Friday, July 11, 2008

St Benedict & a Beer Blessing

I'm insanely busy, but I couldn't let the day go by without wishing everyone a happy feast of St Benedict!

Also, what do Benedictine monks do? They make beer! Via The Way of the Fathers, a blessing for beer:

Benedictio Cerevisiae
V. Adiutorium 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
Blessing of Beer
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.

4 comments:

crystal said...

this creature beer :)

Sometimes I think that would be a wonderful life - being a monk at someplace like a winery or making fruitcakes like the guys at that monastery in Big Sur.

Happy St. Benedict Day.

Sandalstraps said...

You know I'm not Catholic, but I've got a soft spot for any tradition that blesses beer!

To that end, I think I'll have a dark Belgian Abbey ale tonight.

Garpu said...

Very cool. I'd heard modern beers were made because there were no restrictions on what monks could drink, so during the monastic fast, they'd drink extra stout beers. (Since back then everyone drank beer and wine, since it was safer than water.)

cowboyangel said...

Great blessing. I want to hear you repeat it when you finally get the pitcher of Brooklyn Lager I owe you!

God bless St. Benedict and God bless beer.

(Except Budweiser and Coors.)