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doris
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I dimly remember reading about a Catholic tradition of chalking some letters round the doorway at New Year -- made up of the numbers of the new year and some other letters. However, I can't remember any more than that and I can't find anything online. Anyone?
Elizabeth
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MacBeth
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20 C+B+M 07
The new year with the initials of the traditional names of the 3 wise men sandwiched between: Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior.
Our church gives out the blessed chalk and some incense and charcoal to go with it.
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MacBeth in NY
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JennGM
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In brief, it's writing over the doors with chalk (blessed if you can) with the following:
20 + C + M + B + 07
The CMB stands for Christus Mansionem Benedicat--May Christ Bless this House. They are also the initials of the three wise men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.
I summarized it here. And here's another summary.
There are several versions on Catholic Culture, but here's two options:
Epiphany House Blessing
Epiphany Suggestions
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Jennifer G. Miller
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doris
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Beautiful! Thank you so much!
Funny, I searched on Catholic Culture but didn't get anywhere because I was looking for 'New Year'.
Now, I have to decide whether to do this on 6th January or on the Sunday now that the Bishops of England and Wales have decided that we're all too lazy to celebrate Epiphany on the proper day. (Do you see the bee under my bonnet?)
Elizabeth
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JennGM
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MacBeth and I cross-posted.
My mother has an epiphany ceremony in Word form we use each year. PM your email address if you would like a copy.
I don't see it online, but when the letters and numbers are placed above the door, these are the words we use (Dad says them). I couldn't make it line up correctly.
The three wise men,
Caspar, [Caspar inscribes ‘C’ on lintel] C
Melchior, [Melchior inscribes ‘M’] M
and Balthasar [Balthasar inscribes ‘B’] B
followed the star of God’s Son who became man
two thousand [Dad inscribes the ‘2 0’ on left] 2 0
and seven years ago. [Dad inscribes ‘0 7’ on right] 0 7
May Christ bless our dwelling, [Dad places + after ‘20’] +
and remain with us throughout the new year, [ + after ‘C’] +
and grant that our comings and goings [ + after ‘M’] +
will be in search of truth [ + after ‘B’] +
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Helen
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Last year, the Franciscans (of the Immaculate) handed out an Epiphany House Blessing which can be found here.
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Ave Maria!
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MacBeth
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JennGM wrote:
MacBeth and I cross-posted.
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And Jenn filled in the details...and the extra crosses...  .
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MacBeth in NY
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alicegunther
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MacBeth, do you have enough chalk for our house too? I have always wanted to do this, and Jenn just sent me her mother's prayers, so this may b our year!
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We also do this whenever we move into a new home. I'm sure the Navy family who moved into our WV base house was confused by the chalk marks. (DH made them VERY visible!)
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Lisbet
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We do this each year, and it's such a conversations starter for those that come into our house!
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Mama to:
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MacBeth
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alicegunther wrote:
| MacBeth, do you have enough chalk for our house too? I have always wanted to do this, and Jenn just sent me her mother's prayers, so this may b our year! |
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Sure! I'll bring it by when we get it. I usually do our door, and the door to the choir loft, with a bit left.
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MacBeth in NY
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Carole N.
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Can you have your priest bless some chalk for you?
I don't think that we have any in our home. 
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 Carole ... in Wales
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doris
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You can ask your priest to bless anything (within reason)! We've obviously taken rosaries and religious items to be blessed, but I also asked our priest to bless my tricycle given that I was going to transport all three children on it So I'm planning to take some chalk along on Sunday and ask Father to bless it.
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SuzanneG
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We do this.....(blessing above the doorway)
and then walk around the house with the holy water and the girls sprinkle each room with holy water and say something simple, "bless our living room, etc."
One year, we heard "bless this bathroom where we poop and pee" . and "bless this kitchen where we all make a mess everyday  ." and another year it was....."bless daddy's office where all he does is talk on the phone."
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marihalojen
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I'd really like to do this, do you think the wood part behind the grab-bar in the companionway hatch would be the appropriate spot on a sailboat? On the inside or the outside? Do you renew it as it is rubbed off or rained off as will happen if I do it on the outside and the bimini ever comes off...and isn't it supposed to stay up through Pentacost?
I'm probably overthinking this.
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JennGM
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marihalojen wrote:
I'd really like to do this, do you think the wood part behind the grab-bar in the companionway hatch would be the appropriate spot on a sailboat? On the inside or the outside? Do you renew it as it is rubbed off or rained off as will happen if I do it on the outside and the bimini ever comes off...and isn't it supposed to stay up through Pentacost?
I'm probably overthinking this. |
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Jennifer, I was just thinking this morning that probably everyone has a different idea of where to put it. We put ours on the inside of the house, on the top of the door frame of the front door. In Europe I saw it on the side of the door on the wall, on the inside, not outside.
So if I were you I'd put it on the inside of the door.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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marihalojen
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Good! I'll probably post about it, trying to describe where I meant was  !
Anybody else planning a post? Shall we link back here to this thread?
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: letters on the doorposts?
