7 Quick Takes: Blessings, Batman, and Bacon

**1**
I have some more interesting and challenging posts coming up like my last one. Hopefully I can get them done and widdle down the mountain of "drafts" in my blogger. Anyone else have a bajillion partially written posts?

**2**
Now for a few follow up takes on that last post. Firstly, my mom says she is pretty sure I didn't go up for a blessing during Communion time. Though the practice emerged during my grade school years, it wasn't something she agreed with and we remained in the pews. Way to go mom!

**3**
Maggie of From The Heart asked a wonderful question about lay people giving blessings. Priests, by virtue of their ordination can do many things lay people cannot. One of those things intended for consecrated hands, is doing blessings of sacramentals, places, and people. When a priest gives a blessing, it is not actually the priest giving the blessing but Christ through Him. This is why it is customary (though few do) to kneel when a priest gives a blessing. In the Mass, the priest is the ordinary minister and is acting in persona Christe and a lay person cannot fulfill this role. This includes giving the blessing which is part of the rite at the end of Mass, not during Communion.

**4**
Now her question actually pertained to this beautiful practice. Before bed she gives her son, Joe a blessing. Actually the Church says that in the domestic church (the family) that the father who is the head but also the mother can give a blessing to their children. Something like "May Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless you, my child(ren), for time and eternity, and may this blessing remain forever with you. Amen" To my knowledge, this is the only instance a lay person can do a blessing.

**5**
We are so excited All Hallows Eve this year! It is Dominic's first trick-or-treating experience and I can't wait. I am excited for dressing up and all that stuff, but mostly because Geoffrey and I will be doing most of the candy eating. WIN. To feel like we deserve it, and not like we are taking candy from a toddler, we are dressing up as well.

**6**
Dominic is going to be Batman, our favorite earthly thing second only to bacon. Though he has no idea who Batman is, it is our job as parents to impose the things we like onto him. I don't ask much, but he must like Batman, and bacon. Actually it wouldn't be terrible if he didn't like bacon, more for me. Just saying.

**7**
I am giving a talk at Mass this weekend about our youth apostolate. Please if you have a second, throw a prayer up for me as I am really struggling with what to say.

Thanks and have a great weekend! Oh and check out Jen for more quick takes.