Chalk Blessing Liturgy

Christus Mansionem Benedicat, Christ bless our home.

At the end of the Christmas season comes the Day of Epiphany and the season of Christ-made-known. Celebrating that Christ has come, we mark our homes with chalk, and commit ourselves to extending the work and welcome of Christ to all who enter our homes. 

We mark our door frames in this format:

[century] + C + M + B + [year]

In 2019, this would read: 20 + C + M + B + 19

C + M + B

C M B at the same time stands for "Christus Masionem Benedicat" (Christ bless our home), and for the traditional names of the Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.

What you need

  • A stick of chalk (sometimes your church will bless some chalk on the Day of Epiphany for this special use)
  • The chalk blessing liturgy

What to do

On the Day of Epiphany (January 6), gather your family around your door, and follow the liturgy together. 

Designated someone to write the chalk blessing above your door. 

To make it more interactive, you might have different people lead the different paragraphs in the prayer, or choose someone to be the leader and read the prayer responsively (leader reads one line, everyone else recites the next line). 

For more information on the Epiphany chalk blessing, visit liturgy.co.nz.