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Chapter VIII of the Rituale Romanum, a liturgical manual dated 1614, includes special blessings for almost anything you might use on a daily basis, literally — the chapter is titled “Blessings of things designated for ordinary use.” In it, you will findblessings for cheese or butter, for seeds, for salt or oats for animals, fishing boats, tools used by mountain climbers and, naturally, for beer.
Included in the Rituale Romanum by Pope Paul V, the blessing (in Latin) goes:
P. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
A. Qui fecit caelum et terram.
P. Dominus vobiscum.
A. Et cum spiritu tuo.
Oremus.
Benedic, Domine, creaturam istam cerevisiae, quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus es: ut sit remedium salutare humano generi, et praesta per invocationem nominis tui sancti; ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corpus et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Properly translated into English, it would go something like this:
P. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
A. Who made heaven and earth.
P. The Lord be with you.
A. May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
Lord, bless + this creature, beer, which by your kindness and power has been produced from kernels of grain, and let it be a healthful drink for mankind. Grant that whoever drinks it with thanksgiving to your holy name may find it a help in body and in soul; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
And today we celebrate...