Why do we
bless houses (and almost anything else that we can sprinkle) with water?
Many
years ago, when I was yet a deacon, I was visiting with some non-Orthodox
friends who were inquirers into Orthodoxy (they sadly, never followed through
with their interest - or even their promise to become Orthodox) and we were
discussing this topic in the context of blessing their house. I look at it like
this. This world, this creation, is in captivity; it is enemy held territory.
The evil one, having enslaved all of creation at the fall, has laid claim to
every nook and cranny of this earth. And for a while it looked as though he
might be able to hold onto it. But then he reached too far and attempted to
enslave the Master of All and to bind Life with the chains of death and his
power was broken. But creation is still fallen, it is still contested land in
the spiritual battle.
We, as
Christians, are engaged in this struggle to reclaim fallen nature for the
Kingdom of God. We often talk about this in terms of our own salvation, but the
Church, addressing all of creation in a wholistic manner, also reaches out and
reclaims a bit here and a bit there of creation in general. We do this in order
that we might restore the usefulness of creation for working out our own
salvation. Hence we bless anything that might help us in our salvation - and by
blessing it we reclaim it for the Kingdom of God.
There are
few things more vital to our lives than our homes. In our homes we pray, we
work, we talk to others, we order our lives, we work out our marriages, etc.
What more important place to reclaim for the Kingdom of God - or is it better
to continue living in a place which is occupied by the enemy. For the most
effective working out of our salvation, we must drive the enemy out of our
homes, and keep him at bay by our prayers, our righteous life, and the annual sprinkling
by Holy Water at Theophany.
Source: http://www.orthodox.net/articles/whybless.html
CONVERSATION