Leader: The Lord is with you;
All: And also with you.

Leader: Peace be to this house
All: and to all who live, work, and visit here.

L: The Magi came to Bethlehem in search of the Lord. They brought to him precious gifts: gold to honor the newborn king, Frankincense to the true God in human form, and myrrh to anoint his body, which one day would die like our own.

L: Let us pray. O God, you once used a star to show to all the world that Jesus is your Son. May the light of that star th at once guided the magi to honor his birth, now guide us to recognize him also, to know you by faith, and to see you in the epiphanies of the daily experiences of our lives.

L: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord — Jesus born of Mary—  shall be revealed.

All: And all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

Leader: As the Wise Men once sought your brilliant light, O Lord,

All: so may we seek to live and work in your splendor.

L: O God of Light, bless this (our) house and this (our) family. May this be a place of peace and health. May each member of this family
cultivate the gifts and graces you have bestowed, dedicating our talents and works for the good of all.

L: Make this house a shelter in the storm and a haven of rest for all in need of your warmth and care. And when we go out from this place, may we never lose sight of that Epiphany star.

All: As we go about our work, our study, our play, keep us in its light and in your love. A Blessing of the Chalk for Marking the Door:
Lord Jesus, through your Incarnation and birth in true human form, you have made all the earth holy. We now ask your blessing upon this
simple gift of your creation — chalk. We use it as a tool to teach our ch ildren, and they use it as a tool in their play and games.
Now, with your blessing, may it become a tool for us to mark the doors of our home with the symbols of your wise servants who, so long ago, came to worship and adore you in your first home.

People in turn mark the doorway with one or more of the symbols:

20 + C + M + B + 18

The magi of old, known as

C         Caspar
M        Melchior
B         Balthasar

Followed the star of God’s Son who came to dwell among us

20        two thousand
18         and eighteen years ago.
+          Christ, bless this house,
+          And remain with us throughout the year.

L: O God, you revealed your Son to all people by the shining light of a star. We pray that you bless this home, and all who live and visit here,
with your gracious presence. May your love be our inspiration, your wisdom our guide, your truth our light, and your peace our benediction;

All: May we be Christ’s light in the world.
Amen