Wednesday, January 6, 2021

The Rev. Nathaniel Bourne

Epiphany Traditions

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany. On this the church celebrates the arrival of the magi bearing gifts for the infant Jesus. It’s the final act of the Christmas story. Like Christmas, Epiphany has been surrounded by a rich array of traditions over the centuries. In a typical year, over the past month we would’ve seen the wise men slowly making their way across the church – a journey that would take them from the side chapel across the sanctuary to the nativity scene next to the piano.

One of the other Epiphany traditions is “chalking the door,” a practice by which folks have for centuries been inviting blessings on their houses for the year to come. Around the world on this day, people mark the lintels of their front doors with the following inscription:

20 † C † M † B † 21

The letters stand for “Christus mansionem benedictat” – “May Christ bless this house.” They also reflect the traditional names of the three wise – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. “Chalking the door” is a way to remember the Epiphany and to ask God to bless our lives and homes. The marking is a reminder of God’s presence with us and in our homes, and of God’s work that we do in the world. This year, perhaps more than any other, we could use whatever reminders we can get that God is with us and watching over us.

I invite you on this day to find some chalk, to mark your doors, and to invite God’s loving presence into your home and heart.

As you chalk your door, consider saying these prayers:

The three Wise Men followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and twenty-one years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.
Visit, O blessed Lord, this home with the gladness of your presence. Bless all who live or visit here with the gift of your love; and grant that we may manifest your love to each other and to all whose lives we touch. May we grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of you; guide, comfort, and strengthen us in peace, O Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen

Loving God, visit this home and bless it. May there be no evil here. Let your holy angels dwell here and keep all who live here in peace. May you bless us, and all whom we love, today and for evermore. Amen.