Question: Father Andrew, your blessing. I asked a priest to bless me to read the
Psalter on behalf of my newly-reposed mum. He said, “I won’t give you my
blessing!” I was taken aback. He added, “You can’t carry that burden. Remember
your mum during morning prayer and send prayer notes to the altar to be prayed
for at the Liturgy.” I’m positively shocked by his response. Please, Father,
tell me why the priest didn’t want to bless me and what shall I do about it?
Helena.
Answer by Fr. Andrew Lemeshonok: You were
asking for the priest’s blessing, totally convinced that he will bless you and
you will start reading the Psalter. He didn’t bless you, though. What should
you do now? You can go to another priest and ask his blessing—or you can obey
the priest who didn’t bless you. I’d choose the second option and pray for my
mother during my morning and evening prayers. If the priest didn’t bless your
reading the Psalter, you can read an akathist for the newly-reposed and add
some prostrations.
It’s
wrong when we ask for a blessing as if it’s a given: “Father bless me to go
there…” “Bless me to do this or that…” Actually, the priest is free to reply,
“No, I won’t bless you.” Is he crazy or something, huh? Why? How dare he not
bless me if I’ve arranged everything already?! That’s our attitude to God’s
blessing.
If you
have doubts, don’t ask for a priestly blessing. People take the blessing and
then don’t follow it or change the course of their action as they please. Will
we be able to follow the blessing if it doesn’t correspond to our desires? Will
we humble ourselves down? That’s the question of our faith.
Of
course, you must pray for your mum. You can remember her at the Liturgy, take
communion and pray for her, or you can ask someone else to read the Psalter for
her in the church. You must work as hard as you can to help your mother’s soul.
December 17, 2018
St. Elisabeth Convent
CONVERSATION