Ave Maria Mediations encore
“And going into the dwelling, they found the Child there with His Mother, Mary, and fell down to worship Him.” (Mt. 2:11)
We also kneel down before Jesus, most especially our God ’hidden’ in the most Holy Eucharist.
It is often mentioned that ‘wise men still seek Him’. We do not need to leave home and country and journey afar but we may need to leave some things behind: those things that keep us separated from God. Whatever causes us not to be in a state of grace must be left behind on our journey to God. We need to see what are the areas of sin in our lives and these are what we must be divested of.
God will always help us with His grace! And just as the Three Kings had a star, so we also have Mary, Stella Maris, to be a star and guide for us. Jesus is still found with His Mother and the vocation of Mary for all time is to lead souls to Him.
Are we adoring Christ now in His Eucharistic Presence? Are we reverent in the Church building and show this in our silence, demeanor, and dress and by genuflections to the Tabernacle? Our Lord is only physically as far away as that nearest Tabernacle yet for a soul in a state of grace, He is within.
+ AN EPIPHANY BLESSING OF A HOME +
All make the Sign of the Cross.
Head of Household: “Peace be to this house and: to all who dwell here, in the name of tfie Lord.
All: Blessed be God forever.
Reader: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things cme to be through him, and without him nothing came to be….. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Fahter’s only Son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-3.14)
After the prayers of the blessing are recited, each room of the home is sprinkled with holy water. The initials of the Magi are inscribed above the doors with the blessed chalk.
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(Casper, Melchior and Balthesar with the first two numerals of the year preceding the line and the last two numerals of the year at the end)
+ 20 + C + M + B + 13 +
(The initials, C, M, B, can also be interpreted as the Latin phrase “Christus mansionem benedicat” which means “Christ bless this house”.)
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All: Lord God of heaven and earth, you revealed your only begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star. Bless this house and all who inhabit it. May we be blessed with health, goodness of heart, gentleness and the keeping of your law. Fill us with the light of Christ, that our love for each other may go out to all. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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A Prayer for Epiphany:
O Lord, reveal Your divinity to all mankind, and just as once You drew the Magi from the East to You, now in like manner unite all peoples and all nations around Your manger. You have shown me that You want my poor cooperation in order to bring about the coming of Your Kingdom. You wish me to pray, suffer, and work for the conversion of those who are near and of those who are far away. You wish that I, too, place before the manger the gifts of the Wise Men : the incense of prayer, the myrrh of mortification and of suffering borne with generosity out of love for You. And finally, the gold of charity, charity which will make my heart wholly and exclusively Yours, charity which will spur me on to work, to spend myself for the conversion of ‘sinners and infidels, and for the greater sanctification of Your elect.
O my loving King, create in me the heart of an apostle. If only I could lay at Your feet today the praise and adoration of everyone on earth!
Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene OCD
