Thank you very much, and stay in peace

Introduction

Some words are said so many times that we forget what they mean. “God bless you”, for example. But one day, God showed me that using His name is not a formula. It is a responsibility.

The awakening

For many years, like so many others, I repeated without thinking: “God bless you”. It was automatic. It seemed beautiful, pious, spiritual. But one day, everything changed.

I was coming from a deep disappointment with my religious outlook. I decided to step away from commentaries, opinions and human doctrines. I resolved to return only to Scripture, and to make it my direct food. My prayer was reduced to the Our Father. Not a rote prayer, but a dive. Word by word, verse by verse, seeking revelation.

Until one day, when I reached “hallowed be your name”, the sky seemed to fall on me. Inside me, I heard clearly:
“Do not use my name in vain. Because I will not leave unpunished the one who uses my name in vain. Speak in your own name.”

The absence of “God bless you” in the New Testament

I spent hours reflecting. I remembered when the Lord said this to Moses. I reviewed everything I said, repeated, signed in God's name. And then I stopped before “God bless you”. Such a common phrase… yet so absent from the Scriptures. I realized that in the New Testament, surprisingly, there is not a single case of someone saying this to another.

Jesus never said “God bless you”. Paul, Peter, John… none of the apostles used this expression as a spoken blessing. They blessed with their lives. With their prayers. With their presence.

How Jesus blessed

And Jesus… ah, Jesus blessed by touching, healing, forgiving, sharing. He taught us to bless by loving. And when He spoke, He said:
“Go in peace.” “Stay in peace.”

And it was not just a farewell. It was a gesture of surrender. It was like saying: “It's all right. You can go on. I am with you. God is with you.”

And it was He Himself who said:
“I give you my peace. I do not give it as the world gives.”

His peace. And now, with that peace dwelling in me, I can bless in a way that is alive, true, present.

What it means to bless

So, I understood: Saying “God bless you” can indeed be a sign of faith… but many times it is just a lack of understanding of the work of Christ. Because He died, rose again, and gave me the Holy Spirit. Now, the presence of God dwells in me.

And for that reason, I can, and I must, speak in my own name, with the awareness of one who carries God within.

And I can say:
“Go in peace. Stay in peace.”
Not as a formula, but as a commitment.
Be at ease. Prosper. Grow. I am with you.
And if God is with me, and I am with you, then God is with you.
And more: He can be inside you too.
That is the work of Jesus.

Thank you very much

That was when I remembered the words of António Nóvoa:
“Thank you very much is not a piece of etiquette. It is a recognition. It is a bond.”

And I understood that there is something very sacred in this too.

Because both in “Thank you very much” and in “Stay in peace”, what is most valuable is this:
truth. Presence. Surrender. Love.

And this, yes, hallows the name of God.

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Watch as well:

António Nóvoa: Thank You Very Much
(Video that inspired part of this reflection)