Blessing of Homes

Blessing of Homes

We, as Christians, are engaged in a struggle to reclaim fallen nature for the Kingdom of God. We often talk about this in terms of our own salvation, but the Church, addressing all of creation in a wholistic manner, also reaches out and reclaims a bit here and a bit there of creation in general. We do this in order that we might restore the usefulness of creation for working out our own salvation. Hence we bless anything that might help us in our salvation – and by blessing it we reclaim it for the Kingdom of God.

There are few things more vital to our lives than our homes. In our homes we pray, we work, we talk to others, we order our lives, we work out our marriages, etc. What more important place to reclaim for the Kingdom of God! The sanctification of the home takes place with prayer and the sprinkling of holy water. The priest, at this annual visit, asks God to have mercy on the house, to rid it of every evil and to fill if with every blessing. Everyone of the house, prays together; they all sing the hymn of salvation and process from room to room while the priest blesses the house.

Preparation

A candle with an icon and some holy water should be placed in a suitable place, such as kitchen or dining room table, or a home altar. Also, a list of first names for whom prayers are to be offered, including members of the family and all those living in the house.  If [treby] a monetary gift offering if given to the priest, it should not be placed in an envelope with the holy objects on the table. It can be prepared in advanced, but given at the conclusion of the service.

The ceremony

When the priest comes, all who are present in the house should gather around the icon with the candle. They should, if they are able to join in, say the Trisagion Prayers and sing of the Troparion of the Feast of Theophany. Then a family member leads the priest through the house with the candle. As he goes, he sprinkles holy water, and prays for a blessing upon each room and the activity that goes on there. When they have gone through the entire house, the family gathers again around the table and the priest blesses each person present.