Spiritual Authority of Parents

Did you know parents have the spiritual authority to baptize (see below) and bless their children? Fathers are the heads of their families, and naturally have the God-given authority to bless their children and their wives! 

Mothers have the spiritual authority to bless their children, but cannot bless their husbands. However, mothers can pray Catholic binding and deliverance prayers over their husbands and children.

When preparing to baptize my baby, my priest taught me how to bless my child and told me to do it as often as I felt like it. 

Blessing your child is very simple and here is how my priest said to do it: 

Simply place your right palm on your child’s forehead and say “God bless you [child’s name] Amen.”

Parents should pray for each child by name. According to Fr. Justin Huang, in Why Parents Should Bless Their Children:

Just ask God to bless your children especially with whatever graces they need: wisdom, devotion, humility, courage, faith, hope, forgiveness, etc. We can use the blessing of Aaron or something very simple: “May God bless you, ______ (name), and keep you in His love.” And the child can say, “Amen.”

Catholic Blessings and Prayers

1. Sign of the Cross

Trace the sign of the cross with your thumb on your child’s forehead and say “God bless you.”

2. Parental Baptism of Baby in emergency

Pour regular water over the head of the baby while reciting the following:

“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

If life is uncertain, recite a conditional baptism, while pouring water over baby’s head say:

“If you can be baptized, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

3. Aaronic Blessing

Bless your children every day with the Aaronic Blessing:

“May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord shine his face upon you and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26, New Catholic Bible).

4. Prayer to St. Anne

St. Anne is the patron saint of mothers and Jesus’s grandmother! As mothers it is wise to ask for St. Anne’s intercession.

Prayer to Saint Anne

Glorious St. Anne, Filled with Compassion for those who invoke thee, and with love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at thy feet and humbly beg of thee to take the present affair which I recommend to thee under thy special protection. Vouchsafe to recommend it to thy Daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and lay it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted. Above all obtain for me the grace of one day beholding my God face to face, and with thee and Mary and all the Saints, praising and blessing Him for all eternity. Good St. Anne, mother of Her who is our Life, our Sweetness and our Hope, pray to her for us, and obtain our request. Amen.  

(3 times)

5. A Parent’s Prayer (for deliverance)

Source: St. Michael Center

Heavenly Father, I invoke the full authority you have given me as a spouse and a parent and I lift any curses, spells, seals, hexes, vexes, consecrations, voodoo, or any occult action or any evil affecting me or my spouse or my children who are minors. In Jesus’ name, I cast out all evil spirits that are harming us. In Jesus’ name, I reject them, I rebuke them, I renounce them, and I cast them out! For my adult children, I beg you heavenly father to hear a parent’s plea and free them from any of these occult actions or any evil, and cast out all evil spirits. Father, I beseech you to send a spirit of unity and peace to my family. Heal the divisions in our family; may those family members who are estranged from each other be reconciled in forgiveness and love. May we live together in your peace. I pray for special healing graces for each one of us. Heal the wounds that plague us- heal any depression, anxiety, fears, compulsions, addictions, angers, resentments, and any and all mental and physical illnesses. Restore us to full health. I especially ask for the following specific grace for my family, if it be your holy will (here mention the specific intention silently or out loud). Most of all, may you infuse into our hearts the gift of faith, always trusting in you. Bring back any of us who have wandered from the faith. May we be fully protected from all harm and evil by the Shield of Faith and the Sword of Truth. I make this parent’s prayer in the holy name of Jesus begging the powerful intercession of the Holy Family with the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, and all the saints. Amen. 

Catholic Prayers During Pregnancy

1. Prayer to St. Gerard For Motherhood

GOOD St. Gerard, powerful patron and protector of mothers and of children yet unborn, to thee do I turn in my hour of anxiety. Of thee do I beg the blessings of a happy motherhood. When all human assistance seems to fail, deign to come to my aid by thy powerful intercession at the throne of Almighty God. Beseech the Divine Author of Life to bless me with offspring, that I may raise up children to God in this life who will be heirs to His heavenly Kingdom in the next. Amen.

2. Prayer to St. Gerard in Thanksgiving for A Safe Delivery

GOOD St. Gerard, wonderful Patron of Mothers,

deign to offer to God my heartfelt gratitude for the

great blessing of motherhood. In my long hours of anxiety, uncertainty and doubt, thy powerful intercession with Jesus my Lord and Mary my Queen was ever my hope. Obtain for me the grace always to turn to thee in similar trials. Help me to inspire other women with confidence in thy most gracious assistance. Aid all of us, that, doing God's holy Will as mothers here on earth, we may merit eternal life in Heaven, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

3. Prayer to St. Gerard For a Mother With Child

(To be said either for oneself or for another.)

ALMIGHTY and Everlasting God, Who through the operation of the Holy Spirit didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin Mary to be a worthy dwelling place of Thy Divine Son; and through the operation of the same Holy Spirit, didst sanctify St. John the Baptist while still in his mother's womb, hearken to the prayers of Thy humble servant who implores Thee, through the intercession of St. Gerard, to protect me (her) amidst the dangers of childbearing and to watch over the child with which Thou hast deigned to bless me (her): that it may be cleansed by the saving water of Baptism, and that, after living a Christian life on earth, both the child and I (its mother) may attain to everlasting bliss in Heaven. Amen.

Additionally, remember, praying the Rosary is our most powerful tool. Teach your husband and children how to pray the rosary.