There is a beautiful Catholic practice of blessing your home on the Feast of The Epiphany of the Lord. It’s a wonderful way to start the year off as we continue the celebration of Christmas.
Epiphany is celebrated this year liturgically on Sunday, January 3, 2021, which is the traditional date that ends the “12 Days of Christmas”. There is a specific blessing calling to mind the 3 Magi and how they adored the Baby Jesus.
The Catholic Church offers a profound blessing liturgy that asks for the intercession of the 3 Magi who left their homes to search for the newborn Savior of the world.
Think of it: All year long, every time you pass through the doors of your home, you’ll be reminded that you are under the protection of God in His Angels and His Saints as adopted children!
You will also be reminded to continually follow the example of the 3 Magi and look for ways you can search for Jesus both inside and outside your home.
The Epiphany Home Blessing truly brings CHRISTMAS to your home in a way that reminds everyone who enters that the world changed in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.
If a priest or deacon can do the blessing–it’s the best!
But the Church also has a rite for the blessing of the home by a layperson. The Father is the obvious person to lead the blessing.
What do you need? Just three things:
- Holy Water (get it at your parish)
- Chalk
- The Blessing
To make this easier for you, we have created the Epiphany Home Blessing Kit with everything you need (including step-by-step instructions for the blessing)–and we’ve added something extra that will amaze your children and teach the whole family things they didn’t know about the Magi!
What is it? Our Holy Heroes Mysterious Magi map! It’s more than just a map: it’s packed with information from Scripture, tradition, and historical research that will make the Magi a rich part of your Catholic life.
In this kit, you will find a reusable Holy Water bottle, chalk, a copy of the Blessing and step-by-step instructions for the Scripture and prayers to bless your home–plus our Mysterious Magi Map.
This year, why not start a new tradition of closing out the Christmas Season with this traditional Catholic blessing of your home? It will protect and inspire your family all year long!
Ken Davison created Glory Stories, which became a weekly radio series heard globally on the Ave Maria Satellite Radio Network and EWTN’s radio network, WEWN. In 2007, he and his wife, Kerri, founded Holy Heroes–and their children stepped in to help shortly thereafter to create the online “Adventures” for Advent, Lent, Spiritual Adoption, and Marian Consecration.
I don’t know what the chalk is for?
The chalk is used to mark the door frame (you can see an example of these in the picture at the top of the blog). You can learn more about the blessing (and how to use the chalk) here: https://www.holyheroes.com/Epiphany-Home-Blessing-Kit-p/home-blessing.htm
I missed doing the blessing of the doors on the 5th. I did attend mass on that day but I would like to blessed my house tomorrow, January 8. Is it too late? Please let me. Kind regards, Ada Mejia
I’m sure it is okay to do the blessing today since you missed doing it earlier!
Thanks Clara!
Thank you Holy Heroes for informing us about this great Catholic tradition! Must the chalk be blessed by a Priest before this blessing can be done in a family?
No need for the chalk to be blessed–although your priest can do so! Our thoughts with kids in the home…is that we don’t want to lose the blessed object (the chalk) and also have to manage proper disposal of the blessed object at some later date. The Holy Water suffices, in our minds!
Is there a specific prayer used to bless the home?
Yes! The prayer for the house blessings can be found in the Epiphany Home Blessing kit on the website: https://www.holyheroes.com/Epiphany-Home-Blessing-Kit-p/home-blessing.htm
If a home should not be blessed unless everyone is present, does that mean I should skip it if my husband is not a believer and would not participate?
I’d talk to your parish priest for his advice.
Thank you for this. I love it. It will be a tradition we will do every year.
Is it necessary to do this every year? Our home was blessed on the Epiphany previously by our son who is a priest. The marking is still above the door.
Renewing the home blessing every year is a great practice! Is it “necessary” is another question. I am not aware of any requirement to bless your home, but blessing your home in this way every Epiphany is another opportunity to raise our hearts and minds (and those of our children and all who enter our home) to God. Merry Christmas!
I believe there is a second version of this blessing using the same graphics. But the CMB letters stand for a Latin expression: Christus Mansionem Benedicat (Christ Bless This House)
This would not be the first time there are multiple attributions to a given practice in Church history.
We have prayed together as family as the date is changed every year. So far, so good….. ; – )
Yes, the Church frequently gives us many depths and perspectives for our meditations. Merry Christmas!
My husband works out of town, and wont be back in time for the blessing, so Easter it is…don’t want to go against the rites rules, they’re there for a reason!
This all is so interested to me, would like to know more about Catholic traditions
In what manner is the holy water used while blessing a home
Use the Holy Water to sprinkle on the outside and throughout the house as part of the blessing. We also bless everyone in our family with holy water at the time of the blessing. (By the way, here is a fantastic book about Holy Water and how to use it: http://www.holyheroes.com/Holy-Water-and-Its-Significance-for-Catholics-p/holy-water-theiler.htm. It’s a wonderful resource to have around the house!)
I cook with holy water and blessed salt
I don’t know about the Normal Form but the Extraordinary Form of Mass which my family follow, the last day of the Christmas Season is always Candlemas Day which is celebrated on 2 Feb every year. So for us 6 Jan is definitely not the last day of the Christmas season. Christmas season is 40 days. Candlemas Day is also known as the Feast of Presentation of Our Lord.
God bless
Hi, Francis,
Yes, for the Ordinary Form the last day of the Christmas Season is Jan 10th this year (Feast of the Baptism of the Lord), and Epiphany is liturgically celebrated on Jan 3rd. The Ordinary Form also celebrates the Feast of the Presentation on Feb 2nd. Merry Christmas!
So, do we have until the feast of candlemas day???