Blessing over beer

**CDNSushi** · 14th April 11, 04:26 AM

This one is for Father Bill and any other men of the cloth we may have on the forum. I thought this was interesting. It is a blessing over beer from the "Rituale Romanum," which is book of rites of the Catholic church. (I know that Father Bill is Anglican, but Anglicans, depending how "high" they are, can be more Catholic than the Catholics.

Anyway....

Blessing of Beer:

V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
R. Qui fecit caelum et terram.

V. Dominus vobiscum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.

Oremus.

Bene+dic, Domine, creaturam istam cerevisiae, quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus es: ut sit remedium salutare humano generi, et praesta per invocationem nominis tui sancti; ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corpus et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.

R. Amen.

Et aspergatur aqua benedicta.

English translation:

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

Bless, + O Lord, this creature beer, which thou hast deigned to produce from the fat of grain: that it may be a salutary remedy to the human race, and grant through the invocation of thy holy name; that, whoever shall drink it, may gain health in body and peace in soul. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

And it is sprinkled with holy water.

**Father Bill** · 14th April 11, 05:59 AM

LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!

But... sprinkle it with Holy Water????? If you mean real holy water, that would dilute the beer. If you mean Scotch Whiskey, it's a desecration!

Thanks so much for sharing! I'll use it!

**macwilkin** · 14th April 11, 06:08 AM

A number of years ago, an Episcopalian rector commissioned a special batch of ale to commemorate a new steeple for his church in Inverness -- St. Michael's Steeple Ale:

http://www.angelforce.co.uk/stmichael/restoration.html

Scroll down to the "Topping Out Ceremony".

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-- Benjamin Franklin

Todd (A nosebleed-high Anglo-Catholic)

**Bugbear** · 15th April 11, 02:24 AM

I don't mean to interrupt, CDNSushi, but I'm wondering if there is also a blessing for the grain when it is grown?
Interesting tradition.

Originally Posted by cajunscot

... "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-- Benjamin Franklin

Todd (A nosebleed-high Anglo-Catholic)

I don't seem to have it anymore, cajunscot, but back in the early nineties a college history teacher, in an American Revolution course, handed out copies of Benjamin Franklin's rum punch recipe. If I remember it had quite a bit of sugar in it. That quote reminded me of it.

**CDNSushi** · 15th April 11, 03:00 AM

Originally Posted by Bugbear

I don't mean to interrupt, CDNSushi, but I'm wondering if there is also a blessing for the grain when it is grown?
Interesting tradition.

Yes. Absolutely.

10. BLESSING OF SEED

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.
Lord, we earnestly beg you to bless these seeds, to protect and preserve them with gentle breezes, to make them fertile with heavenly dew, and to bring them, in your benevolence, to the fullest harvest for our bodily and spiritual welfare; through Christ our Lord.

There is another, separate blessing over bread as well.

**Galician** · 14th April 11, 06:11 AM

I deal with the issue by drinking just Abbey Ale. It comes already blessed by the hands of holy monks.

One point about the prayer, CDN. I would translate "animae tutelam" as more protection or safeguarding of the soul. Do you happen to know if the prayer is from the current version of the Ritual?

**Father Bill** · 14th April 11, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by Galician

I deal with the issue by drinking just Abbey Ale. It comes already blessed by the hands of holy monks.

Which avoids any monkey business!

**Chirs** · 14th April 11, 06:17 AM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

Which avoids any monkey business!

Bill, you are so bad with the puns! I really need to go for some beers with you!

**Galician** · 14th April 11, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

Which avoids any monkey business!

Says you!

**CDNSushi** · 14th April 11, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by Galician

I deal with the issue by drinking just Abbey Ale. It comes already blessed by the hands of holy monks.

One point about the prayer, CDN. I would translate "animae tutelam" as more protection or safeguarding of the soul. Do you happen to know if the prayer is from the current version of the Ritual?

Let me get back to you on that. As for the second bit, I did not do the translation from Latin to English so if you think you have a better rendition, I say by all means use it.