BLESSING OF A HOME AT EPIPHANY

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0 C + M + B 10
May Christ bless this House…
All who dwell and pray in it…
And All Whom they Welcome in His Name
....................

BLESSING OF A HOME AT EPIPHANY

Let us pray, In the name of + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

V. On entering the house, the Magi found the Child Jesus with Mary his mother.
R. They did Him homage and presented to Jesus symbolic gifts: gold to the great King, incense to the true God, and myrrh as a foreshadowing of his suffering and death.

Let us pray, God, our Father, by the guidance of a star, You revealed Your only Son as the Savior of all nations. Grant that we who already know You by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of Your glory in our heavenly home. We ask this through Christ your Son, Our Lord. Amen.

All may recite the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The MAGNIFICAT) by which Mary praised God at the time of her Visitation to the house of Elizabeth found in St. Luke's Gospel Chapter 1, verses 46-55.

V. Be enlightened, O Jerusalem, and shine forth …for Your light has come!
R. And upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
V. All nations shall walk in Your light and kings in the splendor of Your birth.
R. And upon You is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
Now, a Reading of the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord
from St. Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 12.
V. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, has appeared and been revealed to the nations.
R. The prophets foretold His coming, and the angels and shepherds adored Him.
V. The Magi rejoiced to find Him and they lay their treasures before Him.
R. All you nations and peoples, …come and adore Him!

All recite The OUR FATHER as all the rooms of the house are sprinkled with holy water …and also if possible with blessed salt.

Let us pray, Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have received all benefits. Come, visit and bless + this house so that it may be a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, - and thanksgiving to God, + The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

May the love and blessings of God, + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit, descend upon this house, all those who reside within it, and upon all those whom they welcome in the Sacred Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and may God's grace and peace remain with all of them forever. Amen.

NOTE: The initials of the names ascribed by tradition to the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar), and the numerals of the current year are to be written with the blessed chalk above all the entry doors of the house in the following manner:
20 C + M + B 10

(Some interpret the letters to stand for Christus Mansioni Benedicat! May Christ bless this house! )

Cherry Tree Carol

Thanks to my friend Lois, I learned about this old but beautiful carol. I believe it was written by Peter, Paul and Mary.

When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he
He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee
He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee

Joseph and Mary walked through an orchard green
There were cherries and berries, as thick as might be seen
There were cherries and berries, as thick as might be seen

Mary said to Joseph, so meek and so mild:
Joseph, gather me some cherries, for I am with child
Joseph, gather me some cherries, for I am with child

Then Joseph flew in anger, in anger flew he
Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee!
Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee!

Then up spoke baby Jesus, from in Mary's womb:
Bend down the tallest branches, that my mother might have some
Bend down the tallest branches, that my mother might have some

And bend down the tallest branches, it touched Mary's hand
Cried she: Oh look thou Joseph, I have cherries by command
Oh look thou Joseph, I have cherries by command

Not a Holy Day of Obligation in Hawaii

The first of the year, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is not a holy day of obligation in Hawaii. One of the past bishops chose to follow the dioceses in west coast and only kept two days of Holy Days of Obligation in Hawaii. One is Christmas and the other is Feast of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States.

With that said, it was heartwarming that after a long night of revelry and with only a few hours of sleep, the 8am Mass was packed full of people in honor of our Blessed Mother Mary. By the way, the lack of sleep was true whether or not one purposely planned on staying up to welcome the New Year. The fireworks and firecrackers exploding all over the island did not make for a quiet new year reception. Sometimes, it looked like a war zone with the smoke and explosions.

One priest told us that we did not need an official Holy Day of Obligation on the Church Calendar to go to Mass. We went to Mass IF we truly loved God.

Another priest thanked us and praised us for going to Mass this morning but in reality, we should be grateful to God and to our priests.

Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God - Daily Resolution

In Mary’s presence, I will strive to “sing this new song” (the Christian virtue I have determined to cultivate) today by making a special effort in one aspect of living this virtue.

Regnum Christi Daily Meditation

Happy New Year! - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

A very happy and blessed New Year to all of you!!

YEAR FOR PRIESTS - Looking for Stories on How Priest Helped You Grow in Your Faith, etc.

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Pope Benedict XVI has begun a “Year for Priests,” starting in June 2009 and ending in August 2010. In the first half of 2010, St. Anthony Messenger magazine will publish an article based on stories submitted to this blog.

Your story could address a question such as: Do you have a story about how a priest has helped you grow in your faith? Challenged you in some way? Strengthened your faith?

Please keep your submission to 250 words.

The Year for Priests

H/T Melissa C.

The Dark Night of a Priestly Soul

...Seven years ago today, on December 29, 2002, a brother priest in my diocese took his own life. Father Richard Lower was 57 years old. He was a popular and very gifted – and giving – priest and human being. Father Lower had served Our Lady of Fatima Parish in New London, New Hampshire for the previous thirteen years, and he was much beloved by his parish family.

There was a lot that happened in Father Lower’s personal life over the preceding year. He had undergone his sixth painful back surgery. Then he developed septicemia for which he was hospitalized again. Father Lower’s mother died that November. These factors, and likely others that are unknown, left Father Lower physically, emotionally, and spiritually bereft to face the newest terror that was to enter his life two days after Christmas seven years ago...

Please take the time to read the rest of Father Gordon MacRae's post about the tragedy that befell another persecuted priest, over at Priests in Crisis

St. Thomas Becket

Source: Find more on St. Thomas life here

Feast of the Holy Innocents

Massacre of the Holy Innocents by Daniele Volterra
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