“When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening heir treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:10-11
Dear Redeemer Family:
The text above is, of course, the arrival of the “Three Wise Men” from Matthew’s Gospel. The Day of Epiphany, January 6th, celebrates this event in the Church. It is a day which celebrates the Epiphany, namely God’s light breaking into the world. There is a tradition of blessing which Christians have performed at their homes on the Day of Epiphany. And ever since I first mentioned it a couple of years ago, people have asked me to remind them what it is; what it means; and how to do it. This year, there is a nice brief description in the Sundays and Seasons Book. So, here it is. First of all, you will need a piece of white chalk. Then, go outside your front door and write above the entrance the following:
20+CMB+21
Traditionally, you are supposed to speak the following while you write the above words. I’ve added some of my commentary in parentheses, don’t say those parts.
“The magi of old, known as
C Caspar (ironically, he is sometimes named Gaspar),
M Melchior, and
B Balthasar (sometimes spelled Balthazar)
Followed the star of God’s Son who came to dwell among us
20 two thousand
21 and twenty-one years ago.
- Christ, bless this house,
- and remain with us throughout the new year.”
By the way, the “CMB” also stands for the Latin words which mean, “Christ, bless this home/house.” And, you may have guessed that the numbers change annually with the number of the years.
May Christ richly bless each and everyone’s home this year, as we head to hopefully a much better and “normal” new year.
In Christ,
Pastor Rose