I’ve been Catholic my entire life, but I never “chalked my door” on the Epiphany of our Lord until today.
There are customs and practices which are known by most, if not all Catholics. But when you have a faith culture as global and long-established as ours, there are bound to be less familiar practices. ( I’m referring to practices which teach and deepen faith, not the beliefs of the faith.)
So, today I did something I didn’t know much about until recently. As part of a house blessing, I chalked the mantle of our door with the inscription 20+C+M+B+22.
It’s probably obvious that 2022 is the current year. The + reminds us of the cross of Jesus. The names of the Wise Men who searched for Jesus were Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, and “Christ bless this house” in Latin is “Christus mansionem benedicat.”
Tomorrow the decorations start to come down, but the chalking will remain to be a reminder to me that my home is to be a blessing, and hopefully a light, to all who enter. Will you do it, too? All you need is a piece of chalk!
On the left you see the illustration for the Feast of the “Holy Name of Jesus.” and on the right are the Star and Three Kings, which depict the “Epiphany of our Lord” on January 6th, the 12th day of Christmas. Epiphany means Manifestation of God. The Wise Men had the inspiration to recognize Jesus as a King. Here is a short reflection from a book titled Divine Intimacy:
A star often appears in the heaven of our souls; it is an inspiration from God, clear and intimate, urging us to greater generosity and calling us to a life of closer union with Him. Like the Magi, we too must always follow our star with faith, promptness, and selfless generosity. If we allow it to guide us, it will certainly lead us to God; it will bring us to the One whom we are seeking.
Divine Intimacy, page 117
In hope,
Peggy
My Lovely Faith 