blessing vs sanction

blessing

noun
  • The act of declaring or bestowing favor; approval. 

  • A pronouncement invoking divine aid. 

  • Good fortune. 

  • A modern pagan ceremony. 

  • Some kind of divine or supernatural aid, or reward. 

  • A group of unicorns. 

  • A prayer before a meal; grace. 

  • Something someone is glad of. 

sanction

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. 

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

  • To ratify; to make valid. 

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

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