They entered and found Him as a child as He dwelt in the house of the lowly woman; and they drew near and worshipped with gladness, and brought near before Him their treasures. ~Hymn XV for the Epiphany written by St. Ephraem
Dad marked the lintel of the two main entries into our home with the Epiphany Chalk Blessing on the feast of The Epiphany of Our Lord.
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Epiphany Chalk Blessing
The lintel of the main door of the house is marked with blessed chalk by the father of the household in the following manner:
20+C+M+B+13 (the suffix of the current year) while saying the following prayer:
- The Three Wise Men
- C Caspar
- M Melchior
- B & Balthasaar, followed the star of God’s Son who became Man
- 20 Two-thousand
- 13 and thirteen years ago
- + May Christ
- + Bless our home
- + and remain with us
- + through the new year.
Almighty God, incline Thine ear. Bless us and all who are gathered here. Send Thy holy angel who will defend us, and fill with grace all who dwell here. Amen
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O my Jesus, while I beg You to reveal Yourself to the world, I also beseech You to reveal Yourself more and more to my poor soul. Let Your star shine for me today, and point out to me the road which leads directly to You! May this day be a real Epiphany for me, a new manifestation to my mind and heart of Your great Majesty. He who knows You more, loves You more, O Lord; and I want to know You solely in order to love You, to give myself to You with ever greater generosity. ~Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, OCD
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The no-grain chocolate chip muffins (and cookies not pictured) are my family’s take on a King’s Cake. It is a sweet treat (made with honey, almond flour, and coconut milk) that fits into our dietary plan. The semi-sweet chocolate chips take the place of a bean or token. Each family member became king/queen for the day and one request for each member was honored.
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O holy Magi, who were first among the Gentiles called to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and who persevered in the faith till your deaths, obtain for us of the Lord the grace of living always in conformity to our baptismal vows, ever leading to a life of faith; that like you we may attain to the beatific vision of that God Who now is the object of our faith. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. ~Novena to Magi – Jan. 5
I had never heard of this tradition until this week. Our new associate pastor handed out the blessed chalk along with the instructions. Lovely!