next day, my parish does the traditional blessing of throats after the Mass has ended. The grace from the blessing sets us apart for the purposes of praising God. Our voice has been dedicated to do God’s will. It is also a reminder that when we use our voice in a negative way, we violate the purpose of the blessing.

We have been made holy and set apart for God. We are humbled to be blessed by God– created in His likeness. We should be thankful for the many blessings God has bestowed on us. Let’s live out our blessing by striving for holiness


Author Bio:
 Deacon Dan Vaughn