Epiphany House Blessings
There is a long-standing tradition of blessing the home on or near the Feast of Epiphany. It is a wonderful way to begin the New Year, with the family gathering to ask God’s blessing on their home and all those who visit. It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, and to be with us in our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows.
“Chalking the door” is a way to celebrate and literally mark the occasion of the Epiphany and God’s blessing of our lives and home. With time the chalk will fade. As it does we let the meaning of the symbols written sink into the depths of our heart and be manifest in our words and actions the Latin words, Christus mansionem benedictat, “May Christ bless the house.”
You can use the liturgy below yourself to bless your own house, or invite one of the parish clergy to come and do it for you.
House Blessing
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St Edmund of
Hayes
Leader: In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Leader: The Lord be with you
All: And also with you
Leader: Peace be to this house and to all who dwell
here, in the name of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Reader: When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold,
magi from the east arrived in
After their audience with
the king they set out. And behold, the
star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped
over the place where the child was. They
were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with
Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered
him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed
for their country by another way. Matthew 2:1-2, 9-12
This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God
Prayer: May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is Lord and King, forever and ever. Amen.
The Collect for Epiphany
O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; through Christ our Lord. Amen
Using chalk, we write on the outside of the house above or next to an entrance:
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The numerals of the new year contain four crosses reminding us of the four seasons and the four corners of the world, and that the cross of Jesus brings salvation and healing always and everywhere. The letters may stand for Christus Mansionem Benedicat which means: Christ bless this house; or for the traditional names of the Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar.
Leader: Lord God of heaven and earth, you revealed your only begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star. Christ bless this house and all who live here and all who visit. May we be blessed with health, kindness of heart, gentleness and the keeping of your law. Fill us with the light of Christ, that our love for each other may go out to all. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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;
but deliver us
from evil.
For thine is
the kingdom,
the power and
the glory,
for ever and
ever. Amen.
Leader: Arise, shine, for your light has come,
All: and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
Leader: Let us bless the Lord
All: Thanks be to God