bless vs sanction

bless

verb
  • To esteem or account happy; to felicitate. 

  • To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify. 

  • To make the sign of the cross upon, so as to sanctify. 

  • To invoke divine favor upon. 

  • To honor as holy, glorify; to extol for excellence. 

  • To turn (a reference) into an object. 

intj
  • Used as an expression of endearment, gratitude, or (ironically) belittlement. 

sanction

verb
  • To ratify; to make valid. 

  • To penalize (a state etc.) with sanctions. 

  • To give official authorization or approval to; to countenance. 

noun
  • An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid. 

  • A penalty, punishment, or some coercive measure, intended to ensure compliance; especially one adopted by several nations, or by an international body. 

  • A law, treaty, or contract, or a clause within a law, treaty, or contract, specifying any of the above. 

How often have the words bless and sanction occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )