“Peace.” I wish you peace. From my heart to yours, in the full light of God, I wish you peace.

Words can be so inadequate when it comes to the depths of our experience, the depths of our feeling, and the depths of the realities for which we use words like “soul” and “God.” Words cannot convey our awe, our grief, our joy, our fear, our gratitude.

Yet there are certain ways of using words that have a real power to them. 

Using words as a blessing is such a way.

Words of blessing, I find, can have such power to them. This way of speaking to one another in a  blessing has a sincerity and a prayerfulness and a musical force that leaps across the distance from heart to another. 

Blessings don’t just say. Blessings do. Blessings truly bless. 

Just listen to two famous blessings from the Bible, and receive them as blessings. And see how these words are words that do what they say. 

God spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 

“Thus you shall bless the Israelites. You shall say to them,

‘God bless you and keep you!

God shine God’s presence upon you and be gracious with you!

God lift God’s countenance to you and give you peace.’

Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Numbers 6:23-27

Jesus said to his followers: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let them be afraid.”

Gospel of John (14:27)

“Peace. My peace I give to you.” In speaking these words, Jesus’ is transmitting the peace of God from his heart to the hearts of those who trust in him. 

Here are some other masterful words of blessing. This is from John O’Donohue who was an Irish poet and teacher of Celtic Christianity. Just notice as you experience these words how they have a way of moving us to truly experience the blessing they wish for us:

John O’Donohue “For Presence” (To Bless The Space Between Us, pg. 42)

         Awaken to the mystery of being here

         And enter the quiet immensity of your own presence. 

         Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses. 

         Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon. 

         Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path. 

         Let the flame of anger free of you of all falsity. 

         May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame. 

         May anxiety never linger about you. 

         May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul. 

         Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention. 

         Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul. 

         May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.

“May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.” 

“May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.” 

“May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.” 

         Receiving those words helps me, at least, shift to experiencing this day as a sacred gift.  And I’ll be honest, when I first came upon this blessing from John O’Donohue, a few weeks ago, that was nothow I was feeling. I was feeling pretty grouchy and feeling satisfied with feeling grouchy, thank you very much, I had my good reasons. But just hearing these words of blessing helps one to ease into a more expansive state of being. This is why blessings are so important to keep receiving and giving.

         Now, the other thing I find so powerful about blessings, is that you don’t actually have to be a poet or a prophet or a messiah or a spiritual master to use words of blessing. The particular words don’t need to be that complicated. “Peace” can be a powerful blessing. What is required is a sincerity of heart. What do you sincerely wish for someone you care about? Any earnest expression of that will have the power of a blessing, especially when we invite God into the mix. It doesn’t matter if the words are eloquent. It’s the sincerity.

         The power of a sincere blessing is a power that embraces both the one being blessed and the one doing the blessing. Just as it’s hard to receive a blessing and not start to feel that blessing, it’s hard to speak words of a blessing and not have that turn our own hearts. 

         This is why blessing is a great spiritual practice. 

         One way to turn our troubles into blessings is by literally turning them into blessings. This is not #blessed, look at me I’ve got a perfect life. 

         The most powerful blessings directly name and speak to our troubles as they bless us to grow beyond them with the help of God. 

         Just listen to this blessing, again by John O’Donohue:

John O’Donohue “To Come Home to Yourself” (To Bless the Space Between Us, pg. 97)

         May all that is unforgiven in you

         Be released.

         May your fears yield

         Their deepest tranquilities

         May all that is unlived in you

         Blossom into a future

         Graced with love. 

Our grief, our guilt, our fear, all is fodder for the hearth fire of a blessing. 

What do you sincerely wish for yourself? 

What do you sincerely wish for those you care about? 

What do you sincerely wish for groups of people you belong to? Groups of people you feel distant from – even your enemies?

What do you sincerely wish for humanity?

What do you sincerely wish for other of God’s creators in this vastly more-than-human-world?

Sharing blessings is a healthy spiritual practice. Especially when our souls are troubled or when people we care about are deeply troubled. My proposal to you is to practice writing blessings as part of your prayer time.

My friends may you be blessed with open and courageous hearts. May you know that you are a blessing to others, a blessing to this world. 

Thanks be to God

(John O’Donohue blessings are from his book, “To Bless the Space Between Us.)