A Forgotten Blessing
There is an ancient Catholic custom of the blessing of homes on or after the Feast of the Epiphany. It is a travesty that in the aftermath of Vatican II, many priests stopped providing this powerful blessing. Lay Catholics concurrently stopped requesting this blessing. Within a couple of generations it has sadly faded from Catholic practice.
We are living in turbulent times. The situation in the Church seems to worsen with each novel Vatican initiative, with the ongoing barrage of priests’ cancellations, with the proliferation of non-dogmatic pontifical declarations, and with every new episcopal appointment. (Case in point: the pro-sodomitical Cardinal Robert McElroy has been named to head the Archdiocese of Washington DC.) Clearly, this is a time when we need powerful sacramentals and their accompanying graces and spiritual protection. It is a time when we must intensify our prayers and sacrifices, our penance and reparation.[1]
The Fatima Center encourages all Catholics to receive the Epiphany Home Blessing. Ask your priest for this blessing and invite him to come to your home during the Christmas Season, which ends February 2. You can download the text of the blessing here.
If your priest is unable to come, then the head of the household may administer the blessing (though given the hierarchical and sacramental nature of the Church, such a blessing is less potent). Chalk which is blessed on January 6 is required.[2] If your parish does not provide such chalk, we have some available at The Fatima Center. To request a piece of blessed chalk, fill out the form below or at the end of any one of the associated articles. If Epiphany water is available – which must be blessed on January 5th – then use this water to accompany the ritual blessing. Otherwise, we suggest you use simple Holy Water.
Epiphany Blessing – Short History
It is said that the early Christians who attended Holy Mass in the Catacombs of Rome, Italy were given instructions on how to bless their homes using Blessed Chalk and Holy Water for the rooms. In order to invoke the blessing of The Three Kings, whose entrance into the home of the Holy Family we commemorate on the Feast of the Epiphany, their initials are inscribed, either by a priest or by the head of the household. This is done on the inside, middle of the top of the doors leading to the outside. Incense can also be burned in remembrance of the incense offered by The Three Kings.
These details are recorded in John of Hildesheim’s book, The Story of The Three Kings (14th Century). This medieval manuscript provides the fascinating tradition of the three magi. People often wonder, how do we know there were three wise men and how do we know their names, as these details are not provided in Sacred Scripture. However, Catholics know that the vast majority of our beliefs are handed-on as part of venerable tradition. For example, the three magi were baptized by St. Thomas the Apostle, and then ordained priests and consecrated bishops. The three of them lived for nearly a century. Tradition also records what happened to their three gifts.[3]
An audio narration of this captive story is available through the St. Vincent Ferrer Foundation.
Additional Resources
The Fatima Center is making a concerted effort to promote the Epiphany blessing this Christmas season. Please share this message with every Catholic you know.
Fr. Michael Rodríguez recorded a video explaining the origin, nature, and power of the Epiphany Home Blessing.
The Fatima Center also posted a series of related articles:
Get Your Epiphany Chalk! by David Rodríguez
An Epiphany Tradition and Sacramental by Andrew Cesanek
The Epiphany Home Blessing by James Hanisch
Saints Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, orate pro nobis!
Editor’s Notes:
[1] The Fatima Center’s 2025 Calendar is designed to help the faithful practice greater prayer and penance, as requested by Our Lady of Fatima. How lamentable that Our Lady’s call to conversion in 1917 has been ignored. In the vision of the Third Secret, the Angel cries out “Penance! Penance! Penance!” as he threatens to engulf the world in flames from his fiery sword. This triple call for penance had already been uttered by Our Lady at Lourdes in 1858, and it should have been made public in 1960. Instead, it was ignored. The hierarchy silenced Our Lady’s Fatima Message and reduced the penance which obliged every Catholic.
We would be hard pressed to see a clearer indication of demonic influence within the Church than such a direct contradiction to Our Lady’s call, especially since prayer and penance are at the heart of Our Lord’s peaching (cf. Mt 17:21). Thus, The Fatima Center encourages all Catholics to, at the very least, practice the penance which obliged Catholics in 1917. These norms are detailed in the 2025 Fatima Center calendar, order your copy today!
[2] Please note that chalk once blessed remains a sacramental. Therefore, if you still have blessed chalk in your home which was blessed on the Feast of the Epiphany in a previous year, you can use this chalk for the blessing. Also, such chalk should be treated with due reverence as it is a sacramental. Anytime we need to dispose of a sacramental, it should be buried or burned. If for some reason you are unable to dispose of a sacramental correctly, then at least take it to your parish and entrust it to your priest.
[3] In his sermons, Fr. Rodríguez frequently reminds us to to be intentional about offering acts of love (gold), prayers (frankincense) and mortification (myrrh) to the Divine Infant during the Christmas season (December 25 – February 2). Some families have the custom of placing a treasure chest before the manger in their nativity scene and they each write on slips of paper the various acts of love, prayers and mortification they have offered Him. In this manner, we join with the Three Kings in offering gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to our Newborn King.