This weekend marks the traditional twelth day of Christmas. In the Epiphany, we celebrate three kings arriving from the east, following the light of the star, to offer their treasures at the crib of our newborn king. The earliest recorded date of a liturgical celebration of Jesus’ birth is 354 AD, and yet we can find evidence of the Epiphany being celebrated in the eastern half of the Roman Empire as early as AD 200!
Epiphany is a Greek word that means ‘to appear’ or ‘to make manifest.’ This date commemorates God revealing His son 1. In the flesh, 2. As a shepherd king and priest who will lay down his life for his flock, and 3. As a savior for every nation, including the gentiles.
The three kings are not named in the Bible. Tradition has decided to call them Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. For many centuries, people have blessed their own homes with a small ceremony called ‘chalking the door.’ Welcoming the newborn Christ into our homes and heart in the New Year. This would involve using chalk to write this above the door of your house:
20+C+M+B+26
The numbers represent the year and the letters have two meanings, the initials of the 3 kings’ first names, but CMB is also an acronym for Christus Mansionem Benedicat, the Latin for ‘may Christ bless this house.’ The writing of the letters and numbers of the door recalls the lamb’s blood painted on the doorposts of the Chosen People during the Passover.
You would gather the family for this brief ceremony. Someone will write the inscription above the door: 20+C+M+B+26, perhaps a child lifted up to make it special for them. Then the leader of the house and/or ceremony would say:
The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and eighteen years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.
Let us pray.
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.
To encourage more families to do this, we are going to bless 1000 pieces of chalk at the Epiphany Masses this weekend in hopes that people will take the chalk home and do this. The whole parish family is blessed when each of our family homes specifically and intentionally have God’s blessing called down on them.
The Church’s official liturgical celebration of Christmas ends next weekend with the Baptism of the Lord. In the meantime, let us join these three kings who traveled afar, following the light of a star, knowing that Wise Men Still Seek Him who is the newborn King of Kings and Prince of Peace!
