(On Entering the home)
V: Peace be to this house.
R: And to all who dwell herein.
R: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts; gold for the great king, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of his burial.
(The Magnificat is said. During the Magnificat, the room is sprinkled with holy water and incensed)
The Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit finds joy in God my savior;
for he has looked upon His servant in her lowliness;
all ages to come shall call me blessed.
God who is mighty has done great things for me,
holy is His name;
His mercy is from age to age on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm;
He has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and
raised the lowly to high places.
The hungry He has given every good thing,
while the rich He has sent empty away.
He has upheld Israel his servant,
ever mindful of His mercy;
Even as He promised our fathers,
promised Abraham and His descendants forever.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
R: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts; gold for the great king, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of his burial.
V: Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead and lead us not into temptation,
R: But deliver us from evil.
V: All they from Saba shall come
R: Bringing gold and frankincense.
V: O Lord, hear my prayer.
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst on this day manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.
V: Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee– Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.
R: And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light and kings in the splendor of thy rising, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.
V: Let us pray. Bless, O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, the thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.
(After the prayer of the blessing are recited, each room of the home is sprinkled with Epiphany water and incensed. Take the blessed chalk and write the initials of the Magi (Casper, Mechior and Baltasar) upon the doors with the blessed chalk. The initials are written with crosses (+) in between each initial over the inside of your front door. The write the year breaking the numbers by the the millennium and century in front and the year at the back.
Example: 20 C+M+B 21
The initials, C,M,B, can also be interpreted as the Latin phrase, “Christus mansionem benedicat” which means “Christ bless this house”.)
