Epiphany is a traditional time to bless the home for the new year.
Use a piece of chalk to mark the date and initials of the Magi on the doorway of your home. Mark the first two numbers of the year and a + before the initials, the two numbers after the initials. The finished inscription will read, for example, 20 + C + M + B + 09. The following blessing may be used:
O God our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
bless this house and all who enter
through this door.
Make us ready to leave all behind and follow your light as did your servants
Caspar (mark a C and a +),
Melchior (mark a M and a +) and
Balthasar (mark a B and a +).
May we in this year proclaim
your everlasting glory
in a world troubled by fear and sin;
through Christ our Lord. Amen
Epiphany. What a wonderful word. When we have an epiphany, our hearts and minds are opened to a surprising, new reality.
But Epiphany is also a glorious day on our church year calendar. It receives significantly less attention than the major festival 12 days earlier.
In the fourth century, Eastern churches commemorated Jesus’ birth and baptism, the visit of the Magi and Christ’s manifestation to the nations in one wonderful celebration—not on Dec. 25 but on Jan. 6.
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© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
