Epiphany Blessing of the Home

Today is the Feast of Our Lord’s Epiphany in the old calendar and also a non-standard feast of the 3 Magi. Following is a home blessing, which originated in eastern Europe and has spread throughout the world, even to Protestant churches. Just as the Wise Men visited the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we invite them to visit our own homes to ask for their intercession. This is important as we are living in an increasingly hostile world. It is also a wonderful way to show our children trust in Christ and the riches of the Holy Catholic Faith!

It’s okay if you can’t get to this tonight! The traditional “Cycle of Christmas” ends roughly with the Feast of the Presentation (Purification, “Candelmas”), February 2nd. Any time till then would be appropriate.

Here is a video of 2 priests at a Canadian parish, performing the blessing…

A House Blessing For the Epiphany

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Epiphany Yearly Blessing of the Home

You will need white chalk (chalk is often blessed by a priest at the Epiphany Mass) and holy water. The following prayers and format are based on traditional sources of information. The family gathers around a statue or holy image. All bless themselves with holy water. Generally, the father of the home leads in the following prayers…

Leader: Peace be to this house.

All: And to all that dwell herein.

Leader: From the east the Magi came to Bethlehem to adore the Lord, and opening their treasures, they offered costly gifts: gold to the great King, incense to the true God and myrrh in symbol of His burial. Alleluia!

All: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden, for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He Who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich He has sent empty away. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

All: From the east the Magi came to Bethlehem to adore the Lord, and opening their treasures, they offered costly gifts: gold to the great King, incense to the true God and myrrh in symbol of His burial. Alleluia!

Leader: Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation…

All: But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Leader: Many shall come from Saba.

All: Bearing gold and incense.

Leader: O Lord, hear my prayer.

All: And let my cry come unto thee.

Leader: Let us pray. O God, Who by the guidance of a star didst this day reveal Thy Sole-Begotten Son to the Gentiles, grant that we who now know Thee by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of Thy Heavenly Majesty. Through the same Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord. Be enlightened, be enlightened O Jerusalem! For thy Light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.

All: And the Gentiles shall walk in thy Light and kings in the splendor of thy rising and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.

Leader: Let us pray. Bless, O Lord, Almighty God, this home that it be the shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, and thanksgiving to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. May this blessing remain for all time upon this dwelling and upon all who live herein. Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The family proceeds to the main entrance of the home. The leader writes the following above the door with the chalk (this can be done on the outside or inside of the home). The digits represent the number of the new year. The crosses represent the 4 seasons. The initials represent the Latin phrase “Christus Mansionem Benedicat,” (Christ Bless this Home). They also represent the names of the 3 Magi. Above the inscription, a cross is made with holy water.

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20 + C + M + B + __

Leader: Christus Mansionem Benedicat! Saints Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, pray for us!

All: Amen!

The family may finish the devotion with a hymn, such as “We Three Kings of Orient Are.”

Printable Version PDF

The 12 Days of Christmas / Epiphany of Our Lord

Happy New Year and I hope all of you, wherever you are in the world, have had a wonderful Christmas!  I have been having computer problems, so I am behind on my posts.  I was going to write about the 12 Days of Christmas in a more timely manner, but now they are over, and we have arrived today at the Epiphany of Our Lord in the traditional calendar.  The Epiphany is celebrated this Sunday in the new calendar.  I have several other posts in the works, including the Month of January-will get that up as soon as possible!

About the 12 Days of Christmas, I wanted to share an idea I have been doing with my family for a number of years now.  I think I came up with this idea on my own and have written about it previously.  You may be aware of the theory that the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" originated as a covert teaching tool in England, during the persecution of Catholics.  I am not concerned about the theory itself, nor even the song.  What does concern me is the re-creation of authentic Catholic culture for our times.  What is wrong with creating new traditions?  I think we are at such an hour in history, when we must take the bull by the horns and move things forward aggressively (moving forward may at times require that we look back-if you have taken the wrong fork, you must go back before you can truly go forward). 

It is sad that the 12 Days of Christmas have largely been forgotten and no one seems to know how to celebrate them anyway.  One idea is to discuss points of the Faith on each of the 12 Days, that correspond to the particular number of the day.  You can be creative with it.  For instance, Day 3 could be about the Holy Trinity or the Three Theological Virtues.  Day 7, you could discuss the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost or the Seven Deadly Sins.  In addition, you can say prayers and sing songs that also correspond to the topic of the day....the song "Holy Holy Holy" for the Holy Trinity....or a Litany to the Holy Ghost for the Seven Gifts.  The possibilities are endless and you can have a lot of fun with it!  So, now that the 12 Days of Christmas are over, just thought I'd share that idea:)

As for the Epiphany, there is a beautiful traditional Blessing of the Home that you can find online, which includes writing above your doorway with blessed chalk.  We must give our children something to love about the Faith....real, concrete ways to BE Catholic that they in turn will continue with their own children.  And these practices enrich life so much and add a dimension to life that simply cannot be fulfilled through any secular pursuit.  This is what the world does not understand:  that all things pale in comparison to the Holy Faith, the Body of Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.  This is what we must show them.  Love demands it!