House Blessing form
You can sign up for a house blessing using the form linked below, or by contacting Fr. Timothy directly. If none of the dates/times on the form work for you, please contact Father so he can schedule a separate time.
Sign up for House Blessings
House Blessing FAQ
1. Who should be present?
Answer: As many family members as possible. We are blessing both the house itself and the people who live in it, as an extension and reection of the Church.
2. What do I need to have ready?
Answer: An icon on a table near your icon corner, or in the kitchen/dining room and names of the living (at least those who live in the house, often also other relatives. If we interact with them or even think of people often, they live in the house, in a sense).
Optional: Candle/ incense with the icon, a bunch of fresh basil, and a bowl of water.
3. Do I need to deep-clean the house?
Answer: Whatever makes you comfortable.
4. Do I need to feed the priest?
Answer: No, but Fr. Timothy would be very happy to visit with you and the family for a little while aer the blessing. House Blessings are a good time to catch up with the priest.
5. My house was blessed last year, should I do it again?
Answer: It's traditional to do it every year, as a renewal of the dedication of our homes as "little churches," but there's no expiration date on the blessing. The better question is, have we sinned in our homes since the last blessing? If so, then yes - let's renew the blessing.
Other questions? Call or email Fr. Timothy at 989-793-8822 or frtimothycook@gmail.com.
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.)
(From the website of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America)