For Christians the world
over, Christmas is a time of celebration which is often centred on the
home. Many religions recognize the home is so important that special
ceremonies have arisen over the centuries to bless and consecrate it
when taking possession or upon the happening of a special event or
anniversary.
And now the real estate industry is latching on to the idea of
offering house-blessing services to clients moving into a new home.
The concept of house blessings goes back to Christ himself. The book
of Luke records that Christ instructed his apostles to say upon entering
a home, "Peace to this house."
Christians often have their homes blessed around the time of the
feast of Epiphany, on Jan. 6. The holiday commemorates the visit of the
three wise men to the house of the Holy Family.
In Matthew 2:11, the story is told: "And when they had come into the
house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and
worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented
unto him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh."
The Bible's message is to set apart the home as a place of
hospitality to all those who visit, just as the wise men were welcomed
to the house of Mary, Joseph and Jesus.
In the Catholic tradition, a ceremonial house blessing may be
conducted at any time of year by a priest or a layperson. The leader
starts with a blessing at the entrance and then proceeds from room to
room, invoking the spirit of Christ on the house and its occupants.
Similar traditions exist in the Anglican/Episcopalian and Eastern
Orthodox churches. The United Church of Canada also publishes a special
service for the blessing of a house.
Other faiths also have rituals that invoke spiritual protection. In
Judaism, homes are consecrated by attaching a decorative case called a
mezzuzah to the entrance doorway and one or more interior doorposts of
the house. It contains a quotation from Deuteronomy Chapter 6, which
appears in the narrative immediately after the Israelites have received
the 10 Commandments.
Part of the text commands, "Thou shalt write them upon the doorposts
of thy house, and upon thy gates."
As the mezzuzah is attached to a doorpost, various blessings are
recited, often in conjunction with the use of the Old Testament, wine,
bread and salt as ceremonial objects. One blessing offers thanks to the
Almighty "for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach
this joyous occasion."
Buddhists, too, have a ceremony for blessing a new house. In
Thailand, the ritual involves the attendance of nine monks, and the use
of holy water, candles, and a sacred white thread – followed by a
festive meal and music.
Although house blessings may not be as widely known as other
religious rites, the practice may soon start to spread as a result of a
new idea introduced recently in England. Earlier this year, it was
reported that the Church of England is going into partnership with local
real estate agents to offer blessing services to people moving into a
new home.
Rev. Chris Painter, a vicar in the Manchester suburb of Eccles, has
helped pioneer the new initiative and is confident it will demonstrate
that Christianity can adapt to an increasingly secular age.
"There is still a huge interest in spirituality and this is a way of
our meeting that, but not in a traditional way," he told London's
Daily Telegraph. "The current trend in New Age spirituality is aimed
at self-fulfilment, people wanting to be happy and achieve things. We
are trying to focus on Christianity and show people that God has an
interest in our lives."
So announcement cards are being left in the offices of real estate
agents around the Manchester diocese, informing new residents of the
free home blessing service.
"I meet with the owner and explain what is involved," Painter says.
"It can be a simple prayer or a full blessing where we go from room to
room, and we lay hands on furniture and appliances."
In the bedroom, for example, the vicars will lay hands on the bed,
praying for a healthy sex life, and in the bathroom they will pray for
good health and "give thanks for sanitation.''
In the kitchen, the prayer will ask: "O Lord, to all who shall work
in this room that, in serving others, they may serve you and share in
your perfect service, and that in the noise and the clutter of the
kitchen they may possess you in tranquility.''
Will the house-blessing idea spread here? Instead of real estate
agents sending a welcoming pizza to the house on moving day, will they
soon be showing up with a priest or rabbi?
The pizza companies won't be happy, but it's not a bad idea.
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