bless oneself

English

Verb

bless oneself (third-person singular simple present blesses oneself, present participle blessing oneself, simple past and past participle blessed oneself)

  1. (Christianity) To make the sign of the cross.
    Synonym: cross oneself
    • 1892, Donahoe's Magazine, page 1:
      They had an ornate ritual ; they professed to believe in the Real Presence ; genuflected and blessed themselves on entering church ; reserved what they called the Blessed Sacrament in a side chapel, and made visits and paid reverence to it.
    • 2011, Joe Hayes, The Coyote Under the Table, Cinco Puntos Press, →ISBN, page 112:
      The shepherd blessed himself. And then he blessed himself again for good measure. He placed a hand on either side of the pillar and then threw it into the air.
    • 2022, C. K. McDonnell, This Charming Man: (The Stranger Times 2), Random House, →ISBN:
      Grace's bracelets rattled loudly as she furiously blessed herself several times. ‘Mother Mary, forgive us, this is truly the end of days.’
    • 2023, Susan MacLellan, Figure It Out with Eva, Word Alive Press, →ISBN:
      She blessed herself quickly, threw back the covers, and grabbed her skating clothes. She was in the bathroom splashing water on her face when her mother tapped on the door.
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bless,‎ oneself.
    • 1849, Rhode Island Institute of Instruction, Journal, page 414:
      Who can tell how widely you might bless others, while you were laboring to bless yourselves?
    • 2014, Dr. Gwendolyn Pettway, DCC, FRESH BEGINNINGS: The Breakthrough Devotional for Emotional Healing, Outskirts Press, →ISBN, page 12:
      Bless yourself today with the gift of forgiveness. Take advantage of the gift of today's new mercy that God offers you.

Translations

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