The ancient Christian tradition of marking doorways with blessed chalk takes place on the liturgical feast marking the visitation of the Magi to the Christ Child and the revelation that Jesus is the son of God.
The blessing involves taking simple chalk, usually blessed by a parish priest, and scrawling doorways with symbolic numbers and letters -- this year: "20+C M B 23."
The numbers represent the current year and the letters stand for the first letters of the traditional names of the magi: Caspar (sometimes spelled "Kaspar"), Melchior and Balthazar. The letters are also an abbreviation for "Christus Mansionem Benedicat," Latin for "May Christ bless this dwelling."
Participants typically read passages from the New Testament and may sing Epiphany hymns.
Christ the King School’s “kings” visited students at lunch for the Feast of the Epiphany.
There is a special blessing for water for the feast of the Epiphany because of its connection to the celebration of Jesus’ baptism.
The priests, seminarians and servers blessed, incensed and chalked all of the spaces of St. Mark Church, St. Mark School and Christ the King High School.
Father Christopher Gober and Father Darrwn Balkey lead St. Leo School in the Blessing of Dwellings Prayer. They then marked each door head with the prayer.
Immaculate Heart of Mary School celebrated the Epiphany. In first grade, students read a story about the Three Kings and ate Rosca de Reyes, or three kings bread, a traditional sweet yeast bread. The feast commemorates the first manifestation of Jesus Chr
On Jan. 7, Father Brian Becker blessed the water and chalk for the faithful to use in the Epiphany blessing at the homes of St. Margaret Mary parishioners. He was assisted by seminarian Nicholas Kramer.
This ancient rite of the blessing of the waters, with its extraordinarily powerful prayers of exorcism and exorcized salt, renders Epiphany Water more spiritually potent than ‘ordinary’ holy water.
St. Mark Church assembled kits for parishioners to use to bless their homes.
St. Mark Church assembled kits for parishioners to use to bless their homes.
Three Kings cake celebration at Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro
Three Kings cake celebration at Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro
Three Kings cake celebration at Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro
Our Lady of Mercy School fifth grade learned about Epiphany. Since the classroom is their "school home," the students prayed for their classmates and blessed their desks.
Blessing the Epiphany water at Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro.
OLG2 (Blessing the Epiphany water at Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro.)
Three Kings brough candy at St. Mark Church in Huntersville
Three Kings brough candy at St. Mark Church in Huntersville
