Blessing of Homes

Today is Jan. 6, which traditionally is the feast of The Three Kings or the Magi. These were the 3 men who came to visit the Holy Family. They were Gentiles, not Jews, so St. Matthew included their story in his gospel to remind his audience, mostly Jews, that Jesus came for all people. This year we celebrated the feast last Sunday.

One popular religious tradition since the Middle Ages has been associated with this feast: the blessing of homes. The ritual calls for a priest or parent to mark, with chalk, the inside of the main door with the initials of the Magi and a code of the current year connected with crosses:

This year it will look like this: 20 + C = M = B = 11

The initials stand for the legendary names of the Magi (Casper, Melchior and Balthasar) This becomes a reminder that each time we enter or leave our homes, we want God’s protection on our home and all who enter in to it. It also says that the home of a Christian/Catholic is a holy place – a place with Christian symbols, and a place where prayers are said – like the “House/Church” or “the Domestic Church”.

The Church encourages the practice of lay people to pray blessings – blessing food, children, their home. Sometime this week, whether you live alone or with a family, pray a blessing on the place you call home. I and the sisters that I live with now at Clare House are going to do a blessing on Friday night. We may pray something like this: “ Be my shelter, Lord, when I am at home, my companion when I am away, and my welcome guest when I return. And at last receive me into the dwelling place you have prepared for me in heaven, where you live forever and ever. Amen.”
Submitted by S. Carol Ann Jaeger