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God's intention and desire to bless both humanity and all creation is central to the Christian understanding of salvation in Jesus Christ. God’s blessing prepares us to receive his grace and help us to cooperate more fully with. For this reason, Christians have asked God’s blessing on people and objects since the very beginning of the Church.
When we bless objects we give thanks to God for them and we ask him to help us furthering his glory and praise through their use. So, when we bless our homes we do two things; we give thanks to God for the place we live in, and we ask that he many help everyone in our household to know his incredible love for them. This blessing is also personal invitation for the Lord to be a daily guest in our home, to watch over our comings and goings, and to be present in our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows. There are two types of blessings for homes; one for when you move into a new place, and one for the beginning of a New Year. If you are interested in receiving these ministries, please, contact with the Parish Office. Blessing of new homes Moving into a new home can be both extremely exciting and very stressful. And once the dust settles and the cardboard boxes have been emptied, you are encouraged to pray for God’s blessing over your household. The Parish Priest at All Saints’ will happily assist you with this, and come to bless your new home. On their visit, the Priest will pray with you, bless your dwelling, and sprinkle it with holy water, as a sign of God’s blessing upon your home. 
New Year's blessing
In the days following the Feast of the Epiphany (6 January), we are encouraged to ask God’s blessing on our households for the New Year. This type of blessing can be conducted by anyone who is baptised (christened), but if you wish, the Parish Priest can do it for you. A traditional way of doing this is to use the chalks blessed at All Saints’ on the Feast of the Epiphany to write above the home’s entrance, 20 + C + M + B + 20. The digits stand for the New Year; while the letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three wise men who visited Jesus: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. More importantly, the letters are an abbreviation of the Latin phrase “Christus Mansionem Benedicat”, meaning “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the Cross of Jesus. “Chalking the door” is a way to celebrate and literally mark God’s blessing on our homes. With time the chalk will fade. As it does we let the meaning of the symbols sink into the depths of our heart and be manifest in our words and actions. |
COVID-19 Restrictions HM Government has imposed severe restriction on mixing households during lockdown. However, if you would like a visit from the Parish Priest or receive Holy Communion at home, please contact the Parish Office to make suitable, Covid-safe arrangements. Would you like your home or workplace to be blessed by the Parish Priest? Get in touch with the Parish Office on 01582 867246 'The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.' - Psalm 121:8 |
