The Blessing of the Booze

From Father Z:

QUAERITUR:

You usually give your readership an annual reminder for the blessing of wine on St. John’s Day.

The Rituale says “Benedicere… hunc calicem vini et CUJUSLIBET POTUS”- so presumably any hard beverage could be blessed with that blessing? Whiskey would be acceptable right?

Right! Whiskey is “another beverage”.

I hope that you will get organized for this great day and wonderful blessing.  First, contact your priest and make sure he is one board.   To get him on board, it might be a good idea to to assure him that you will be leaving behind a goodly portion of the large quantity of the “other beverage” you want blessed:

“Hey Father!  I have a little too much Laguvulin 16 right now.  Could I leave some for you after you bless it?  I’d be much obliged.”

That sort of thing.

How did this blessing develop?   There was an attempt on the life of St. John the Evangelist by poisoning.  He blessed the cup and the poison crawled out in the form of a serpent.  You often see St. John depicted this way in art.

You can read the blessings at the link.