Blessing with Epiphany Chalk

Epiphany Blessing of our doorway!

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany!  Our priest encouraged us to do a blessing one’s home with a chalk inscription, as you can see above.  At Mass, the priest blessed the chalk according to the Bishop’s Book of Blessings.  It was distributed to parishoners along with a prayer to say while writing the inscription, which I have reproduced here:

Blessing with the Epiphany Chalk

Chalk is used because it symbolizes the dust of the earth from which we were made.  The Chalk is used to mark the following letters and numbers over the main door of your home.  The following blessing may be used as they are written by one of the parents as the other writes:

20 + C + M + B + 13

The numerals consecrate the new year.  The initials remind us of the legendary names of the magi – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar – and also stand for the Latin motto: Christus Mansionem benedicat, which means May Christ bless this house.

Let us pray:
Lord, as we begin a new year in this home, we ask your protection and seek your guidance as we welcome others into our hearts.  May our visitors always find the presence of Jesus in our home especially as we welcome the stranger who seeks to know Christ among us.  Bless our home and all who join us.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen!

I had never heard of this type of blessing before, but I think it’s a nice way to consecrate the home and the new year.  After doing some reading, it seems that this is a more traditional observance and more common in Europe.  Here is more information via CatholicCulture.org.

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