Christ, Bless This House

​In the cold and dark days of our January and February, there are three feasts accompanied by sacramentals that especially help us to bring the light of Christ into our lives and to know that God is with us in a very personal way throughout the year. 

Adoration of the King, by Vrancke van der Stockt (1424-1495)

Epiphany (Solemnity)
January 6
Epiphany means “manifestation”, that moment when we suddenly understand something that previously was hidden from us. On this feast we especially remember the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, who followed the star to a manger in Bethlehem where the Messiah was made manifest for them in the person of a newborn child. In imitation of the journey of the Magi, carolling is appropriate around the time of this feast as a way of announcing the manifestation of the Christ Child in song. It is also traditional to bless doorways on this feast. The Magi showed great hospitality when they came to honour the Messiah. The blessing of the doorway reminds us to welcome strangers and travellers into our midst as though each were Jesus himself. In this blessing the doorway is marked with chalk using the first two digits of the year, the initials of each of the Magi (or the first letter of each word in the phrase Christus Mansionem Benedicat, Christ bless this house) followed by the last digits of the year, e.g. 20 + C + M + B + 19. The rooms of the home can be blessed with holy water. 

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​Candlemas (Feast)
February 2
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple is known by many different names. One of the most descriptive is Candlemas, named after the tradition of blessing candles for use in the church and the home throughout the coming year. It is an ancient feast based on the passage described in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:22-40) where Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple forty days after his birth according to the Law of Moses. When they arrived at the temple they encountered the prophet Simeon. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah. Upon meeting the child Jesus Simeon prayed the prayer that is known as the Nunc Dimittis, or Canticle of Simeon. This prayer is used daily at Night Prayer (Compline) in the Liturgy of the Hours and is a good prayer to commit to memory: 

​Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; 
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation 
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations 
and the glory of your people Israel. 

In this prayer Simeon calls Jesus a “light” for all the nations. Candles are a powerful symbol of the light of Christ that reminds us that we have been given this Light. On this feast of light, there is a solemn blessing of candles for use in the church and the faithful can bring for blessing the candles they will use at home. The liturgy can include a procession with lighted candles around the church before the beginning of the Mass. 

The Presentation in the Temple, by Meister des Marienlebens (1463-1490)

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​St. Blaise (Memorial)
February 3 
The Memorial of St. Blaise is not observed liturgically in 2019 as the Sunday takes precedence. However, throats may be blessed at any time during the year.

The very next day the Church puts these candles to work with the blessing of throats on the Commemoration of St. Blaise. St. Blaise was a Bishop in Armenia in the fourth century. He was also a doctor, who was said to have saved a boy from choking on a fish bone. As such, St. Blaise is a patron of the sick, especially of those suffering from illnesses of the throat. On this day we pray for good health through a special blessing of throats using candles that were blessed the day before. In the blessing the minister touches the throat with the candles and says this prayer: 

Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr,
may God deliver you from every disease of the throat
and from every other illness:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

R. Amen. 

If the numbers are too great for the priest or deacon to offer the blessing to all in the assembly, lay people can assist but without making the sign of the cross during the prayer. It is especially lovely when the candles are made of genuine beeswax so that not only the senses of touch, sight, and hearing are engaged but also our sense of smell. The blessing of throats reminds us in a very bodily way that in our most human of struggles, God is with us.  

Tableau du maître-autel "Saint-Blaise" (vers 1740)

​Resources:

• Blessings and Prayers Through the Year: A Resource for School, Parish, and Home,  Elizabeth McMahon Jeep
• Blessings and Prayers for Home and Family, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

By: Dr. Simone Brosig