Blessed New Year! Blessed Feast of the Epiphany when we celebrate the three wise men who seek Christ, and in seeking find Him. In them we see what Jesus will later say about prayer personified: Matthew 7:7-11: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.” May we have the same perseverance in our pursuit of God.
On the feast of the Epiphany, it is traditional to use blessed chalk to mark your door as a way to bless all who enter your home and consecrate your family life. We have bags of blessed chalk you can take home along with the prayer you pray as you mark the doorway. I want to share this brief explanation of this blessing shared by Christina Antus in an article on Busted Halo:
“Several years ago, when I first started to tiptoe back into my faith, I read an article about the Epiphany door blessing. I loved the idea of declaring my faith in a cryptic kind of way. I
remember climbing on a chair in my first apartment and chalking the letters and numbers on my door. At that time, it was my first “bold” declaration that I was Catholic.
The point of the Epiphany blessing over your door is exactly what you might think it is: to bless your house and everyone who enters it. It’s a centuries-old tradition (less common in the United States) that started shortly around the end of the Middle Ages. Priests would traditionally visit the members of their parish after the Feast of the Epiphany and bless their homes. As parishes grew, the responsibility was transferred over to household members.
The Epiphany blessing is a simple blessing written on your door as follows: the first two digits of the year + C + M + B + the last two digits of the new year. So, today, it would look like this: 20 + C + M + B + 23.
The C M B serves two meanings:
● The initials of the wise men.
● The first letters of the Latin phrase: Christus
mansionem benedicat (May Christ bless the
house).”
One week into the New Year I know we are looking for resolutions to help us grow. I have three quick suggestions. Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz or Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz. With him you will read either the whole Bible or Catechism in a year, along with explanations. Third is the Hallow App, which is simply a great app. I primarily use it for the recorded Rosaries that I pray with when I am driving, but it has tons of resources.
Like the wise men, seek and you will find!
God Bless,
Fr. Todd