House Blessings and Theophany
The Feast of Lights (Ton Photon)
On January 6 the faithful attend a Divine Liturgy and the Great Blessing
of the Water service to celebrate Theophany, also called “Ton Photon”
(“Feast of Lights”) with reference to the spiritual illumination
of the Holy Spirit. The service commemorates the baptism of Christ and the
manifestation of God in three persons. Large numbers of people attend church
to be blessed and to receive holy water which they take home in small bottles
provided by the church. Some parishioners bring their own bottles often
made specifically for holy water. In most churches in America the blessing
is held indoors, and the water is contained in a large urn. Some communities
hold outdoor celebrations by a body of water.
Blessing of the Home
It is customary, to invite your priest to bless your home with holy water
within a few weeks following Theophany. Prepare by cleaning the house and
opening and lighting all the rooms. The items needed for a house blessing
are:
• Icon of Christ
• candle
• large serving bowl for the Holy Water
• incense
• incense burner
• charcoal
• a sprig of basil leaves (available at the grocery store.)
Many of these items can be purchased in the church bookstore. Place the
items on a small table. The priest blesses the water by dipping a cross
in it and repeating a blessing. Using the basil sprig dipped in water as
a sprinkler, he will go to each room and sprinkle it in the four corners
blessing the home with the grace of the Holy Spirit which also protects
you from evil spirits. Save some of the holy water in a bottle in your ikonostasi
(home altar) and pour the remainder on plants. Although ideal, all family
members do not need to be present for the house blessing. House Blessings
are a yearly tradition.
Personal Use of Holy Water
According to Orthodox doctrine, holy water has the power to sanctify and
heal. Have each family member drink a small amount of the holy water from
Epiphany or the home blessing. Keep the unused holy water in your home ikonostasi
for future use: times of adversity, before starting a new venture or trip,
to give thanks, or when someone is ill. You may drink it or anoint yourself
when you feel spiritually afflicted. To rid the house of evil spirits, it
should be sprinkled in the four corners of each room, so no one will step
on it. In rural Greece the holy water is sprinkled in the fields and on
the animals.
If you would like to have your home blessed, please contact Fr. Rick..