Blessing our homes is an ancient tradition in our Orthodox Church related to the Service of the Great Blessing of the Waters conducted on Theophany. We take the Holy Water from the Church and use it to bless our lives in every way possible. The priest blesses us, our homes and, by extension, all of creation. Not only do we receive a special blessing from God, but through that blessing, God enables us to see His creation in a redeemed way as a means toward union and communion with Him.
Rev. Fr. Demosthenes Nicolaou, Parish Priest of Saint Paraskevi Church in St Albans, Melbourne Australia, has kindly shared some advice to help prepare us for 2024 House-Blessings.
Fr. Demos explains, “House-blessings for the Year 2024 will begin as from tomorrow. It’s a beautiful time of the year when your local parish priest will come into your home and bless your dwellings, families, and even pets. This is an enjoyable experience both for the Priest and families as it is one of the few times throughout the year, and sometimes the only time in the year, when your Priest comes into your home.
Sometimes, as joyful as this can be we also don’t know what to expect or what to do, even though the visit is brief in most cases, sometimes things can get awkward! So here are some tips on what to expect and what we need to do to prepare.”
TIPS:
The Priest will come to your home holding a Cross and a bunch of basil. He is usually assisted by another person holding a small container of Holy Water, which the Priest will use to rinse around your home and bedrooms. You can also ask the Priest to bless your gardens and pets if you wish. As the Priest blesses the home, he will chant the hymn of the Theophany. The blessing doesn’t take more than 5 minutes.
We take the Holy Water from the Church and we use it to bless our lives in every way possible.
What do you need to do?
Wishing you all a blessed feast of the Theophany, may the Light of Christ bless and sanctify us all and our dwellings!
In Christ,
Fr D.
Fr. Demosthenes Nicolaou, known as Fr. D or Fr. Demos to his parishoners, is a much loved and respected Priest in the north-west suburb of Melbourne, St Albans, at Saint Paraskevi (Saint Barbara and Saint John the Merciful) Greek Orthodox Church.
Where to find Fr. D
https://www.stparaskevi.org.au/
https://www.instagram.com/st_paraskevi_melbourne/
https://www.facebook.com/StParaskeviGreekOrthodoxChurchStAlbans/
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