Ship of Fools: Blessing a car

Thread: Blessing a car Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Evensong (# 14696) on :

I saw a car blessed and anointed(?) today for the first time ever.

I was a bit surprised as I've been taught that you shouldn't bless things that aren't alive.

Yet a quick Google brings up Catholic and Orthodox blessings for cars with sprinkling of holy water. Is this only an Anglican no-no?

I think what surprised me the most was actually how cool it was. It was a nineteen year old man with a new car that he was obviously very proud of. And he asked for it to be blessed.

The whole thing just actually "worked". It was quite the sacramental moment - quite the "normal" meeting with the "holy". And surely a really positive experience for the young man.

Would you bless a car?

Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :

Yes, you can bless things that are not alive. The blessing is a form of setting the object aside for special service. Anglicans do have a blessing of the House, which is an inanimate object. While I myself also could not find a specific Anglican blessing of a car either, as a Lutheran I could easily adapt some of the Roman Catholic blessing of objects. I found one for the blessing of beer. Now I can drink to that.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

I was suddenly reminded of this joke.

Posted by Kaplan Corday (# 16119) on :

Depends what you mean by blessed.

Where we worked in India, the owner of a new tour bus got it prayed over by an evangelical friend of ours (who asked for safety for all who rode in it) before it commenced business.

And just to be on the safe side, he also got it blessed by a Hindu priest.

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Evensong:
Yet a quick Google brings up Catholic and Orthodox blessings for cars with sprinkling of holy water. Is this only an Anglican no-no?

Not at all. I've seen it done in Anglican congregations.

Posted by Amos (# 44) on :

I'd bless it. I'd asperge it. But anoint it? Why?

Posted by Chapelhead (# 21) on :

Anointing oil for a car.

[Confused]

Posted by Corvo (# 15220) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Spike:

quote:
Originally posted by Evensong:
Yet a quick Google brings up Catholic and Orthodox blessings for cars with sprinkling of holy water. Is this only an Anglican no-no?
Not at all. I've seen it done in Anglican congregations.

I remember our vicar blessing a car after the Parish Mass not so long ago. I don't know what rite he used.

But there must be a rite somewhere for ships (and railway engines?) as I 'm sure I have seen this done (on TV) on more than one occasion.

Posted by Emendator Liturgia (# 17245) on :

Yes, been involved in the blessing of a new vehicle a few times (never anoitning, though): always with reference to safety and protection etc. As someone else has noted, Anglican bless homes, so why not cars!

Glad you enjoyed it, and that it seemed so 'right'!

Posted by Galilit (# 16470) on :

Reverend Friend blessed a mini-bus by international mobile telephone call. His ex-houseboy/driver in The African Country where he had been a Mission Partner had just bought it. Apparently "everyone" has a new vehicle blessed there.

[ 21. October 2012, 08:57: Message edited by: Galilit ]

Posted by Basilica (# 16965) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amos:
I'd bless it. I'd asperge it. But anoint it? Why?

And I'd cense it as well!

As for anointing, I think that's wholly appropriate. As long as we're talking about engine oil. In the engine.

Posted by dj_ordinaire (# 4643) on :

In fact, it is obligatory to bless certain inanimate objects which are to be set aside for Holy use. These include chrismatic oils, holy water and indeed church buildings which are consecrated. What is that if not a blessing? It is also suggested to bless many devotional and liturgical items although this is not I think required - I've seen vestments, patens and several of my rosaries blessed in this way.

I've also seen a rowing boat blessed by an Anglican bishop which is another matter.

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

Was that the boat in which he was about to cross the Tiber?

I'll get me coat.......

Ian J.

Posted by The Silent Acolyte (# 1158) on :

A nineteen year boy and a motor car?

A recipe for sudden death and dismemberment.

I think a blessing for both the car and the boy is certainly indicated.

Posted by Mama Thomas (# 10170) on :

Cars, trucks, buses, boats, ships, computers, mosquito nets, footballs, volley balls, medicine.

In the popular SSJE priests' manual there is a handy "for the blessing of anything whatsoever."

It's wonderful when people refuse to compartmentalise their spiritual lives to Sundays, bible reading, grace and giving up chocolate during Lent.

Blessing of everyday objects puts God in and around everything and is proclaiming his love and protection over an ever wider area.

Posted by Evensong (# 14696) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Mama Thomas:

It's wonderful when people refuse to compartmentalise their spiritual lives to Sundays, bible reading, grace and giving up chocolate during Lent.

Blessing of everyday objects puts God in and around everything and is proclaiming his love and protection over an ever wider area.

Yeah. That was my feeling. I'm totally sold! [Angel]

Good to know not all Anglicans disapprove of such a notion.

I'll have to have a word with the professor of liturgy that said otherwise......

Posted by PD (# 12436) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Evensong:
I saw a car blessed and anointed(?) today for the first time ever.

I was a bit surprised as I've been taught that you shouldn't bless things that aren't alive.

Yet a quick Google brings up Catholic and Orthodox blessings for cars with sprinkling of holy water. Is this only an Anglican no-no?

I think what surprised me the most was actually how cool it was. It was a nineteen year old man with a new car that he was obviously very proud of. And he asked for it to be blessed.

The whole thing just actually "worked". It was quite the sacramental moment - quite the "normal" meeting with the "holy". And surely a really positive experience for the young man.

Would you bless a car?

In the case of a 19 y.o. and a fast car I'd bless the car - and give him last rites! Middle-aged grumpiness apart. My church is in a predominately Mexican neighbourhood. They are not great churchgoers - though they often show on the Big Feasts - but on the other hand they do like to have things blessed. After ten years in the parish it seems like I have used every blessing in the Manual except that for an aeroplane. However, for the abatement of disease in cattle, and blessing a railway station were things I got up to in England!

PD

Posted by Morlader (# 16040) on :

... In a mysterious way ...

I take delivery of a new car tomorrow. I shalln't be getting it blessed though; that would be something of a sensation in the car dealer's environment, and even in the evening when I go to church for choir practice.

But I'll probably think a prayer.

And I'm w a y beyond 19.

[ 21. October 2012, 14:34: Message edited by: Morlader ]

Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :

Is the Jewish equivalent to sprinkling holy water on a car sawing one inch off the exhaust pipe?

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

I would draw the line at blessing tanks, battleships and cruise missiles.

Posted by Amos (# 44) on :

quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
Is the Jewish equivalent to sprinkling holy water on a car sawing one inch off the exhaust pipe?

No. The Jewish equivalent to sprinkling holy water on a car is mounting a mezuzah on the inside of the door-frame. Though these look like they belong on 'Gadgets for God.'

(This is assuming you were genuinely asking)

Posted by Triple Tiara (# 9556) on :

Blessing cars is a big deal in Rome every year, on the Feast of St Frances of Rome, 9 March. It's a stumbling block for belief, however, because the blessing never seems to work, judging by the way the drivers of Rome roar about like madmen. Maybe they should be exorcising the drivers rather than blessing the cars?

And now for some videos.

A Polish parish blessing of cars. Ouch! My eyes hurt at the sight of those servers' outfits!

The very matter-of-fact approach. Note the open doors and boot - supposed to let the demons flee. Except they then let demon drivers get behind the wheel, which rather defeats the object!

Eastern Rite version. Surprisingly (and mercifully!) brief. Let us pray to the Lord. Again and again.

I've seen Hindu car blessings. Now that is fun - anointing it with spices, decking it in garlands and squashing fruit under the wheels. But I shouldn't be saying such things [Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by Amos (# 44) on :

Wonderful Youtubes, Father! Thank you!
I've seen Hindu car blessings too, up in Tividale, at this place: http://www.venkateswara.org.uk/

Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :

This reminds me of a brief period where I was connected with the CMA (christian motorcyclists association).

In the (often lengthy) times of open prayer in someone's garage, people would often pray for 'x, that he might sell his bike for a good price / find someone to fix his clutch etc etc etc etc'. It felt pretty wrong, in the same way the title of this thread feels wrong to me.

I'm reminded of someone's wedding I went to, where someone turned up in bike gear - and stayed in it. As someone who's very into the bike scene, I can say - this is daft. It's like someone who likes downhill skiing turning up to a wedding in ski boots (which can't be walked in). So as to be able to hang their ID on a thing they strongly like - because without that crutch, their ego is too fragile to negotiate the complexities of dealing with the situation.

Most people grow out of this as teenagers (reminds me of my walking round town with an unbagged guitar on my back. Aaaargggghhhh [Projectile]

). Not 'growing up' seems to be moving towards idolatry to me - damaging in the sense that ones adult self doesn't somehow make it into proper adulthood - and these bike prayers (and the OP's car blessing) seem connected to all this, to me.

Not long after the prayers in the garage thing, my (shite old) bike packed up on the top bit of the M62, where that farm is in the middle of the road, if you know it. It was raining horizontally. And of course, as well as swearing a lot, I prayed like f*ck. And a van full of builders stopped and put me and the bike in the back. But my cousin and his wife still died of cancer.

Posted by Ceremoniar (# 13596) on :

My first car as a youth was blessed by my Episcopal (Anglican) priest.

Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Evensong:

Would you bless a car?

I've never had the urge to bless one of my cars but I've certainly cursed a few... [Devil]

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :

I know of a parish in one of the outer suburbs of Chicago that did an annual "Bless My Ride" celebration. They would move an altar onto the back of a flatbed truck in the parish parking lot, and have a complete church service there. Afterwards, the Rector would bless cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, tricycles, whatever you drove through. They started doing it as a community outreach effort and it was quite popular.

Posted by Augustine the Aleut (# 1472) on :

Surely shipmates of a certain age will recall the film version of MASH when Father Mulcahy blessed Hawkeye's jeep, recalling for us Philip and his chariot?

Posted by Galilit (# 16470) on :

quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
Is the Jewish equivalent to sprinkling holy water on a car sawing one inch off the exhaust pipe?

No, it's hanging a laminated copy of The Traveller's Prayer, or a tiny Book of Psalms from the rear-view mirror.
Muslims here hang Prayer Beads there
Christians loop a a rosary.

Makes life so much easier for hitch hikers, the Police and the Army to tell at-a-glance...

Posted by cosmic dance (# 14025) on :

A reverend friend of mine once blessed the Cosmopolitan Club's new pool tables. Got her and her church lots of favourable publicity.

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Cryptic:

quote:
Originally posted by Evensong:

Would you bless a car?
I've never had the urge to bless one of my cars but I've certainly cursed a few...

My mother once had an SD1 Rover 3500 - no amount of blessing or anointing could have fixed that.

Posted by Augustine the Aleut (# 1472) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Galilit:

quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
Is the Jewish equivalent to sprinkling holy water on a car sawing one inch off the exhaust pipe?
No, it's hanging a laminated copy of The Traveller's Prayer, or a tiny Book of Psalms from the rear-view mirror.
Muslims here hang Prayer Beads there
Christians loop a a rosary.

Makes life so much easier for hitch hikers, the Police and the Army to tell at-a-glance...

Most of Ottawa's taxidrivers come from the Middle East so the observant passenger will soon be able to tell that he has a Maronite, Orthodox, Assyrian, Coptic, Shiite or Druze driver, and govern themselves accordingly. Crosses of various design (the Assyrian and Coptic ones are discernable), as well as prayer beads (Muslim or Xn, with the occasional Maronite rosary) and small icons, usually of Our Lady or a name-saint are magnetically attached to the dash or strung from the mirror. On seeing an icon of S Peter last year on the feast day, I was able to give the very pleased driver name-day greetings, and was rewarded with a cupcake made by his daughter.

Posted by Ceremoniar (# 13596) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Augustine the Aleut:
Surely shipmates of a certain age will recall the film version of MASH when Father Mulcahy blessed Hawkeye's jeep, recalling for us Philip and his chariot?

Posted by Evensong (# 14696) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Galilit:

quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
Is the Jewish equivalent to sprinkling holy water on a car sawing one inch off the exhaust pipe?
No, it's hanging a laminated copy of The Traveller's Prayer, or a tiny Book of Psalms from the rear-view mirror.
Muslims here hang Prayer Beads there
Christians loop a a rosary.

Makes life so much easier for hitch hikers, the Police and the Army to tell at-a-glance...

I've got a silver cross hanging from the mirror in one car and a sticker on the back of the other car that says "Kiss me I'm Anglican". [Smile]

[ 22. October 2012, 12:03: Message edited by: Evensong ]

Posted by Anselmina (# 3032) on :

Some fishing ports off the Irish coast do the blessing of the fishing boats every year. Probably happens lots of other countries too? And most clergy at some point will bless houses and homes of various sorts.

Fire-enginges get blessed, too, don't they? And newly built church loos. [Big Grin]

I knew a bloke who provided Indian factories with weaving looms. There was always a Hindu blessing of the machinery.

Wasn't there an American car race where a pastor offered a very funny blessing on the cars, that ran on Youtube for a while?

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Anselmina:

Wasn't there an American car race where a pastor offered a very funny blessing on the cars, that ran on Youtube for a while?

Check out the Ship's homepage!

(I refuse to listen to it again, but it seems it was for the drivers, not the cars IIRC.)

Posted by The Silent Acolyte (# 1158) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Augustine the Aleut:
... recalling for us Philip and his chariot?

I think you mean the Ethiopian Eunuch's chariot. Philip was just a hitchhiker. Anyway, Philip caught a much better ride than that to carry him to Azotus.

[ 22. October 2012, 19:47: Message edited by: The Silent Acolyte ]

Posted by Augustine the Aleut (# 1472) on :

quote:
Originally posted by The Silent Acolyte:

quote:
Originally posted by Augustine the Aleut:
... recalling for us Philip and his chariot?
I think you mean the Ethiopian Eunuch's chariot. Philip was just a hitchhiker. Anyway, Philip caught a much better ride than that to carry him to Azotus.

I think you are right--- the text is in my old Roman Ritual but it is not where I last saw it. How vexing it is when one's essential references tools go walkabout

Posted by The Silent Acolyte (# 1158) on :

While your Roman Ritual is on its walkabout, let me provide this from the English Ritual (companion to the English Missal), which may give evidence for the prayer you seek:

quote:
Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications, and bless this carriage with they holy right hand: join unto it thy holy Angels, that they may alway deliver and defend all who ride therein from every peril; and as thou didst give faith and grace by thy Levite Philip unto the man of Ethiopia as he sat upon his chariot and read thy sacred words; so unto thy servants shew the way of salvation, that they who by the help of thy grace are ever intent upon good works, may after all the changes and chances of the journey of this life, be worthy to obtain eternal joys. Through Christ, our Lord.

My 1990 ICEL Roman Ritual (Shorter Book of Blessings), leaves Philip by the wayside, but in the litany in the Blessing of Means of Transportation, brings in Jesus' itinerant ministry, his marine miracles, the road to Emmaus, the Ascension, and, perhaps, the flight into Egypt.

Posted by LostinChelsea (# 5305) on :

Our church is next door to the local police station. I blessed their last batch of new police cruisers, including in the prayer a prayer for all those who drive or are conveyed in them. The event came from the police chief joking that he ought to ask me to bless them and, after a moment's reflection, decided that it wasn't such a bad idea!

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :

Local church does a blessing of motorcycles every year.
We have blessed cars at our Parish. Safe driving and being used for the Lord's work.
I say a prayer each time I get in the car and start a long trip. We offering traveling prayers in church as well. I like the reminder that the Spirit of the Lord is with us at all times in all places.

Posted by bib (# 13074) on :

I gave our Bishop a lift in my car. When I dropped him off he put his hand on my car as he left and said "bless you". I took this to mean me, but did he perhaps mean my car? [Big Grin]

Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:
QUOTE]My mother once had an SD1 Rover 3500 - no amount of blessing or anointing could have fixed that. [/QB]

Those things were built in a factory where Beelzebub himself was in charge of quality control. Pity really, as properly bolted together they were a pretty good car.

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

They looked good on paper, and I had a P6 3500 - an excellent car. My father's P4s had been extremely high quality. She thought that she would have something from which she could get quite a few years use. But the SD1 looked as if the team designing the exterior had worked in imperial measurements, and that doing the interior had used rough approximations in metric. Panel fit was not much above that of a Trabant, and the electrics no better. She traded it in as soon as she could.

[ 24. October 2012, 02:38: Message edited by: Gee D ]

Posted by Spiffy (# 5267) on :

One of my favorite depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary is of Herself, seated, with a bicycle helmet on. It's located at the The Portland Shrine of Madonna del Ghisallo, where you can get your bike blessed pretty much any day of the year, though they do a special liturgy in June.

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