Is there really a Catholic "blessing for bacon?"
score:11
I really like this question.
It draws attention to an important point to be made, which is, of all the things explicitly managed by the Church, personal prayer is relatively low on the list.
As a Catholic belonging to a predominately Southern Baptist extended family (most of them consider fried chicken a sacrament in lieu of potluck), I must constantly remind myself that the Church can appear from the outside to be rather rigid.
The truth is that, although the Church explicitly defines the rituals surrounding the Sacraments and sacramentals, personal devotion and prayer is, for the most part wide open.
Can a Catholic pray a spontaneous prayer? Absolutely! – as long as it is not inappropriately interruptive. (e.g. not during functions such as weddings, funerals, Mass, etc.)
Can Catholics “wing” prayers? Sure…I know I have a time or two. My priest does all the time.
In all reality, my blessings aren't that much different than that of my ordained Baptist Brother-in-Law.
Is this “bacon prayer” an “official prayer” of the Catholic Church? No.
From what I can tell, this is, at best, a prayer of a particular localized pious tradition. The closest “official prayer” I can find of this nature is found in the RITUALE ROMANUM, which is a collection of the "officially approved" prayers to be used in the Church’s official rituals.
Blessings of animals
Lord God, King of heaven and earth, Word of the Father by whom were made all creatures destined for our sustenance; we beg you to look with favor on our lowly condition; and as you have given us assistance in our work and in our needs, so may you bless, shield, and watch over these animals (this animal) with your mercy and heavenly care. And to us, your servants, be pleased to give everlasting grace together with creature needs, thus enabling us to praise and glorify and offer thanks to your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The standard prayer for blessing soon to be eaten food (including bacon, fried chicken, and even pot-luck) is as follows:
Bless us Oh Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive through thy bounty through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Wherever you are in the world, this is probably the blessing prayed before all Catholic meals.
Even so…this doesn't necessarily have to be prayed over food - given the appropriate situation.
For instance - my 3 years old daughter and 5 years old son do good just to get out:
In name of da Fater, Son, whole Spirit…tank you Jeus for dis food. Hayman!
We actually let the small children of the family pray the above prayer for all family functions, completely safe from canonical infraction.
All things considered, I’m afraid that what you read in your FB feed was perhaps a slight pseudo-caricature of Catholic devotion.
As for the above “bacon prayer,” I truly hope someone comes up with the origin of this prayer. It will make for a great conversation starter at my next pot-luck Knights of Columbus function.
Upvote:1
Thanks to the Catholic Man Show for posting this on Facebook.
Blessing of Lard or Bacon
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord R. Who has made heaven and earth V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us Pray.
Bless, Lord, this lard (or bacon) which You have made, that it may be a healtful food for mankind. Grand by the invocation of Your holy name that all who partake of it may receive health of body and safety of soul, through Christ our Lord, R. Amen
(sprinkle it with holy water)
Miss you Affable Geek! Wish you were here to get a kick out of this.
Upvote:3
Is there really a Catholic “blessing for bacon?”
There seems to be no liturgically known prayer for bacon that I am able to locate, but I do believe the one named above is real, especially if it comes down to a permitted English translation of the official Latin Rituale Romanum of the Roman Rite.
It should be pointed out that Latin word lardum may be translated into English as either lard or bacon. Lard is by far the most classical translation.
There is a very traditional liturgical prayer found in the Rituale Romanum for lard as follows:
V. Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini. R. Qui fecit cælum et terram.
V. Dóminus vobíscum. R. Et cum spíritu tuo.
Oremus.
Oratio: Béne + dic, Dómine, creatúram istam láridi, ut sit remédium salutáre géneri humáno: et præsta per invocatiónem tui sancti nóminis; ut, quicúmque ex eo súmpserint, córporis sanitátem et ánimæ tutélam percípiant. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
R Amen.
Et aspergatur aqua benedicta.
It is obvious from your linked source from the Catholic Online that someone down the line opted to include a variation for the word lard include the word bbacon. Although, perhaps not official as such, it is still valid. Substituting a word in traditional blessing is of done. However, most most prayers will give a list of things that would be permitted to be substituted.
Blessing of Bacon or Lard the Catholic Online goes as follows:
Bless, O Lord, this lard (or bacon), that it may be an effective remedy for the human race, and grant that through the invocation of Thy holy name all those who eat of it may obtain health of body and protection of their souls. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
As I mentioned above, there seems to be no known source that validates the substitution of the word lard for bacon.
Knowing that Deacon Keith Fournier would not have published something that he could not substantiate, even if he did not mention a source, I am almost sure that this prayer as such does exist.
In fact, although I can not validate the source, I believe it was published in the Latin/English missal of Pope Paul’s of 1965, also known as the Interim Missal.
Having seen this missal first hand, I have no doubt that this prayer as such can be found in within its’ pages.
Besides, in Catholicism almost anything may be blessed. If a prayer can not be found for something, a priest may employ the blessing for Ad Omnia for things unnamed in the Roman Ritual:
Hæc benedictionis formula adhiberi potest a quovis Sacerdote pro omnibus rebus, quarum specialis benedictio in Rituali Romano non habeatur.
V. Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini. R. Qui fecit cælum et terram.
V. Dóminus vobíscum. R. Et cum spíritu tuo.
Orémus.
Oratio: Deus, cujus verbo sanctificántur omnia, bene + dictiónem tuam effúnde super creatúram istam (creatúras istas): et præsta, ut,quisquis ea (eis) secúndum legem et voluntátem tuam cum gratiárum actióne usus fúerit, per invocatiónem sanctíssimi nóminis tui, córporis sanitátem et ánimæ tutélam, te auctóre, percípiat. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
R. Amen.
Et aspergatur (vel aspergantur) aqua benedicta.
Upvote:4
Searched the raccolata for bacon and came up empty. So I'd suspect if there is any bacon blessing, it is a private devotion. Although its adherents are clearly numerous.
The official organization who evaluates popular piety is the Congregation for Divine Worship. And you can read tons about its rules here. I'd imagine that if this prayer were made official, unless it was promulgated by them (which it isn't) it would be A. Something instituted by a Bishop for use in his diocese that was "leaked" inappropriately for use in the entire Church or b.) for private use only.
Prayers that are for private use only include those praying for the intercession of those whose causes for Sainthood have been started outside the diocese in which the particular aspiring saint has his or her cult. That would include prayers for folks like G.K. Chesterton which is being spread by the American Chesterton Society, outside the diocese in which his cause is being evaluated.
More post
- 📝 In what way was Isaac's blessing on Jacob manifested?
- 📝 Why was it so special that John the baptist was not called Zechariah?
- 📝 What is the Scriptural basis for Modalism?
- 📝 What is the Protestant view of the miracle at Fátima?
- 📝 Do all YEC believe flat earth?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, is marrying a woman who had children out of wedlock a sin?
- 📝 How does the Snake in the Desert foreshadow the coming of Jesus?
- 📝 Isn't CS Lewis's idea that time is still successive in Heaven frustrating?
- 📝 How does mainstream Christianity's perception of Heaven differ from the Mormon perception of the Terrestrial Kingdom?
- 📝 Where can one buy a new physical copy of a full (OT & NT) Protestant RSV where its NT is of '71?
- 📝 Where do the 'nine rivers meet'?
- 📝 When did the concept of "wine is grape juice" originate?
- 📝 Epiphanius: where does he describe Indians as the descendants of Abraham and Keturah?
- 📝 What is the Catholic Church's Official Stance on ISIS?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis against the omnipresence of Satan?
- 📝 Were the angels a bit too harsh with the disciples post-Resurrection and post-Ascension?
- 📝 Were there other people with camel hoof knees from praying?
- 📝 Did the metaphor of ' cup of suffering' as used by Jesus derive from OT?
- 📝 What details does the Bible have about Jesus' birth and childhood?
- 📝 What criteria are used to denote one commentary as "better" than another? What are the hallmarks of a good commentary?
- 📝 Is William Barclay a respected theologian in mainstream Christianity?
- 📝 How might one categorize all of the books of the New Testament by theme?
- 📝 Do any Christian groups or denominations believe that miracle-working faith can be cultivated through prayer and fasting?
- 📝 Do the acts of the flesh reveal false Christians?
- 📝 What is the basis for saying that Adam was created without sin?
- 📝 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 - how do we judge the credibility of Paul as he thought the world would come to an end during his lifetime?
- 📝 How should we think about Jesus' mother being Jewish and his father being the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, who is the Wisdom being described in Proverbs 8:22–36?
- 📝 Could Angels and Demons die?
- 📝 Where did Martin Luther say that he placed "his Christ higher than any dogma or council"?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Is there really a Catholic "blessing for bacon?"
- 📝 Is there any evidence for the claim that the Catholic church suppressed translation of Scripture?
- 📝 Is there any connection between minimum age for marriage in Catholic Church and tradition about Mary's age at Annunciation?
- 📝 Are there gender requirements for Sponsors for a Catholic baptism?
- 📝 In the Catholic Church, is there a punishment for "heresy"?
- 📝 Is there a Catholic ceremony for virgins who are not nuns or sisters?
- 📝 Is there a way to know for sure that a given practice is true Catholic Tradition?
- 📝 Is there a term for a marriage between a Catholic and a Protestant?
- 📝 Are there any examples where the non-believers demanding a miracle for the proof of Catholic faith and a saint succeeding in performing it?
- 📝 Is there a standard text of the Litany of Loreto accepted for universal use by the Catholic Church?
- 📝 Are there a specific set of educational qualifications for a person to become a Catholic Priest, Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal, and Pope?
- 📝 Is there a particular Catholic blessing for wine (outside of consecration)?
- 📝 Why are the functions for man clear in the Catholic Church leading and decisive hierarchy, but there is no corresponding function for women?
- 📝 Is there any basis in Catholic theology or in the writings of major Catholic theologians for the belief that snakes used to have legs?
- 📝 When did the prohibition of marriage for priests in the Catholic church originate?
- 📝 Is there any Biblical Basis for 400 years of silence between Old and New Testament?
- 📝 What reasons does Christianity give for "Why There Must Be A God?"
- 📝 Are there multiple levels to Heaven, for different levels of reward?
- 📝 Was Onan really struck dead by God for masturbating?
- 📝 Did Luther really use bar tunes for his hymns?
- 📝 Is there a Biblical basis for not believing that Global Warming is occurring?
- 📝 Are there Old Testament Scriptures that mention salvation for the Gentiles?
- 📝 Are there theological explanations for why God allowed ambiguity to exist in Scripture?
- 📝 If Protestants won't ask dead saints to intercede because there is no mediator but Jesus then why do they ask living Christians to pray for them?
- 📝 What support is there for the Jehovah’s Witness translation of John 1:1?
- 📝 Is there a basis for Christian holidays in the Bible?
- 📝 Are there any English Bible translations whose primary text for the OT is the Septuagint?
- 📝 What basis is there for defining sin as "rebellion"?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church teach there is only one person?
- 📝 Is there a name for believing but not obeying?