Blessing of the Home and Household on Epiphany

The traditional date of Epiphany is January 6, but in the United States it is celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.

Traditionally, Catholics bless their home and those who live in their household on the Feast of the Epiphany each year.

It’s not difficult to do and we highly recommend you give it a try! Here’s how:

What You’ll Need To Bless Your Home On The Epiphany

Prayers
Chalk
A doorway
A ladder or chair

Meaning of the Blessing 20 + C + M + B + 23
The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also represent the Latin words “Christus mansionem benedicat” which means “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs symbolize the cross and the 20 and the 23 represent the year, 2023.

Prayers for the Epiphany Home Blessing 

(Simple Way)

Lord God of heaven and earth, you revealed your only-begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star. Bless this house

and all who inhabit it. Fill them (us) with the light of Christ, that their (our) concern for others may reflect your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

R/. Amen.

The leader concludes the rite by signing himself or herself with the sign of the cross and saying:

May Christ Jesus dwell with us, keep us from all harm, and make us one in mind and heart, now and forever.

R/. Amen.

Blessing of the Home and Household on Epiphany
(Complete Version)

When all have gathered, a suitable song may be sung. The leader makes the sign of the cross, and all reply, “Amen.”

The leader greets those present in the following words:

Let us praise God, who fills our hearts and homes with peace.
Blessed be God forever.
R/. Blessed be God forever.

In the following or similar words, the leader prepares those present for the blessing:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling place among us. It is Christ who enlightens our hearts and homes with his love. May all who enter this home find Christ’s light and love.

One of those present or the leader reads a text of sacred Scripture, for example, Luke 19:1-9:

Listen to the words of the holy Gospel according to Luke:
Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.> When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.”

The intercessions are then said:

Leader: The Son of God made his home among us. With thanks and praise let us call upon him.
R/. Stay with us, Lord.
Leader: Lord Jesus Christ, with Mary and Joseph you formed the Holy Family: remain in our home, that we may know you as our guest and honor you as our Head.
We pray:
R/. Stay with us, Lord.
Leader: Lord Jesus Christ, you had no place to lay your head, but in the spirit of poverty accepted the hospitality of your friends: grant that through our help the homeless may obtain proper
housing.
We pray:
R/. Stay with us, Lord.
Leader:Lord Jesus Christ, the three kings presented their gifts to you in praise and adoration: grant that those living in this house may use their talents and abilities to your greater glory.
We pray:
R/. Stay with us, Lord.

After the intercessions the leader invites all present to say the Lord’s Prayer.
The leader says the prayer of blessing with hands joined:

Lord God of heaven and earth,
you revealed your only-begotten Son to every nation
by the guidance of a star.
Bless this house
and all who inhabit it.
Fill them (us) with the light of Christ,
that their (our) concern for others may reflect your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.

The leader concludes the rite by signing himself or herself with the sign of the cross and saying:

May Christ Jesus dwell with us,
keep us from all harm,
and make us one in mind and heart,
now and forever.
R/. Amen.

It is preferable to end the celebration with a suitable song, for example, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” or “We Three Kings.”


Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church 

Prayer of Thanksgiving to the Trinity

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving to the Trinity
O Eternal God! O Eternal Trinity! Through the union of Thy divine nature Thou hast made so precious the Blood of Thine only-begotten Son! O eternal Trinity, Thou art as deep a mystery as the sea, in whom the more I seek, the more I find; and the more I find, the more I seek. For even immersed in the depths of Thee, my soul is never satisfied, always famished and hungering for Thee, eternal Trinity, wishing and desiring to see Thee, the True Light.

O eternal Trinity, with the light of understanding I have tasted and seen the depths of Thy mystery and the beauty of Thy creation. In seeing myself in Thee, I have seen that I will become like Thee. O eternal Father, from Thy power and Thy wisdom clearly Thou hast given to me a share of that wisdom which belongs to Thine Only-begotten Son. And truly hast the Holy Spirit, who procedeth from Thee, Father and Son, given to me the desire to love Thee.
O eternal Trinity, Thou art my maker and I am Thy creation. Illuminated by Thee, I have learned that Thou hast made me a new creation through the Blood of Thine Only-begotten Son because Thou art captivated by love at the beauty of Thy creation.

O eternal Trinity, O Divinity, O unfathomable abyss, O deepest sea, what greater gift could Thou givest me then Thy very Self? Thou art a fire that burns eternally yet never consumed, a fire that consumes with Thy heat my self-love. Again and again Thou art the fire who taketh away all cold heartedness and illuminateth the mind by Thy light, the light with which Thou hast made me to know Thy truth.
By this mirrored light I know Thou are the highest good, a good above all good, a fortunate good, an incomprehensible good, an unmeasurable good, a beauty above all beauty, a wisdom above all wisdom, for Thou art wisdom itself, the food of angels, the fire of love that Thou givest to man.

Thou art the garment covering our nakedness. Thou feedest our family with Thy sweetness, a sweetness Thou art from which there is no trace of bitterness. O Eternal Trinity! Amen.
Act of Thanksgiving to the Trinity, 

by St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), Doctor of the Church
from her Dialogue on Divine Providence

A Trinity Prayer
Love of Jesus Fill us. 
Holy Spirit Guide us. 
Will of the Father be done.

Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen

SAINTS OF THE DAY 

January 2

Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church 

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Basil the Great (329-379) and St. Gregory Nazianzen (330-390), bishops and doctors of the Church.

• St. BASIL THE GREAT 

St. Basil was born about 330, the oldest of four sons; three of his brothers became bishops, one of whom was St. Gregory of Nyssa. His pious grandmother Macrina exercised a great influence upon his religious education: "Never shall I forget the deep impression that the words and example of this venerable woman made upon my soul." Between St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nazianzen an intimate friendship existed from youth to old age. Of Western monasticism St. Benedict was the father and founder, of Eastern monasticism, St. Basil.

As bishop, Basil was a courageous and heroic champion of the Catholic faith against the Arian heresy. In 372 Emperor Valens sent Modestus, the prefect, to Cappadocia to introduce Arianism as the state religion. Modestus approached the holy bishop, upbraided him for his teaching, and threatened despoliation, exile, martyrdom, and death. To these words of the Byzantine despot, Basil replied with the peace of divine faith: "Is that all? Nothing of what you mentioned touches me. We possess nothing, we can be robbed of nothing. Exile will be impossible, since everywhere on God's earth I am at home. Torments cannot afflict me, for I have no body. And death is welcome, for it will bring me more quickly to God. To a great extent I am already dead; for a long time I have been hastening to the grave." Astonished, the prefect remarked: "Till today no one has ever spoken to me so courageously." "Perhaps," rejoined Basil, "you have never before met a bishop." Modestus hastened back to Valens. "Emperor," he said, "we are bested by this leader of the Church. He is too strong for threats, too firm for words, too clever for persuasion."

Basil was a strong character, a burning lamp during his time. But as the fire from this lamp illumined and warmed the world, it consumed itself; as the saint's spiritual stature grew, his body wasted away, and at the early age of forty-nine his appearance was that of an old man. In every phase of ecclesiastical activity he showed superior talent and zeal. He was a great theologian, a powerful preacher, a gifted writer, the author of two rules for monastic life, a reformer of the Oriental liturgy. He died in 379, hardly forty-nine years old, yet so emaciated that only skin and bones remained, as though he had stayed alive in soul alone.

• St. GREGORY NAZIANZEN

Gregory, surnamed the "Theologian" by the Greeks, was born at Nazianz in Cappadocia in 339. He was one of the "Three Lights of the Church from Cappadocia." To his mother, St. Nonna, is due the foundation for his saintly life as an adult. He was educated at the most famous schools of his time - Caesarea, Alexandria, Athens. At Athens he formed that storied bond of friendship with St. Basil which was still flaming with all the fervor of youthful enthusiasm when he delivered the funeral oration at the grave of his friend in 381.

Gregory was baptized in 360, and for a while lived the quiet life of a hermit. In 372 he was consecrated bishop by St. Basil. At the urgent wish of Gregory, his father and bishop of Nazianz, he assisted him in the care of souls. In 381 he accepted the see of Constantinople, but grieved by the constant controversies retired again to the quiet life he cherished so highly and dedicated himself entirely to contemplation.

During his life span the pendulum was continually swinging back and forth between contemplation and the active ministry. He longed for solitude, but the exigencies of the times called him repeatedly to do pastoral work and to participate in the ecclesiastical movements of the day. He was unquestionably one of the greatest orators of Christian antiquity; his many and great accomplishments were due in great measure to his exceptional eloquence. His writings have merited for him the title of "Doctor of the Church."

St. Gregory’s relics, along with those of St. John Chrysostom, were returned to Constantinople (Istanbul) by Pope St. John Paul II on November 27, 2004 and kept in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George.

NEW YEAR PRAYER FOR PROTECTION

 

NEW YEAR PRAYER FOR PROTECTION

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, as we begin the new year, we humbly implore Your powerful help to protect us against all kinds of harm, sickness, tragedies, calamities, and other similar unfortunate events. Please keep us always under the shadow of Your protection and do not allow the enemy to harass us. Thank You, Lord, for always being there for us. Amen.

#HappyNewYear2023 #HappyNewYear

Prayer for the New Year

 

A Christian Prayer for the New Year

Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future.

We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us-but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for our lives during this coming year.

In the midst of life's uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.

In the midst of life's inevitable disappointments and heartaches, help us to turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.

In the midst of life's temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will, help us not to lose our way but to have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

And in the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits, open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world, and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need. May our constant prayer be that of the ancient Psalmist: "Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end" (Psalm 119:33).

We pray for our nation and its leaders during these difficult times, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace and justice to our dangerous and troubled world. We pray especially for Your protection on all those who serve in our armed forces, and we thank You for their commitment to defend our freedoms, even at the cost of their own lives. Be with their families also, and assure them of Your love and concern for them.

Bring our divided nation together, and give us a greater vision of what You would have us to be. Your Word reminds us that "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12).

As we look back over this past year we thank You for Your goodness to us-far beyond what we have deserved. May we never presume on Your past goodness or forget all Your mercies to us, but may they instead lead us to repentance, and to a new commitment to make You the foundation and center of our lives this year.

And so, our Father, we thank You for the promise and hope of this new year, and we look forward to it with expectancy and faith. This I ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, who by His death and resurrection has given us hope both for this world and the world to come.

- Billy Graham

PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR

 

Drenched in Holiness Prayer: Prayer for a New Year

Dear God,

On this day I ask You to grant this request,

May I know who I am and what I am,

Every moment of every day.

May I be a catalyst for light and love,

And bring inspiration to those whose eyes I meet.

May I have the strength to stand tall in the face of conflict,

And the courage to speak my voice, even when I'm scared.

May I have the humility to follow my heart,

And the passion to live my soul's desires.

May I seek to know the highest truth

And dismiss the gravitational pull of my lower self.

May I embrace and love the totality of myself,

My darkness as well as my light.

May I be brave enough to hear my heart,

To let it soften so that I may gracefully

Choose faith over fear.

Today is my day to surrender anything that stands

Between the sacredness of my humanity and my divinity.

May I be drenched in my Holiness

And engulfed by Your love.

May all else melt away.

And so it is.

- Debbie Ford

Prayer To Help Us Enter The New Year

 

Help Us Enter the New Year

God of all time, help us enter the New Year quietly,

thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others,

mindful that our steps make an impact

and our words carry power.

May we walk gently.

May we speak only after we have listened well.

Creator of all life,

help us enter the New Year reverently,

aware that you have endowed

every creature and plant, every person and habitat

with beauty and purpose.

May we regard the world with tenderness.

May we honor rather than destroy.

Lower of all souls,

help us enter the New Year joyfully,

willing to laugh and dance and dream,

remembering our many gifts with thanks

and looking forward to blessings yet to come.

May we welcome your lavish love.

In this new year, may the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead.

- Vinita Hampton Wright; Offered by Douglas Ruschman

The Work of Christmas Begins - by Michael Dougherty

 

The Work of Christmas Begins

When the carols have been stilled,

When the star-topped tree is taken down,

When family and friends are gone home,

When we are back to our schedules

The work of Christmas begins:

   To welcome the refugee,

   To heal a broken planet,

   To feed the hungry,

   To build bridges of trust, not walls of fear,

   To share our gifts,

   To seek justice and peace for all people,

   To bring Christ’s light to the world.

- by Michael Dougherty, a variation on Howard Thurman’s ‘When the Song of the Angels is Stilled’

Prayer to Mother Mary: Ask and Pray for a Miracle… Mother Mary will make it happen for you

 

MOST holy Mary, Queen of heaven, I who was once the slave of the Evil One now dedicate myself to thy service forever; and I offer myself to honor and to serve thee as long as I live. Accept me for thy servant, and cast me not away from thee, as I deserve. In thee, O my Mother, I place all my hope. All blessing and thanksgiving be to God, who in His mercy gave me this trust in thee.

True it is, that in time past I have fallen miserably into sin; but by the merits of Jesus Christ, and by thy prayers, I hope that God has pardoned me. But this is not enough, my Mother. One thought distresses me; it is that I may yet lose the grace of God. Danger is ever near; the devil sleeps not; fresh temptations assail me.

Protect me, then, my Queen; help me against the assaults of my spiritual enemy. Never let me sin again, or offend Jesus thy Son. Let me not by sin lose my soul, Heaven, and my God. This one grace, Mary, I ask of thee; this is my desire, this may your prayers obtain for me. Such is my hope. Amen.

(3 Hail Marys in reparation for blasphemies against the Blessed Virgin

Holy Mary, pray for us.

Holy Mother of God, pray for us.

Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.

Mother of Christ, pray for us.

Mother of divine grace, pray for us.

Mother most pure, pray for us.

Mother most chaste, pray for us.

Mother inviolate, pray for us.

Mother undefiled, pray for us.

Mother most amiable, pray for us.

Mother most admirable, pray for us.

Mother of good counsel, pray for us.

Mother of our Creator, pray for us.

Mother of our Savior, pray for us.

Mother of the Church, pray for us.

Virgin most prudent, pray for us.

Virgin most venerable, pray for us.

Virgin most renowned, pray for us.

Virgin most powerful, pray for us.

Virgin most merciful, pray for us.

Virgin most faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of justice, pray for us.

Seat of wisdom, pray for us.

Cause of our joy, pray for us.

Spiritual vessel, pray for us.

Vessel of honor, pray for us.

Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.

Mystical rose, pray for us.

Tower of David, pray for us.

Tower of ivory, pray for us.

House of gold, pray for us.

Ark of the covenant, pray for us.

Gate of Heaven, pray for us.

Morningstar, pray for us.

Health of the sick, pray for us.

Refuge of sinners, pray for us.

Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.

Help of Christians, pray for us.

Queen of angels, pray for us.

Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.

Queen of prophets, pray for us.

Queen of apostles, pray for us.

Queen of martyrs, pray for us.

Queen of confessors, pray for us

Queen of virgins, pray for us.

Queen of all saints, pray for us.

Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.

Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.

Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.

Queen of peace, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world

Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

Have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy

servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and

body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed

Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow

and enjoy everlasting happiness. Through Christ Our

Lord.

Amen

ANGELS : THE 12 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THEM

ANGELS

The Twelve Most Important Things to Know About Them

- by Dr. Peter Kreeft

1.They really exist. Not just in our minds, or our myths, or our symbols, or our culture. They are as real as your dog, or your sister, or electricity.

2.They’re present, right here, right now, right next to you, reading these words with you.

3.They’re not cute, cuddly, comfortable, chummy, or “cool”. They are fearsome and formidable. They are huge. They are warriors.

4.They are the real “extra-terrestrials”, the real “Super-men”, the ultimate aliens. Their powers are far beyond those of all fictional creatures.

5.They are more brilliant minds than Einstein.

6.They can literally move the heavens and the earth if God permits them.

7.There are also evil angels, fallen angels, demons, or devils. These too are not myths. Demon possessions, and exorcisms, are real.

8.Angels are aware of you, even though you can’t usually see or hear them. But you can communicate with them. You can talk to them without even speaking.

9.You really do have your very own “guardian angel”. Everybody does.

10.Angels often come disguised. “Do not neglect hospitality, for some have entertained angels unawares” — that’s a warning from life’s oldest and best instruction manual.

11.We are on a protected part of a great battlefield between angels and devils, extending to eternity.

12.Angels are sentinels standing at the crossroads where life meets death. They work especially at moments of crisis, at the brink of disaster — for bodies, for souls, and for nations.

The Guardian Angel Prayer should be prayed every day:

Angel of God,

my Guardian dear,

To whom God's love

commits me here;

Ever this day, be at my side

To light and guard

To rule and guide.

Amen. ❤