The Epiphany House Blessing For 2024

Epiphany, which is also known as “Little Christmas,” is the feast that celebrates the arrival of the three Magi who had come to worship the Child Jesus shortly after his birth.

Traditionally, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany on January  6. The Traditional Latin Mass communities have continued with this practice. However, in the Ordinary Rite, the Novus Ordo Mass, in the United States, the celebration has been transferred  to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8. Many around the world celebrate this feast with as much pomp and circumstance as Christmas, including the exchanging of gifts. The purpose is to remember the call of the Gentiles to Christianity and to be the yearly remembrance of this wonderful event. It is one of the major feast days of the year and celebrates the revelation that Jesus, the young Messiah, is the Son of God and the Light of the Nations.

The primary focus is on this revelation to the Three Wise Men, but it also focuses on his baptism in the Jordan and at the wedding at Cana. It is a day of joy and spiritual delight and to encourage these sentiments, the Church offers us a special liturgical living activity that can inspire us to invite Christ into our new year called “The Epiphany House Blessing.” This is a special tradition at the beginning of each year, a way to invite God into your home and place your family under his protection. 

According to EWTN,

“In years past, priests would often visit their parishioners during the Christmas season to bless their homes. Since this is virtually impossible for most priests today, someone in the family–ideally the father or head of household–sprinkles holy water in each room of the house and says a blessing prayer.

Normally, the house blessing is coupled with the blessing of the doorway. Some churches will provide parishioners with blessed chalk after the Epiphany Masses. Otherwise, the faithful can bring chalk to their parish, asking the priest to bless it.”

How to Bless Your Home on the Feast of the Epiphany in 2024

Have you ever walked past a door and seen what appears to be random letters and numbers written at the top? These letters and numbers actually have a great significance.

On the feast of the Epiphany, many Catholics bless their homes by writing the letters C, M, and B and the numbers of the year on the top of their front door frame with chalk.

This year, the sequence is: 20 + C + M + B + 24

This combination of letters and numbers holds a special meaning.

The letters represent two different things. First, they stand for the names of the three wise men: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. Secondly, they also represent the Latin blessing Christus mansionem benedicat, which translates to “May Christ bless this house.”

The crosses between each figure signify our salvation through Christ.

The Epiphany House Blessing For 2024 

(Use this one or scroll down to a beautiful and more detailed version)

Begin by gathering members of the household in front of the house and recite the following:

Priest/Leader: Peace be to this house.

All: And to all who dwell herein.

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

After these prayers are recited, journey throughout your home and sprinkle each room with holy water–you can get some from your parish.

Afterward, you may continue with the blessing:

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

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 and lead us not into temptation,

All: But deliver us from evil.

Leader: All they from Saba shall come.

All: Bringing gold and frankincense.

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 on this day manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Leader: 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 God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, the thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Following the series of prayers, you can return to your front entryway and write the Epiphany blessing on your door frame.

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EPIPHANY HOME BLESSING CEREMONY

The manger is decorated regally, containing the enthroned Christ Child. All gather around the manger while the visiting priest leads the prayers. If there is no priest present, the father of the family leads:

P: God’s peace be in this home,

All: And in all who live here.

Antiphon:

P: The star burned like a flame, pointing the way to God, the King of kings; the wise men saw the sign and brought their gifts in homage to their great King.

Canticle of Mary, the Magnificat, Luke 1:26-55:

All: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for He has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations shall call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation. He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of His servant Israel for He has remembered His promise of mercy, the promise He made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen.

All: The star burned like a flame, pointing the way to God, the King of kings; the wise men saw the sign and brought their gifts in homage to their great King.

P: Many shall come from Sheba.

All: Bearing gold and incense.

P: O Lord, hear my prayer.

All: And let my cry come unto Thee.

P: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star did this day reveal your Only Begotten Son to the Gentiles, grant that we who know You by faith may be brought to the contemplation of the heavenly majesty, through the same Christ, Our Lord.

All: Amen.

All: Be enlightened and shine forth, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and upon thee is risen the glory of the Lord, Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.

P: Nations shall walk in your light, and kings in the brilliance of your rising.

All: And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

BLESSING OF CHALK (Optional)

P: Bless, + O Lord God, this creature, chalk, and let it be a help to mankind. Grant that those who will use it with faith in your most holy name, and with it inscribe on the doors of their homes the names of your saints, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, may through their merits and intercession enjoy health in body and protection of soul; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

HOUSE BLESSING

P: Let us pray. O Lord, Almighty God, bless this house + that it may become a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the commandments, and thanksgiving to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Upon this house and those who dwell herein may Your blessing remain forever, through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The father of the family and the three “kings” take blessed chalk (one piece each) and proceed to the front door, accompanied by the priest. While all look on, the father reads the corresponding words as the kings inscribe their initials onto the lintel. (The initials CMB also stand for Christus mansionem benedicat: May Christ bless this house.)

Final inscription on lintel should read: 2 0 + C + M + B + 2 4:

• “The three wise men,
  
• Caspar, [Caspar inscribes ‘C’ on lintel] C
  
• Melchior, [Melchior inscribes ‘M’] M
  
• and Balthasar [Balthasar inscribes ‘B’] B
  followed the star of God’s Son who became man
  
• two thousand [The father inscribes the ‘2 0’ on left] 2 0
  
• twenty-four years ago. [The father inscribes ‘2 4’ on right] 2 4
  
• “May Christ bless our dwelling, [The father places + after ‘2 0’] +
  
• and remain with us throughout the new year, [ + after ‘C’] +
  
• and grant that our comings and goings [ + after ‘M’] +
  
• will be in search of truth [ + after ‘B’] +

Priest/Father: Almighty God, incline your ear. May you bless us and all who are gathered here. Send your holy angel who will defend us and fill with grace all who live here.

All: Amen.

The father and the “Three Kings” now accompany the priest as he blesses the house with holy water. Everyone sings:

We Three Kings of Orient Are

We three Kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain following yonder star.
Refrain: O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a babe on Bethlehem’s plain, Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never Over us all to reign. Refrain.

Frankincense to offer have I; Incense owns a Deity nigh
Pray’r and praising, all men raising, Worship him God most high. Refrain

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, Sealed in the stone-cold tomb. Refrain

Glorious now, behold Him arise, King and God sacrifice!
Alleluia, Alleluia Earth to Heav’n replies. Refrain.