May you have asked yourself, “Self, why should I get images blessed?” They just hang on a wall and is there any benefit to do that? Well let us look at the blessing itself.
BLESSING OF AN IMAGE
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or any Saint
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P. The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you. Let us pray.
Almighty everlasting God, who do not forbid us to carve or paint likenesses of your saints, in order that whenever we look at them with our bodily eyes we may call to mind their holy lives, and resolve to follow in their footsteps; may it please you to bless + and to hallow + this statue (or picture), which has been made in memory and honor of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (or the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ), (or blessed N., your apostle, or martyr, or pontiff, or confessor, or virgin). And grant that all who in its presence pay devout homage to your only-begotten Son (or the blessed Virgin, or the glorious apostle, or martyr, or pontiff, or confessor, or virgin) may by His (or his or her) merits (and intercession) obtain your grace in this life and everlasting glory in the life to come; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.
The image is sprinkled with holy water.
“Whenever we look at them with our bodily eyes we may call to mind their holy loves, and resolve to follow in their footsteps…” So even if you do not mean to do it that prayer will help you mentally call to mind this.
Just invite Fr over for dinner and ask him to bless your paintings etc (in case you have many big paintings and don’t want to haul them all over).
And if you need holy images just check out the Catholic Business link here where I link to many small businesses that create and ship them for you.
(photo is my last rental (mice not shown) & I would print photos from vistaprint, when they ran a sale)
