An announcement of the favor of God to a group of people gathered together.
Worship services, like Holy Communion in Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant churches, usually end with a blessing from a member of the clergy. This pronouncement (called a “blessing” in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches and “benediction” in most Protestant churches) is based on a biblical example (Genesis 27:27–29; Numbers 6:22–27; Luke 24:50; 2 Corinthians 13:11, 14; Philemon 4:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17; Hebrews 13:20–21).
The benediction or blessing is seen as a ritual to end the service, but it is an important pronouncement of God’s favor. It is given to faithful believers by ministers who have biblical authority. In this way, Christians are assured that the grace of God the Father, the love of the Son, and the communion of the Holy Spirit are with them.
The term “blessing” is also applied to the act of giving thanks for food and drink (Matthew 14:19; Mark 8:7; Luke 24:30).