Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Schedule your house blessing

Please call Fr. Lawrence to schedule your house blessing this Theophany season! 

Meanwhile, here is the info from the brochure on how to prepare: 


How should I prepare for my house to be blessed?

1. Have the lights on and doors open in the rooms to be blessed (not the washrooms or storage spaces)
2. Turn off TV, radio and other electronic distractions
3. Prepare a table in the main room(preferably in the icon corner) and on it the following: 
an icon with candle lit before it 
a bowl containing holy water 
lists of names of those you wish to pray for (living/departed)

If you have no holy water, the priest will supply some.

What will happen in the service of blessing?

1. When the family is gathered round the icon, the priest will begin with Trisagion prayers. Please join in with the Our Father
2. The priest will sing the tropar for Theophany; please join in(printed on the back of this leaflet).
3. The priest will pray the blessing prayer; the people respond “Amen”
4. A family member carrying the lit candle leads the priest to one room after another, where he sprinkles Holy Water. All follow in procession, singing the tropar repeatedly.
5. After all the rooms are blessed, the procession returns to the icon corner for the dismissal. 


Theophany Tropar (tone 1)

O Lord, when You were baptized in the Jordan
The worship of the Trinity was made manifest/
For the voice of the Father bore witness to You
And called You His beloved Son/
And the Spirit in the form of a dove
Confirmed the truthfulness of His word./
O Christ our God who have revealed Yourself
And have enlightened the world// Glory to You! 





MEANWHILE, don't miss the Blessing of the Fraser slideshow, courtesy of Victoria-- scroll down to the post below!

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