Begin Everything with Prayer
Since we
are reminded in Scripture to begin whatever we do with prayer, it has been the
practice of Orthodox Christians for centuries to have new dwellings blessed
either before or just after settling in. This has been extended to one's
business or office, and even college dorm rooms. "The service performed by
the priest to bless the new dwelling is somewhat similar to the consecration of
a church [in the Russian practice] in that holy water, holy oil, and incense
are used and a lesson from the holy Gospel is read. All the rooms of the house
are sprinkled with holy water and each of the four outer walls are anointed
with the sign of the Cross with holy oil, a candle placed before them, and
after the censing of the house, the lesson from the Holy Gospel is read [in
Greek practice the service of the Small Blessing of Waters is generally done].
At the conclusion of the blessing, the inhabitants are blessed with holy water:
the husband first, followed by the wife and then the children - the oldest
first. Relatives and friends present are then blessed." (Marriage and the
Christian Home, by Rev. Michael B. Henning, p.24.)
Back to "The Fall"
From
Scripture we know that whatever God created was good, but with "the
Fall", evil entered the world, corrupting the creation. God the Father
sent His Son Jesus to save it by effecting a "new creation". This is
celebrated at Theophany, specifically with the Great Blessing of Water.
"The consecration of the waters on this feast places the entire world -
through its 'prime element' of water - in the perspective of the cosmic
creation, sanctification, and glorification of the Kingdom of God in Christ and
the Spirit." (The Orthodox Faith, Vol. II, Worship, by Fr. Thomas Hopko,
p.127.) All the readings, hymns, prayers, and actions of the day speak of God's
presence in our entire world and universe, His creation.
Through
water all of the creation is once again sanctified by God, becoming good again,
the way God had intended.
The Feast Of Theophany
The Feast
of Theophany (or Epiphany) commemorates the Baptism of our Lord in the Jordan
River by John the Baptist. We know from the troparion of the day that "the
Trinity was made manifest" to us. But there's more to it than this.
"When Jesus descends into the depths of the river, there occurs a profound
upheaval. It is not the one baptized who is purified, for he is spotless; but
it is the water that is transfigured and illumined. This water, which was
believed to be transparent and purifying, is in fact polluted, inhabited by
evil spirits, servants of the old gods. … By purifying the elements, by
sanctifying matter, Jesus frees the cosmos from the powers of evil." (The
Incarnate God, Vol. I, Catherine Aslanoff, French edition editor, translated by
Paul Meyendorff, p.163.)
The Great Blessing of Water and the Home
The Great
Blessing of Water takes place at the end of that day's Liturgy. Since our homes
cannot be brought to the Church, the Church - through the priest and cantor -
go to the homes. There the service of blessing, which began in the church, is
finished with the sprinkling of water in the home. Traditionally, in most
Orthodox parishes, the priest personally visits all his parishioners each year
to pray with them in the place where they live, and to bless their surroundings
with the newly sanctified water of Theophany (January 6/13). By sanctifying our
living quarters, our private place, we extend the grace of God to our
individual dwellings. (In very large parishes a yearly visit may not be
possible. In areas of the country where the winter is harsh, I know of at least
one parish where houses are blessed at the beginning of the ecclesiastical year
in September.)
We also
bring the blessed water to our homes to use throughout the year to bless our
homes and to drink whether we are ill or as part of our daily prayer life.
"There are many occasions in family life when a sip of holy water can help
to remind us of the blessing that was given 'to bestow sanctification', 'unto
healing of soul and body', 'to be a fountain welling forth unto life eternal',
as the priest prayed in the litany of Epiphany day." (Little Falcons:
Water, Vol. 5, No. 2, 1998, p.33.)
Weaving Christ into Our Lives
The
blessing of homes by these holy waters maintains the spiritual association
between the 'family church' and the parish, as well as again providing for the
sharing of God's spiritual gifts. … This annual blessing is not as elaborate as
the blessing of the new dwelling, but because of this it should not be
overlooked, for it is in this way that the grace of God is extended to
individual dwellings." (Marriage and the Christian Home, p.25.)
In Summary
What does
it mean to ask God to bless something? All things in the world have been
spoiled right along with us. God must bless His world again in order for it to
be the way that He wants it to be. For this reason God sent His Son Jesus and
the Holy Spirit to the world: to bless everyone and everything that He made, to
make all things good again. When the priest comes to bless our homes, he asks
God to have mercy on the house, to rid it of every evil and to fill it with
every blessing. What a wonderful way to begin the New Year!
By Phyllis Meshel Onest, M.Div.
Source: http://www.theologic.com/oflweb/inhome/homebl.htm
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