Blessing your daughter

Tradition to bless

There is an ancient tradition of asking parents for blessings before making an important life decision or action. For example, previously not a single wedding took place without the solemn blessing of the newlyweds by their parents. In the modern world, many folk traditions have been lost. However, the ritual of receiving parental blessing has been preserved. Many believe that blessing their daughter and son before the wedding will play a positive role in their budding family life.

Daughter's blessing

“Parental blessing has great meaning and great power. Practical experience shows that disobedience to parents leads to many troubles. Therefore, we can conclude that obedience to parents is the fulfillment of God’s commandments. Obedience leads to good. And the person who listens to his parents is often happy” (priest Philip Ilyashenko).

What is a blessing and how does it affect the fate of people?

Let's summarize

The parents of the bride carry out the ritual of blessing when the groom arrives at their house before leaving for the registry office, having gone through all the “circles of hell” of the ransom and the tests of the bridesmaids.
Traditionally, icons of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God (of Kazan, or any other image) are used in the ritual.
Among our ancestors, there was also a parental blessing, although not in the form of a beautiful ritual, but as a sign of approval of the choice of a son or daughter.

And here is what the Orthodox priest says about parental blessing:

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Blessing in Christianity

In Russian, the word “blessing” consists of two words - “good” and “word”. It turns out that this is a “good word”. With the help of a blessing, God's grace is invoked. Christianity understands grace as divine energy, a special gift from above that helps us live and create in accordance with the will of God. Saying a blessing over a person is a prayer request to provide the person asking for spiritual help.

Sometimes the blessing of a daughter may be accompanied by some ritual actions (shading with a cross or an icon). Saying a blessing is a vocal call for God's grace and help. Anyone who asks for blessings from the Lord testifies to his humility, trust and hope for God’s help, which he vitally needs.

“In the language of Holy Scripture, this term has the meaning of sanctification and beneficence and is often transferred to the very gifts received by a person from above, to the external manifestation of God’s mercy towards people. Being from God the granting of certain benefits to man, in the latter’s mouth it becomes an invocation of God’s mercy on the one who is blessed, as well as the glorification and praise of God” (theologian Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin, 1852-1904).

Examples of the influence of blessings

The power of parental blessing has been known since Old Testament times. The Holy Scriptures testify to changes in the lives of people who received the blessing.

For example, Noah's blessing given to his sons Japheth and Shem:

“May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem” (Genesis 9:27).

The descendants of Japheth are considered to be Europeans (Greeks, Scythians, Thracians), and his brother Shem is considered to be Jews, Persians, Syrians, Chaldeans. Modernity shows that the heirs of Japheth have become “world people” and have prayerful communication with the True God. The blessing also acted as a prophetic prediction.

Scripture also talks about Jacob, the future founder of the Israeli people, receiving a blessing. Jacob was the second son of the forefather Isaac. At that time, only the first-born could claim parental blessing. It gave special rights and advantages over brothers. This is dedication to the service of the Lord (Exodus 22:29), the right to receive a double share of the father's property (Deuteronomy 21:17), and in the royal family - the right to inherit the throne (Second Chronicles 21:3).

Isaac was to give his firstborn the blessing to lead God's chosen people, to become a spiritual leader. However, Jacob, with the help of cunning, obtained from his father a blessing intended for his first-born brother. He put on his brother's clothes and wrapped his hands in the skin of a goat. Thanks to this, the almost blind father mistook him for his eldest son. When Esau, Isaac's firstborn, returned from hunting, Jacob's deception was revealed. However, the father did not take back his blessing words. That is, blessing does not refer to ordinary words, it is a kind of sacred action. And not at all words, having uttered which you can easily refuse them and address them to someone else.

Blessing in Old Testament and New Testament times

After God established the priesthood among the Israelites through the prophet Moses, the priests were entrusted with the responsibility of pronouncing a blessing over the people. In Christianity, priests are also given the right to perform blessings. This happens during church services, when the priest pronounces a blessing prayer to the believers with the sign of the cross. Each Christian can also personally ask the priest for a blessing on any specific occasion.

Blessings can be given not only by the priest, but also by lay, ordinary people. For example, parents to their children.

“Man is a generic being. As a person he belongs to God, and as an individual he belongs to the family and clan. A person’s entire life passes inextricably within the clan, family, and is connected with the life of the family. Family is not only blood ties, but also the love of all relatives and their prayers. But who prays most for us? Aren't we our mothers and fathers? It is their prayers and love that we ask for blessings before marriage... The blessing of parents is a sign of connection and the very connection of generations, there is ancestral life. This is a sign of belonging to the family of one’s ancestors” (priest Andrei Lorgus).

How to track the receipt of the Blessing

In life, everything obeys certain cycles. Thus, the grounding of material well-being occurs according to the 777 system. In this case, it is seven days, seven weeks and seven months. Therefore, we will track in three stages.

First stage. On the seventh day after writing the letter, you need to track what will happen to the material side of your life. If your mother responded to your request and gave you a Blessing, then on the seventh day you will receive profit in your home. It can be expressed in money, valuable gifts, etc. If you were repaid a debt, or you received money, or found a penny on the street, or maybe they gave you change in a store, or gave you tickets to the theater - all this can be a sign which is Blessing.

It is very important to track what came first - profit or loss. If you are asked to borrow money, this is considered a “sign” that there is no Blessing. And there is no need to specially adjust the “profit” situation - this will not help you!

Attention! If there are no signs confirming the Blessing, or there have been no changes in material values on this day, you need to write the letter again. Don't stop halfway!

So, let’s say on the seventh day, after writing the letter, you received a profit - this means that the first stage of the Blessing has passed.

Second phase. Now you need to track the seventh week from the day you wrote the letter. If the maternal Blessing is really given to you, then in the seventh week your expenses for this week will be much less than your income. Again, not because you will save on purpose, but because circumstances will turn out that way. The income may exceed all your expectations. Well, what if the seventh week did not bring you the desired results? On the contrary, you were asked to borrow money, and the beggars did not pass you by, or circumstances forced you to spend a lot.

Don’t worry - our mothers very rarely let us go into independent life at our first request! Be patient and, without delaying things, write to your mother again and ask for Blessings for life. Let the letter be shorter each time - it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that your request must be made in writing, and everything that was once not said by you must be “poured” onto paper to the last drop. Each such letter must be burned.

Third stage After a successful seventh week, you need to track the seventh month from the day you wrote the letter to your mother. The seventh month may not bring a lot of money, but if you really receive the Blessing, this month will somehow lay a solid foundation for your well-being. This could be a new promising acquaintance, a lucrative offer of cooperation, a promotion, etc. And you will feel that you are standing firmly on your feet.

APPENDIX No. 1

Our Father Our Father who art in Heaven! Hallowed be Thy name! May Your Kingdom come! May Your Will be done in Heaven and on Earth! Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors. Protect us from temptation, deliver us from the evil one and guide us on the Path of Truth to Your Abode! For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Mother of God, Virgin Mary, rejoice! Blessed Mary, God is with you. Blessed are you among women And blessed is the fruit of your womb For you have given birth to the savior of our souls Amen

APPENDIX No. 2

Prayer after the Blessing of the child Heavenly Father and Mother of God! Lead me into the image of Heavenly Motherhood. Communicate true Love, Mercy, Long-suffering in the upbringing of children, whom I entrust entirely to the Most Holy Will and place in your care. May my maternal Blessing for Life, abundance and prosperity merge with yours. Blessed Mother of God, Mother of new Spiritual birth, heal the wounds of Your children with Your Motherly Love. May they be healed and made alive in you, Father. Heavenly Eminence, Mother of God, I give my son (daughter) ________ (name) to the altar of Thy holy Love without reserve. Oh, All-Blessed One, help me to see in suffering, sanctify the sacrifice and bless the Path. Amen

This prayer must be read within 7 days after the blessing.

APPENDIX No. 3

Prayers read when worried about children

A mother's prayer for her child

O Great, One, Creator, Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth. Lord of the Supermundane Worlds! Hallowed be Thy Name and Creation with the power and Glory of the Sacred Fire, in the Name of Christ and the power of the Love of Christ. All-merciful Lady, Most Holy Theotokos, my undoubted Hope! The covers of Your Love are spread over the World.

In Your mercy, my child ______, have mercy and forgive all his (her) sins, voluntary and involuntary, committed by him (her) before You. Blessed Mother of God, Mother of new spiritual birth, guide him (her) on the True Path, and enlighten him (her), and enlighten him (her) with Your Light for the salvation of the Soul and the healing of the body.

Heavenly Father! Bless him (her) in the house, near the house, in the field, at work, on the road and in every place of Your possession. Sovereign Queen of the World, protect him (her) under the protection of Your Saints from a flying bullet, from an arrow, a knife, a sword, poison, fire, a flood, from a mortal wound (rays of an atom) and from vain death. Protect him (her, Father, from visible and invisible enemies, from all troubles, evils and misfortunes.

Heal him/her from all diseases and cleanse him/her from all filth (wine, tobacco, drugs and all other addictions). Ease his (her) mental suffering and sorrow. Grant him (her) the grace of Your Holy Spirit for many years of life, health and chastity, and give him (her) a blessing for a godly family life and godly childbearing. Our Father! Grant me a parental Blessing for my child in the coming mornings, days and evenings, as well as nights for Your name's sake. For Your Kingdom is eternal, omnipotent and omnipotent. Amen.

Prayer for children Queen of Heaven and Earth, Most Holy Theotokos, Save and preserve my child _______ (name). Cover him/her with Your most luminous Omophorion. Enlighten his (her) Heart and Soul with the Light of Divine Knowledge, cover him with chastity. Deliver him/her from theft and fornication, smoking and chemical addiction (wine drinking, drugs). Give him/her obedience, bring him to Repentance. Our Heavenly Father, abide in his/her) heart and save him(her). Amen.

Prayer of parents for difficult-to-educate children Read this prayer for children according to the scheme:

• once a day for 7 days, 7 days off; • 2 times a day for 21 days, 21 days off; • 3 times a day for 40 days, 40 days off.

If the child is of preschool age, conduct two such cycles.

Eternal God! Every Gift and every Good comes from You. I diligently pray to You for the children of _____, whom Your Grace has bestowed. You gave them life, revived them with an immortal Soul and rewarded them with Holy Baptism, so that they would live in accordance with Your Will and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Preserve them in Your goodness until the end of their lives and sanctify them with Your Truth. May Thy Name and Blessing be hallowed in them. Help me, by Your Grace, to raise them for the Glory of Your Name, and for the benefit of others. Grant me the necessary means, patience and strength for this. Heavenly Father! Sanctify them with the Light of Your Wisdom, may they love you with all their soul and with all their thoughts.

Plant in their hearts aversion to all lawlessness, so that they may be blameless in their ways. Cover their souls with Love, kindness and chastity, long-suffering and meekness, obedience, hard work and honesty. Protect their lips from all untruth and slander, lies, malice and slander, deceit and hypocrisy, envy and foul language. May they excel in every virtue with Your Blessing, Father.

May the Guardian Angel be with them forever and ever, and keep them from this vain world, from the evil one. Our Father! Give them reason and guide them on the true path when they sin before You. Be merciful to them, arouse contrition in their hearts, cleanse their sins.

Our Father, grant them earthly blessings and everything they need and are satisfied with in their time for the birthday of Blessed Eternity. Save them from all illnesses, anger, from evil people, from pestilence, cowardice, fire, sword, from deadly wounds, from sudden and unexpected death, from damage. Cover them with Your Grace all the days of their lives! Amen

APPENDIX No. 4 Read prayers for seven days after writing a letter to your mother.

Appeal prayer Today I am entering the Path of conscious acceptance of Harmony. I free myself from preoccupation with both the past and the future. Everything that surrounds me is in Harmony. I like the people I live and work with. All my efforts are generously rewarded. From now on, I give all my Love and Kindness, and I meet everyone on my Path with trust. The forces of the Universe support me in my aspirations. The hidden currents of energy of Universal Love inspire me, and all things are united in a benevolent union for my Good. Heavenly Father! In Your mercy forgive me. Humble the momentary pride of your mind in order to hear the Voice of the Prophet. Loving God! Teach me how to serve You in order to fulfill Your Will, Your Commandment and Law. Teach to Love, teach to Believe. Teach Eternity at the threshold of death! Teach Youth in the time of old age! Teach to live every moment! Teach Gratitude for everything given! What a Joy it is to serve You and everything You have created! What Grace when in my Chalice the Light of such Love and such Wisdom burns, for which every overcoming is a desired step and reward, and the Path to You, Father! Amen.

Prayer for Guidance Creator of all things! Today I enter the World of joy and love. May Your hand guide me along the path leading to success and prosperity. Guide me so that I can develop abilities equal to my capabilities. Grant me the ability to humbly endure difficulties and open my eyes to the reward that victory brings. Give me challenges and teach me how to extract the seeds of success from them. Strengthen my Spirit so that I can calmly overcome dangers. Grant the ability to live every day as if it were your last. Teach words that are effective, but get rid of slander and slander. Wash me in the rivers of good habits, so that bad habits turn into Light and Love. Grant me the understanding that everything passes, and may Your Blessing accompany me today and all the days of my life.

Father, you created me in your image and likeness. Show me the Path of my development, so that I may become what You intended me to be, planting my seed and blessing me to grow in the World Vineyard. Guide me on the Path of truth, Father! Let Your Will be done. Amen.

Universal love O Mother of the World! There are no barriers to Your Nature. Protect and make us wise, Your children. Let the Great Harmony penetrate our nature. May peace be in our souls. We are Your children, touch us with Your Love and spiritualize us. Your Love is limitless. Give us the opportunity to love everyone the way You love us. O Mother of the Universe! We are Your children! Amen.

The author of the method is Evseeva Liliya Petrovna,

Daughter's blessing

When creating a family, parental blessing is of great importance. This is a kind of approval (coordination) of the choice of a daughter or son. It contains a wish for goodness, strong love and mutual understanding between the young. The blessing of a daughter is the words of wise parting words from elders at the start of married life.

“Parental blessing is the greatest legacy that parents leave to their children. Therefore, children should take care to get it. Look what lengths Jacob went to in order to receive his father's blessing? To the point that he even got into sheep's clothing! A mother’s blessing is an especially great thing!” (Reverend Paisiy Svyatogorets, 1924-1994).

Blessing a daughter: how it affects life

The meaning of a parental blessing for marriage is to invoke Divine grace into the family. However, it is a misconception to consider the blessing a magical amulet for the family, protecting it from strife, troubles and disintegration. Having a blessing is, of course, desirable and important. It acts as a spiritual aid for building a new family, when parents with good wishes send their children away from them. But the newlyweds’ own efforts always come first. A family on its own will not become happy and will not survive.

“How is a strong family created? Let's imagine how people build their own house. Both husband, wife, and children want it to be light, warm, and cozy. And everyone strives to make their own contribution to the common cause. The one who is stronger lays the bricks, the one who is weaker and younger improves the territory. When building a house, there is a job for everyone: some are more difficult, some are easier. So it is in building a family. Each member must contribute to the common cause, to building common happiness and family well-being” (priest Andrei Ovchinnikov).

How to read a prayer correctly?

When is a son blessed before a wedding? You can do this the day before, during the engagement, or before the newlyweds go to the registry office.

And according to ancient canons, this is done twice: the first time - in the father’s house, before the groom goes to pick up the bride, the second time - before the wedding. Your words will become parting words for the newlyweds, protection from evil words and a prayer for their well-being.

You will need to take an icon of the Kazan Mother of God or Jesus Christ. People turn to the first image to resolve troubles in the family, problems with children, and to find harmony in marriage. According to tradition, the list from this icon has long been used to bless the bride and groom before the wedding. It is believed that this helps to build a strong and happy family.

Often, to bless a son for a wedding, they use the image of the Savior Almighty, or the Savior - the most common image of Christ. In one hand He holds the Gospel, indicating the correct path in life, and with the other hand he blesses the one who looks at the image.

Parents should say parting words to their son and his chosen one on their wedding day, cross their children three times, wishing them a happy family life.

Deeply religious people can read an Orthodox prayer or say the following words:

The newlyweds, kneeling, must cross themselves and kiss the face on the icon. The presence of strangers is undesirable.
If you are planning a wedding, then this image should be taken with you to church.
The parting words given to a son for his wedding, spoken from the heart, will be heard by the Lord. The blessing of the son on the wedding day will protect and preserve his family, and the icon with which the newlyweds were blessed will subsequently be kept in their home and serve as a reminder of the solemn date for many years.

***

Son! Please accept our blessing for your marriage. May the Lord protect your future family from misfortunes and troubles. Be faithful to your wife and love her. Help her in all matters, be a reliable support for her. And let harmony, devotion and faith in each other reign in your home. Peace and prosperity to your family!

***

Dear (son's name)! We bless you for creating a friendly and strong family. Honor and protect your wife. Live in friendship and peace, harmony and love, for the joy of people and for your own happiness! May there be prosperity and peace in your home, and may children’s laughter soon be heard in your family.

Blessing before the wedding

How to bless your daughter correctly? At what point? Which icon should I bless my daughter before the wedding?

The tradition of blessing the newlyweds before the wedding does not have a strictly fixed ritual. In Rus', young people were always blessed before the Sacrament of Wedding in the following way. The groom and his parents come to the bride's house. He asks her parents for their daughter's hand in marriage. After receiving consent, the newlyweds are blessed with icons of the Lord and the Mother of God. The bride and groom cross themselves and kiss the holy images, which become their family shrine.

The young people also received blessings from their godparents. Nowadays, this part of the ritual almost never occurs.

Modern society has made adjustments to the marriage process. Nowadays, young people often receive their parental blessing after registering with the registry office and getting married. Their parents greet them with icons and a wedding loaf before entering the banquet hall.

It should be noted that it does not matter which icon the parents will use to bless the bride and groom. Previously, these were often family icons of the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos, passed down from generation to generation. If you don’t have such a shrine at home, you can buy any icon you like in the church shop of an Orthodox church. Here the spiritual aspect comes first: the new family is entrusted to God’s protection and intercession of the Mother of God.

“By presenting icons, parents express the lofty thought that now that the time of raising children is over for them, they with faith and hope entrust them to the all-powerful intercession of the Lord and Mother of God” (hieromonk Job Gumerov).

Wedding speech from father of the bride

The wedding ceremony is an exciting day for more than one bride. The parents also accept congratulations on the wedding of their dear daughter. They are greatly worried when they release their chick from the nest into adulthood, full of shocks, stormy seas and where no one can lay straw over the hole where the girl and her husband can fall.

It's no secret that the lady's cool, calm-looking father is no less nervous than his electrifying, exciting dove. Representatives of the fair sex will certainly shed tears, being touched. The wedding day, marked in the calendar with a scarlet, blue-crimson, even somewhat bloody, color, is associated with a moment: his little girl emerges from under her father’s wing, intending to create a new unit of society.

Congratulations from the mother of the groom

In order for the father's parting speech of blessing and congratulations to remain in the memory of the daughter, her husband, and guests for a long time, it must be thoroughly thought out in advance, otherwise the excitement that comes up like a lump in the throat can interfere with the crucial moment. It wouldn’t hurt to think through the facial expressions that accompany speech.

Blessing a daughter: folk superstitions

Performing a blessing on children is shrouded in superstitions, the strict fulfillment of which supposedly affects the future fate of the newlyweds.

It is believed that while receiving parental blessings, newlyweds should stand on a special carpet laid out - the “carpet of well-being.” Many believe that whoever of the newlyweds steps on it first will dominate the house. However, from a Christian point of view this makes absolutely no difference.

“The head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God” (First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, 11:3).

The people have developed a ritual of transferring fire (a symbol of the family hearth) to a new family at the moment of blessing the newlyweds. The mothers of the bride and groom light the newlyweds' candle from their lit candles. At the same time, parents say words of blessing and wishes to preserve family warmth throughout their lives. This is just a beautiful ritual that does not in any way affect the relationship between spouses. It depends only on them whether they can carry a spark of love through their entire life.

“The family in the Christian understanding is a union of a man and a woman, based not simply on mutual attraction, passion or common interests, but on the desire to live together and be a “domestic church” (Col 4:15). To create a truly Christian family, family ties alone are not enough. The family is called to become a “small church,” a living icon of eternal love, in which the commandments of God are preserved and passed on from generation to generation” (Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk).

Parental home - the beginning of life

The little girl who slept on her daddy's lap with a teddy bear in her arms has grown up.
Today she stands at the altar in a wedding dress, shimmering under the restrained rays of the sun. In the life of every father there comes a moment that he, without showing it, is afraid of: from now on, his own blood will go to someone else’s house, being a bride, then being a wife, and then becoming the mother of her own family. Despite this, the father, of course, is happy with all his heart for his girl, because she is truly happy with a man behind whom she will be like behind a stone wall. He will give a blessing before the wedding day, even being confident that only the father can take the best care of his baby.

Beloved and loving dad, for the entire six months that remains until the wedding day, prepares a speech and congratulations, rehearsing, nervously, coming up with new metaphors, comparisons, epithets that are perfectly suitable for his daughter. The moment of parting has arrived.

The father's blessing and congratulations truly mean a lot to the bride. When choosing her future husband, giving him preference over other boys, boys, men, and young men, the young lady was guided by the image of her own father, who had been an example all her life. It might be important for her that her father agrees with the chosen one, the one to whom the “little father” is going to give his heart.

Obviously, in the afternoon, when the groom asked for the hand and heart of his beloved, a joint dinner was celebrated: the parents of both parties and children were present during the solemn hour. The father of the bride should not show his fears about his son-in-law “without five minutes”, because two pairs of eyes are looking at him with trepidation. Receiving a blessing is also essential for a young man applying for the role of a girl’s husband.

Congratulations from the mother of the bride at her daughter's wedding

This wonderful evening suggests that both parties “will be satisfied.” To get rid of the unnecessary tension that will one way or another reign before the wedding, it is necessary for the moment of blessing and congratulations to pass without a hitch.

Life stories about the power of parental blessing

The Monk Paisius the Svyatogorets spoke about the meaning and value of parental blessing.

“A Greek from Johannesburg came to see me. Do you know what impression he made on me? He came to my kaliva in the fall. “Geronda,” he said, “my mother fell ill, and I came to see her.” Before three months had passed, he came again for Christmas. “Have you come again?” I asked. “Yes,” he replied. “I found out that my mother was unwell again and came to kiss her hand. She is already old and may die. For me, the greatest wealth is the blessing of my mother.”
A 60-year-old man is traveling from Johannesburg to Greece to kiss his mother's hand! And now God has blessed this man with such funds that he wants to build a large nursing home for clergy and donate it to the Church. That is, he, one might say, is overwhelmed with blessings and does not know where to put them! Such a soul is like a balm to me. It’s like walking through the Sahara Desert and suddenly finding some water.”