House blessings a good way to celebrate holidays
Between putting up decorations and cleaning for visitors, some families can forget to welcome the Lord into their home this holiday season.
For Christians, one way to do this is the have the home blessed. But having a priest or pastor bless a home is not as common as it used to be, or as it is in other countries.
Fr. Anton Ba Phan is originally from Vietnam and said that Vietnamese people are still very adamant about having their homes blessed.
“When we eat, we want to wash our dishes – eating on dirty dishes is not honor,” Fr. Anton said. “We know that the Lord is always with us, but when we bless the house, we honor Him.”
Traditionally, Twelfth Night or the Feast of the Epiphany has been the most popular time to have a home blessed for Christians. This is in remembrance of the Magi visiting the child Jesus. In Matthew 2:11, it says: “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”
But home blessing has many other ties to the Bible for Christians. The book of Luke says that Christ instructed all of his apostles to say “Peace to this house” upon entering a home.
“We invite the Lord to be lord of the house and reign over the home – the Lord will always use it as an instrument to pour out His graces to the family,” Fr. Anton said. “The devil is always afraid when the Lord is around.”
He said that home blessing is a way to bless, protect and purify a home and that it is also a sign of reverence for God. He said that occupants of the home will often feel more at peace once the home is blessed.
In Christian religions, a house blessing can be conducted at any time of year by a priest, pastor or layperson. It begins with a leader blessing the entranceway and then going from room to room invoking the spirit of Christ on the house and its residents.
But Christianity is not the only faith that honors home blessings. The entranceways of Jewish homes are often consecrated with a “mezuzah,” a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah to protect the home and its occupants.
Buddhists also have a home blessing ceremony that involves monks and symbols sacred to the Buddhist faith.
Besides home blessing, Fr. Anton said that going to vigilant prayer and confession are especially important for Catholics during the Advent season.
Throughout November, he visited many local homes and prayed with families over both the Blessed Virgin and the Eucharist. He said that while the two are usually prayed over separately, he thinks it is sometimes important to join them together.
“It helps people to focus on the true pillar of faith,” he said.
But he believes one of the most important duties of the season for Catholics is to go to confession.
“You want to be safe to celebrate with Him without worrying,” he said. “We encourage people to confess more often, especially during the season of Advent – we need to build that habit.
“(Confession) is the gift that pleases the Lord the most – more than money, more than anything.”
Fr. Anton said that any Catholic person interested in having their home blessed or who would like him to come to their home for confession, is welcome to contact him at the St. Mark Catholic Church office, (504)431-8505, or on his cell phone, (504)481-3823.
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