CAN A MOTHER BLESS HER CHILDREN LIKE THE FATHER?

QUESTION?

I'm a faithful listener and proud monthly donor of VMP radio.

I remembered hearing you explain something one day about fatherly blessings in the home.  If I remember correctly, you were explaining that a father is the priest of his home and can bless his children with a special fatherly blessing.  This same father would not be able to impart this type of blessing outside of his home, as this blessing only applies to his wife and children in the home.

My question is, can a mother also bless her children with the same type of blessing or is this something exclusive to fathers only?

ANSWER!

Yes, a mother can bless her children based on the 4th commandment. However, the earthly Father is an icon of God the Father for his family, therefore he is the Priest of his family which is his domestic church. The normal person based on biblical revelation in charge with blessing the family is the earthly father of the family. Here is what the Holy Bible says:

*Ephesians 3:14-16, 20 (Douay Rheims) "For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom all paternity (fatherhood) in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened by his Spirit with might unto the inward man...

Now to him who is able to do all things more abundantly than we desire or understand, according to the power that worketh in us...Here is what it says, every earthly father is an icon of God the Father and therefore God the Father works by empowering the earthly father to mediate his blessing and graces.

*Sirach 3:8-9 "Honor your father by word and deed, that a blessing from him may come upon you. For a father's blessing strengthens the houses of the children"...A Father mediates God the Fathers blessing to his children. 

*Exodus 20:5-6 "you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. Notice the sins of the father could have a negative effect on the children for 3 or 4 generations, but if the father is a man of faith, his children will be favored by God for a thousand generations. Notice, the father is the entryway for Gods grace to fall upon the family and he is also the entryway for Gods judgment to enter the family (children and future bloodline).

*The Man is also supposed to lead his wife in prayer. Read Tobit 8:5-8, you will find that the husbands prayer affords the couple strong protection from diabolical attacks.

A father can pray over his children: "I bless you in the name of the Father..." 

A Mother should pray over her children: "May God bless you in the name of the Father..." Why is it proper for the father to pray: "I bless you in the name of the Father..."? Because only the father is the priest of the home and only the father is the icon of God the Father. 

Having said all of this, a mother who practices her Catholic faith, her prayers are much more powerful than a man who doesn't practice his Catholic faith. This is based on: James 5:16 "the prayers of a righteous man has great power in its effects." The converse is also true, if a man is not righteous before God his prayers are not answered. For example, the most powerful prayers to God in the Bible were uttered by Mary in Luke 1:46-55. Why? because she was a righteous woman. Although a man by natural law and positive law are delegated to lead spiritually, a woman's prayers may be way more powerful if the man does not pursue a life of holiness. Furthermore, if a man mistreats his wife God will not even hear his prayers (1 Peter 3:7).

Also, the Lord will not hear the prayer of an adulterous man who leaves the wife that he is lawfully married too and starts a second marriage (which is so common). His prayers fall on deaf ears -       

*Malachi 2:13-16 (NAB) This also you do: the altar of the LORD you cover with tears, weeping, and groaning, Because the Lord no longer takes note of your offering or accepts it favorably from your hand. And you say, “Why?”—Because the LORD is witness between you and the wife of your youth with whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion, your covenanted wife. Did he not make them one, with flesh and spirit? And what does the One require? Godly offspring! You should be on guard, then, for your life, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. For I hate divorce, says the LORD, the God of Israel.