At Christ the King Priory we have the custom to bless our monastery on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. After Mass, the presider writes the characters C + M + B on the frame of the entrance door, which represent, “Christ may bless this house,” and also the numbers of the New Year 20 18 to the left and to the right of the characters. Then he walks through the building, sprinkling it with holy water and incensing it. In the end he speaks a blessing over the house. The holy water reminds us of our baptism. In baptism we were born to new life with Christ. From our baptism on we belong to Christ. During this ritual we pray that as the fragrance of the incense fills the rooms the Holy Spirit may fill this house with its aroma and that all the spirits which are not the Holy Spirit may be banned from it.
by Fr. Thomas Leitner
