Believers often ask for blessings from the priest. Why is this done? What is the meaning of such an event? And how to ask for blessings from the priest, what should I say? Let's talk in detail. It just won’t work out, since the matter is too important for the soul of the believer. There are no technical issues in religion that can be corrected by walking, without pondering and reasoning over the essence. Figuring out how to ask for blessings from the priest correctly, it is necessary to understand the meaning of this action, why such a rule arose. It still does not bother to figure out how following him affects the believer. This is what we will do.
What is a blessing?
It is necessary to start from the philosophical side, understandable to any believer. We come to the temple to gain constant contact with the Lord. She appears at the level of the heart. A person feels it as a union with the Holy Spirit. Every action of the believer is aimed at acquiring this grace. In this sense, fellowship with one who serves the Lord is beneficial. A blessing is a special prayer. The priest pronounces it for the supplicant. The text, as a rule, depends on the treatment of the person himself. That is why it is desirable to understand how to ask for blessings from the priest. After all, you can express your need for a general phrase, or specify it. Father is responsible for his prayer. This means that he needs to understand the convert. People often do not think about this side of the issue. Pride is manifested here, that is, confidence in one's own wisdom and rightness. But real religiosity lies in trusting the Lord. It also appears when a parishioner asks for a blessing from a priest. Let's look at these points in more detail.
The meaning of tradition
Trying to figure out how to ask for a blessing from a priest, you need to look into your soul. Why do you want a clergyman to pray for you? How can you describe the intention? The matter is not simple. After all, some need support, others need confidence in their abilities, others want the help of the Lord. And these are two different things. The believer always directs his labors towards acquiring the Holy Spirit. As Seraphim of Sarov taught, this must be done constantly. After all, the Holy Spirit is like earthly riches, only it is not material, and therefore eternal. Accumulating this goodness, we create for ourselves a "heavenly capital", of which there is nothing more valuable in the world. When we ask the priest for a blessing, we express our intention to direct the labors towards acquiring the Holy Spirit, that is, we indicate the true purpose of our work. For example, many are interested in how to ask for blessings from a priest for a trip or a new job. Below we describe the process technique. This is not the point. To come to the thought of addressing a clergyman, you need to realize a simple thing. What we are about to undertake is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, that is, done for the sake of gaining grace. The goal of any activity of a believer is to become closer to the Lord, to take another step along this road. And he devotes any work to God. Probably, this should formulate the spiritual part of the answer to the question of how to ask for blessings from the priest. Without deep thought, tradition itself loses its meaning. But there is another side to the problem.
About humility
Let's discuss why to ask for blessings from the father. Some say that it is customary in their ward, others try to explain how this will help in the implementation of the plan. However, the essence of tradition is much deeper. The same Seraphim of Sarov often drew the attention of believers to such a sin as pride. You need to understand that all our abilities and talents are from God. Probably, we ourselves are developing skills and experience, but only with his blessing. When we take up a new lesson, we try to rely on the existing qualities. And this is not entirely correct, or rather, they should not be put at the forefront. Our first hope is the Lord. He will allow - a person will cope with his task, will be against - will fail everything, no matter how talented he may be. The clergy develop this topic during the sermons, the saints spoke about it. To forget the Lord, to rely only on your skills and abilities is to show pride. It is not good for a believer to do so. Jesus spoke of humility. To each, the Lord has measured out his path; it should be accepted and passed. That's why they ask for the blessings of the priest, it is a kind of demonstration of spiritual humility. But one should only distinguish this feeling from devotion or respect for the priest himself. They have nothing in common. Through the prayer of the priest comes grace from the Lord. He is only a mediator in these complex relationships. And even his help to accept means to show sincere humility.
About liability
Church literature writes that blessing is a gift and expression of divine love. There are two participants in the process. Think about it yourself, why do you need to ask the priest for a blessing, what is its meaning, if you don’t talk about your business? You need to understand: the one who gives the gift has a great responsibility before the Lord. Father, on His behalf, acts. But what should he think, if the parishioner does not name the reason for the request, how to bless the bride for what? Another priest is responsible for his prayer and to the one who asks. He gives him the go-ahead for some activity, opens the way to the goal. The clergy themselves describe their responsibilities in different ways. Some say it’s not necessary to indicate a goal. This is practiced when the priest knows a member of the flock well. He is sure that he will not conceive anything bad. If you have not yet established trusting relations with the clergyman, it is better to indicate the reason, at the same time understand what matters you can ask for the blessing of the priest. Although the last question can be called empty. The father will not refuse to talk, he will try to help deal with plans. But blessing is not always.
Practical issues
We figured out a bit of philosophy. But this is not quite the answer to the question of how to ask for blessings from the priest. People are interested in practice, that is, when to approach, what to say and the like. We will sort it out. The first thing to remember: you do not need to tear the clergyman from his labors. Wait for the person to free. On the one hand, politeness is necessary in this, as in any other, communication, on the other hand, this is a serious event, although it takes a little time. They saw that the father is free, then calmly head towards him. Take your time, give him time to notice you. In the meantime, think over again whether it is possible to ask for the blessings of the father in your situation. If you are not sure, just ask the clergyman a question on this topic. For example, there is no doubt that a new job, travel, marriage, matchmaking, childbirth, study are good things. As a rule, the priest does not refuse their blessing. But is it worth asking to pray for a party, for example? Does it make sense that the father blessed for entertainment? The last two sentences are not statements, these are questions. Situations in people are different. They need to be considered. Another example: suppose you do not want to have an operation for which there are all medical indications, how to ask a priest for a blessing to refuse? Will he give it? After all, the responsibility is very great! In each case, it is necessary to understand in detail, it is better with the confessor himself.
What to do and say?
Do not forget one more thing: look at yourself in the mirror when you go to the temple. You need to dress modestly. This does not mean the absence of cosmetics or jewelry, since they are used to both. Clothing should show your state of humility and modesty, that is, be decent, not provocative. The rule, now considered unnecessary ... However, the internal state is always reflected outside, including in the outfits. Having approached the clergyman, bow, stretch out his hands folded together, palms up. It should be said in this way: "Father, bless me on ...". That is all that is required of the believer. The priest will appreciate your request. No matter how quickly he reacts, this person never forgets responsibility. If the request seems normal to him, then he will cross his arms, in a special way with folded fingers. His answer is: "God bless." This is a short prayer for just such an occasion. Sometimes the priest calls on God: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The prayer may be different for your occasion. Listen carefully and humbly.
What to do next?
Traditional communication does not end there. Father blesses a person with prayer and hand (baptizes). Further it is supposed to show thanks to him. It is customary to take his hand in his and kiss. People rarely visiting the temple can be bothered by such behavior. Be sure to listen to your feelings. If there is dissatisfaction inside that you need to kiss your hand, then pride speaks louder than conscience. One conclusion follows from this: you must pray for humility. You see, while you are not ready to receive the blessing of the Lord. This is actually a pretty serious point. Monks, for example, ask for blessings on almost every business. These people decided to work with their souls, to go to the Lord with all their might. From them and it is necessary to take an example. When you speak with the priest, you should see in him the messenger of the Lord, and not an ordinary person. He conveys to you the highest value that we can receive on earth — the gift of divine love. By the way, sometimes the priest asks about the details of the case for which you ask for a blessing. Need to tell. He is not out of curiosity interested - as already mentioned, he has a great responsibility.
How to ask blessings from the father for childbirth?
There are women who are desperately afraid of the upcoming mysteries of the appearance of the baby. Funny, is not it? Where does the baby go if mom doesn’t let him out? Being nervous in such a situation is not only unproductive, but also dangerous. That is why women go to the temple, they ask for blessings from the priest. It calms and tunes in a constructive way. Do everything as described above. Just remember the modesty and sincerity of faith. To be afraid of childbirth is to show unbelief, to abandon the Lord. He already blessed you to conceive, even if you did not ask. Without His will, nothing happens in this world. When you address the priest, he answers with a special prayer for a favorable resolution. It turns out that the woman is no longer alone in her care, but with the Lord. It helps a lot. It’s good to put candles for health, yours and your baby. And nothing that he is not baptized yet. The Lord will support His child anyway. And when the father blessed, it is necessary to throw away fears. Believers are helped by prayer. Women are recommended to see how much time and energy they spend on experiences, and devote it to addressing the Lord or the Virgin. Anyway, you’re not doing anything productive, it’s better to pray, throwing away pride. It will become easier this way, and the child inside will stop worrying, feeling mother’s fears.
Why dream of asking a blessing from a priest?
A person’s soul is always directed towards the Lord, even if his ego resists. Sometimes she gives some signs in a dream, pushing for reflection. If you were not going to the temple, then the plot with the priest hints at the need to consult with conscience. It is no secret that sometimes we do not commit the most moral acts, they harm others. Someone was offended, another was angry, the third was angry, as a result, we try to break up on relatives or colleagues. A pure soul in dreams suggests that this is not necessary. When you harm another, you yourself worry. Father in night vision is a sign of fearing suffering of conscience. She does not whisper in this way, but shouts already that it is time to overestimate her behavior, to change her attitude to the problem or person. About whom or what exactly it is about is to figure out on your own. But such a dream cannot be missed. Be sure to reflect on its meaning. Sometimes it has a different purpose. The Lord, through sleep, tells you what to do in the near future. Remember what you wanted a blessing for. That is what make your main concern.
Conclusion and Advice
You know, sometimes it is so difficult to understand yourself, to understand what is important and what you need to refuse ... This is the most common condition for a person. But to remain at a loss for life is to spend it in vain. This is probably the case when a blessing is needed as an air. After all, our first task is to understand why they appeared in the world, how to make it better in the name of the Lord. What do you think? They never asked for a blessing from a priest, here is a reason to get your first experience. Moreover, it is useful to those who seek to go to the Lord, to acquire the Holy Spirit. Believe me, it’s not necessary to search for information on the network about how and what to do, but to talk about it with a spiritual mentor . And do not think that the priest will not understand or refuse to listen. Flocks are his most important concern on earth. He will certainly listen and help, tell you, advise.