Epiphany Season – Bless Your Home

After Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the Holy Family was visited by three Magi from the east. They came to worship Christ
and bring him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We celebrate this visit with the Feast of Epiphany, and it is traditional for families to bless their homes, remembering the hospitality of the Holy Family to the Magi and asking for protection and blessing on the home and all who enter.

The home blessing is done by writing on the door or door frame with chalk the symbols 20+C+M+B+20. The 20 and 20 represent the current year. The + reminds us of the cross on which our Savior died. The C, M, and B stand for the
traditional names of the Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, as well as an abbreviation for the Latin phrase
“Christus mansionem benedicat” which means “Christ bless this house.” Writing on the door also brings to mind the
Passover of the Jews during the final plague in Exodus, when the blood of the lamb protected the inhabitants within.
Your family can join in this tradition using this booklet: epiphany home blessing 2020. 

All you need is a piece of chalk! Or pick up a booklet (and a piece of chalk) in worship this Sunday!