The Blessings of St. Peter Martyr


June 3, 2012

In 2007, Pope Benedict issued the Instruction Universae ecclesiae on the implementation of the Apostolic Letter Summorum pontificum, which was issued motu proprio.  Among other things, the Instruction clarified that religious orders, including the Order of Preachers, are permitted to use the liturgical books in force in 1962.  Among the liturgical books of the Roman Rite specifically mentioned by the Holy Father was the Rituale Romanum, or Roman Ritual.  Before the Second Vatican Council, it was common to reserve certain blessings of object to religious orders.  These were often associated with the invocation of a particular saint. In the Dominican Order, a number of popular blessings arose especially with St. Peter Martyr (or St. Peter of Verona), the first Dominican saint to be canonized, and whose feast the Order celebrates on June 4.  Below are two blessings, in Latin and English, from the tradition of the Order associated with this great saint. The first of these blessings is for so-called “Peter Martyr Water”.  Like the Vincent Ferrer Water, the first blessing invokes the saint’s prayers through the medium of water for the sake of those who are sick.  Many people are familiar with “Lourdes Water” from the miraculous stream associated with the apparition of Mary in the town of Lourdes in France.  That water, too, has been associated with asking God to heal the sick, through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The second blessing is associated with St. Peter’s status at the Order’s first martyr.  In Christian iconography, the palm branch is associated with martyrs, as in the image below.  This is in part a reverence to the Chapter 7 of the Book of Revelation:  “behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands”.  They people dressed in white robes carrying palm branches are described by the angel, saying that, “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The blessings below may be given by any priest.

Blessing of Water with the Relics of St. Peter Martyr

“St. Peter Martyr Water”

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 your spirit. Let us pray. God, who for man’s salvation instituted the most wonderful mysteries in the element of water, hearken to our prayer, and pour forth your blessing + on this element, water, which we now make holy in the name of St. Peter the Martyr. By the intercession of this martyr of yours let it prove a salutary remedy for your faithful, driving out evil spirits and warding off illness and suffering of body and spirit. May all who drink of it or are sprinkled with it be delivered from every affliction of body and soul and regain health in their whole being; through Christ our Lord. R: Amen. Let us pray. Almighty everlasting God, we humbly appeal to your mercy and goodness to graciously bless + by your indescribable power these your faithful people, who come to venerate the relics of St. Peter  Martyr and beg his intercession. Delivered by your martyr’s prayers from every affliction of mind and body, protected by your mercy here and everywhere, and saved by your grace, may they deserve, after this life has run its course, to attain the joys that are unending; through Christ our Lord. R: Amen.

Benedictio Aquae cum Reliquiis S. Petri Martyris

Sacredos stolam rubram deferens dicat: V. Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini. R. Qui fecit caelum et terram. V. Dóminus vobíscum. R. Et cum spíritu tuo. Orémus. Deus, qui ad salútem humáni géneris máxima quaeque sacraménta in aquárum substántia condidísti, adésto propítius invocatiónibus nostris, et eleménto huic aquae, quod beáti Petri Mártyris tui virtúte consignámus, virtútem tuae bene+dictiónis infúnde: ut, per intervéntum ejúsdem Mártyris tui, sit fidélibus tuis in remédium salutáre, daémones ab eis ejíciens, morbos ac infirmitátes córporis et ánimae repéllens, et praesta, ut, quicúmque eam súmpserint, vel ea aspérsi fúerint, ab omni adversitáte ánimae et córporis liberéntur  et utriúque hóminis recípiant sanitátem. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. R. Amen. Orémus. Imménsam cleméntiam tuam, omnípotens aéterne Deus, humíliter implorámus: ut hos fidéles tuos, ad relíquias beáti Petri Mártyris devote accedéntes, et ejus suffrágia postulántes, tua ineffábili virtúte bene+dícere dignéris, ut, per intervéntum ejúsdem Mártyris tui, ab omni aegritúdine mentis  et córporis liberáti, tuáque hic et ubíque misericórdia custodíti et grátia salváti, post hujus quoque viae ac vitae cursum, ad aetérna mereántur gáudia perveníre. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. R. Amen.

Blessing of Palms or Other Foliage on the Feast of St. Peter Martyr

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 your spirit. Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we beg you to bless + these tree-branches, to pour out on them a heavenly blessing, by the power of the holy + cross and the prayers of St. Peter Martyr; for when you once went forth to triumph over the enemy of mankind, you willed that little children pay honor to you, waving palms and tree-branches before you. By the sign of the holy + cross, let these branches be so endowed with your blessing, that wherever they are kept the prince of darkness with all his followers may flee in fear and trembling from such homes and places; no damage may be done there from lightning and storm; no inclement weather consume or destroy the fruits of the earth; no happening disturb or molest those who serve you, the almighty God, who live and reign forever and ever. R: Amen. They are sprinkled with holy water.

Benediction Olivarum in Festo S. Petri Martyris

Sacerdos stolam deferens dicat: V. Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini. R. Qui fecit caelum et terram. V. Dóminus vobíscum. R. Et cum spíritu tuo. Orémus. Dómine Jesu Christe, Fili Dei vivi, bene+díc hos árborum ramos supplicatiónibus nostris et infúnde eis, Dómine, per virtútem Sanctae Cru+cis et per intercessiónem beáti Petri Mártyris, benedictiónem caeléstem, qui triumphatúrus de hoste géneris humáni per manus puerórum palmas et árborum ramos in honórem tuum ahibére voluísti, talémque benedictiónem signáculo Sanctae Cru+cis accípiant: ut, in quibuscúmque locis áliquid ex eis pósitum fúerit, discédant príncipes tenebrárum et contremíscant et fúgiant pávidi cum ómnibus minístris suis de locis vel habitatiónibus illis. Non ibi nóceant fúlmina et tempestátes, non fructus terrae consúmat aut depérdat ulla intempéries eleménti, nihílque inquiétet aut moléstet serviéntes tibi omnipoténti Deo. Qui vivis et regnas in saécula saeculórum. R. Amen. Aspergantur aqua benedicta. [The original blessings in Latin are taken from the Breviarium Juxta Ritum S. Ordinis Praedicatorum issued under the authority of Fr. Emmanuel Suarez, Master of the Order of Preachers, in 1952.  The translations, slightly modified, are taken from The Roman Ritual, translated by Philip T. Weller, S.T.D., and published in 1964 by the Bruce Publishing Co.]  

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