{"id":2390,"date":"2006-10-23T18:26:29","date_gmt":"2006-10-23T18:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/2006\/10\/the-churching-of-a-new-mother-kerry-guidone\/"},"modified":"2006-10-23T18:26:29","modified_gmt":"2006-10-23T18:26:29","slug":"the-churching-of-a-new-mother-kerry-guidone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/2006\/10\/the-churching-of-a-new-mother-kerry-guidone\/","title":{"rendered":"The Churching of a New Mother: Kerry Guidone"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Father%20Mark%2C%20Mikey%2C%20%2312A677.JPG\"<\/a>
\nProud parents Michael and Kerry Guidone are Benedictine Oblates of the Monastery of the Glorious Cross in Branford, Connecticut. Before the birth of little Michael Mario, Michael and Kerry asked for the Blessing of Expectant Parents<\/em>; after his birth, Kerry asked for the rite of the Churching of Woman After Childbirth<\/em>, a sacramental dating back to the fourth century. Essentially, the rite is an office of thanksgiving. The new mother, returning to church forty days after giving birth, is greeting at the door of the church by the priest. Holding a lighted candle in one hand and the end of the priest’s stole in the other, she is led to the altar where, kneeling, she receives a special blessing and offers thanksgiving to God for the birth of her child. The text of the rite, as given by Father Weller in his Roman Ritual, follows:
\n\"Father%20Mark%20%26%20mikey%5B13%5D.JPG\"<\/a>
\nBLESSING OF A MOTHER AFTER CHILDBIRTH
\n1. After giving birth to a child a mother may wish to give thanks to God in church for a safe delivery, and to obtain the Church’s blessing. This has long been a devout and praiseworthy practice. The priest, vested in surplice and white stole (assisted by a server who carries the aspersory), goes to the threshold of the church. The woman kneels there, holding a lighted candle.<\/em>
\nThe very fact that the priest goes to meet her and escort her into the church is in itself a mark of respect for the mother, and puts one in mind of a bishop who meets a royal personage or anyone of high rank when the latter comes to a cathedral to attend a solemn function. The rest of the rite speaks for itself; but it may be pointed out that Psalm 23, which the priest recites over the woman, is a psalm of majesty, praise, and gratitude.<\/em>
\n\"Father%20Mark%20%26%20Mikey%20%2312A675.JPG\"<\/a>
\nThe priest sprinkles her with holy water, saying: <\/em>
\nP: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
\nAll: Who made heaven and earth.
\nHe then says the following antiphon and begins Psalm 23 which is alternated with the assembly. In some places the Magnificat is recited in place of Psalm 23.
\n<\/em>
\nAntiphon: This woman shall receive a blessing from the Lord and mercy from God, her Savior; for she is one of the people who seek the Lord.<\/p>\n


\nPsalm 23
\nThe Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
\nthe world and they that dwell therein.
\nIt is he who set it on the seas; *
\non the waters he made it firm.
\nWho dares climb the mountain of the Lord? *
\nWho shall stand in his holy place?
\nThe man with clean hands and pure heart, +
\nwho desires not worthless things, *
\nwho has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
\nHe shall receive blessings from the Lord *
\nand reward from the God who saves him.
\nSuch is the generation of those who seek him, *
\nseek the face of the God of Jacob.
\nO gates, lift high your heads; +
\ngrow higher, ancient doors. *
\nLet him enter, the king of glory!
\nWho is the king of glory? +
\nThe Lord, the strong, the mighty, *
\nthe Lord, the mighty in war.
\nO gates, lift high your heads; +
\ngrow higher, ancient doors. *
\nLet him enter, the king of glory!
\nWho is he, the king of glory?
\nHe, the Lord of armies, *
\nhe is the king of glory.
\nGlory be to the Father, and to the Son *
\nand to the Holy Spirit.
\nAs it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, *
\nworld without end. Amen.
\nAntiphon: This woman shall receive a blessing from the Lord and mercy from God, her Savior; for she is one of the people who seek the Lord.
\n2. Then the priest places the end of the stole hanging from his
\nleft shoulder in the hand of the woman and leads her into the
\nchurch, saying: <\/em>
\nCome into God’s house. Adore the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
\nand thank God who has given you the grace of motherhood.
\n3. The woman kneels before the altar, giving thanks to God for
\nthe benefits He has bestowed on her. The priest continues: <\/em>
\nP. Lord, have mercy.
\nAll. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
\nP. Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)
\nAll: And lead us not into temptation.
\nAll: But deliver us from evil.
\nP: Save your servant.
\nAll: Who trusts in you, my God.
\nP: Lord, send her aid from your holy place.
\nAll: And watch over her from Sion.
\nP: Let the enemy have no power over her.
\nAll: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm her.
\nP: O Lord, heed my prayer.
\nAll: And let my cry come unto you.
\nP: The Lord be with you.
\nAll: And with your spirit.
\nLet us pray.
\nAlmighty everlasting God, who by means of the Blessed Virgin
\nMary’s childbearing has given every Christian mother joy, even in
\nher pains of bringing forth her child; look kindly on this
\nservant of yours N. who has come in gladness to your holy dwelling
\nto offer her thanks. And grant that after this life, through the
\nmerits and prayers of that same blessed Mary, she and her child
\nmay be deemed worthy of attaining the happiness of everlasting
\nlife; through Christ our Lord.
\nAll: Amen.
\nThe “Collectio Rituum,” both for Germany and the U. S. A., provide the following blessing for the child:<\/em>
\nLet us pray.
\nLord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, begotten before time
\nwas, yet willing to be an infant within time; who love childhood
\ninnocence; who deigned to tenderly embrace and to bless the
\nlittle ones when they were brought to you; be ready with your
\ndearest blessings for this child as he (she) journeys through
\nlife, and let no evil ways corrupt his (her) understanding. May
\nhe (she) advance in wisdom and grace with the years, and be
\nenabled ever to please you, who are God, living and reigning with
\nthe Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
\nAll: Amen.
\n4. The priest again sprinkles her with holy water, saying:<\/em>
\nMay the peace and blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and
\nHoly Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever.
\nAll: Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Proud parents Michael and Kerry Guidone are Benedictine Oblates of the Monastery of the Glorious Cross in Branford, Connecticut. Before the birth of little Michael Mario, Michael and Kerry asked for the Blessing of Expectant Parents; after his birth, Kerry asked for the rite of the Churching of Woman After Childbirth, a sacramental dating back <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-matters-liturgical"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paVypq-Cy","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vultuschristi.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}