Saturday, January 18, 2020
Monday, January 13, 2020
THE CHALKING OF THE DOORS: AN EPIPHANY TRADITION EXPLAINED
For centuries Catholics have used the Ephiphany House Blessing to bless their homes. Now from my understanding in talking with a priest, you do not need to have your house blessed again if you want to do the Epiphany House Blessing. Here is an informative article on the tradition during Epiphany.
"Epiphany (also known as Twelfth Night, Theophany, or Three Kings Day) marks the occasion of a time-honored Christian tradition of “chalking the doors.” The formula for the ritual — adapted for 2018 — is simple: take chalk of any color and write the following above the entrance of your home: 20 + C+M + B + 18.
The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi — Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar — who came to visit Jesus in His first home. They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat: “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and the “18” at the end mark the year. Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request for Christ to bless those homes so marked and that He stay with those who dwell therein throughout the entire year.
The chalking of the doors is a centuries-old practice throughout the world, though it appears to be someone less well-known in the United Sates. It is, however, an easy tradition to adopt, and a great practice whereby we dedicate our year to God from its very outset, asking His blessing on our homes and on all who live, work or visit them there.
Most often the chalking takes place after Epiphany Mass, and can be done at any church, home, or dwelling. Traditionally the blessing is done by either a priest or the father of the family. This blessing can be performed simply by just writing the inscription and offering a short prayer, or more elaborately, including songs, prayers, processions, the burning of incense, and the sprinkling of holy water.
After many Epiphany Masses, satchels of blessed chalk, incense, and containers of Epiphany water (holy water blessed with special blessings for Ephiphany) are distributed. These can then be brought home and used to perform the ritual.
Practicing traditions like the chalking of the doors helps us to live our Faith more concretely and serve as an outward sign of our dedication to Our Lord. Our homes are also the place where many of us will make the greatest strides in our spiritual growth, through observance of daily prayer, spiritual reading, and work offered as an oblation to God.
The chalking of the doors of a home encourages Christians to dedicate their life at home to God and to others. Seeing the symbols over our doors can help to remind us, while passing in and out on our daily routines, that our homes and all those who dwell there belong to Christ. It also serves as a reminder of welcoming the Magi gave to Jesus. We should strive to be as welcoming to all who come to our homes to visit us!
Below, we’ve provided some examples of how this ceremony can be performed.
This ceremony of the blessing of the home and inscription of the initials of the
three Magi above each door can be performed either by a priest or the
father of the family. The following prayer is taken from the book,
The Twelve Days of Christmas, by Elsa Chaney.
The feast of manifestation, or Epiphany, is traditionally celebrated the 12th day after Christmas, January 6th. In the dioceses of the United States this feast has beenmoved to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.
Prayer: (On entering the home)
Leader(Priest, if present, or father of the family) : Peace be to this house.
All: And to all who dwell herein.
All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord;
and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King,
incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial.
All Pray: The Magnificat. During the Magnificat, the room is sprinkled with
holy water and incensed. After this is completed,
All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and
opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King,
incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial.
Leader: Our Father. . .
And lead us not into temptation
All: But deliver us from evil.
Leader: All they from Saba shall come
All: Bringing gold and frankincense.
Leader: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come to You.
Leader: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst on this day
manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that
we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty.
Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
"
Source: http://www.stpiusappleton.org/chalkingdoors
"Epiphany (also known as Twelfth Night, Theophany, or Three Kings Day) marks the occasion of a time-honored Christian tradition of “chalking the doors.” The formula for the ritual — adapted for 2018 — is simple: take chalk of any color and write the following above the entrance of your home: 20 + C+M + B + 18.
The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi — Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar — who came to visit Jesus in His first home. They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat: “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and the “18” at the end mark the year. Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request for Christ to bless those homes so marked and that He stay with those who dwell therein throughout the entire year.
The chalking of the doors is a centuries-old practice throughout the world, though it appears to be someone less well-known in the United Sates. It is, however, an easy tradition to adopt, and a great practice whereby we dedicate our year to God from its very outset, asking His blessing on our homes and on all who live, work or visit them there.
Most often the chalking takes place after Epiphany Mass, and can be done at any church, home, or dwelling. Traditionally the blessing is done by either a priest or the father of the family. This blessing can be performed simply by just writing the inscription and offering a short prayer, or more elaborately, including songs, prayers, processions, the burning of incense, and the sprinkling of holy water.
After many Epiphany Masses, satchels of blessed chalk, incense, and containers of Epiphany water (holy water blessed with special blessings for Ephiphany) are distributed. These can then be brought home and used to perform the ritual.
Practicing traditions like the chalking of the doors helps us to live our Faith more concretely and serve as an outward sign of our dedication to Our Lord. Our homes are also the place where many of us will make the greatest strides in our spiritual growth, through observance of daily prayer, spiritual reading, and work offered as an oblation to God.
The chalking of the doors of a home encourages Christians to dedicate their life at home to God and to others. Seeing the symbols over our doors can help to remind us, while passing in and out on our daily routines, that our homes and all those who dwell there belong to Christ. It also serves as a reminder of welcoming the Magi gave to Jesus. We should strive to be as welcoming to all who come to our homes to visit us!
Below, we’ve provided some examples of how this ceremony can be performed.
This ceremony of the blessing of the home and inscription of the initials of the
three Magi above each door can be performed either by a priest or the
father of the family. The following prayer is taken from the book,
The Twelve Days of Christmas, by Elsa Chaney.
The feast of manifestation, or Epiphany, is traditionally celebrated the 12th day after Christmas, January 6th. In the dioceses of the United States this feast has beenmoved to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.
Prayer: (On entering the home)
Leader(Priest, if present, or father of the family) : Peace be to this house.
All: And to all who dwell herein.
All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord;
and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King,
incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial.
All Pray: The Magnificat. During the Magnificat, the room is sprinkled with
holy water and incensed. After this is completed,
All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and
opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King,
incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial.
Leader: Our Father. . .
And lead us not into temptation
All: But deliver us from evil.
Leader: All they from Saba shall come
All: Bringing gold and frankincense.
Leader: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come to You.
Leader: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst on this day
manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that
we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty.
Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
"
Source: http://www.stpiusappleton.org/chalkingdoors
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Let's talk about the new trend: Word of the Year
Alright so recently, I've been seeing a lot of posts about something called Word of the Year from non-Catholics. What it is, from my understanding is this: you open your Bible and pray about a word that God wants you to focus on throughout the year and you do a Scripture study based on that word. Sounds interesting enough.
So I decided to give this a try. I didn't come up with just one word though but a phrase: Stand in Thankful Perseverance. It's interesting to see how that phrase pretty much fits how I live my life according to my Catholic faith.
I've done more thinking about this and I do actually like the idea, but don't limit yourself to one word or one phrase throughout the year. Let God lead you to what He wants you to focus on at certain times throughout the year.
So I decided to give this a try. I didn't come up with just one word though but a phrase: Stand in Thankful Perseverance. It's interesting to see how that phrase pretty much fits how I live my life according to my Catholic faith.
I've done more thinking about this and I do actually like the idea, but don't limit yourself to one word or one phrase throughout the year. Let God lead you to what He wants you to focus on at certain times throughout the year.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Patron Saints of People with Disabilities
January
Genoveva Torres Morales
Feast day: January 5
Her leg was amputated when she was a child
Saint André Bessette
Feast day: January 6
Patron of the sick, the afflicted, the poor of all kinds, those who are handicapped, and those who are wounded by life.
Saint Francis de Sales
Feast day: January 24
(Patron of Persons who are Deaf and Persons who are Hard of Hearing)
Saint Timothy
Feast day: January 26
(Patron of Intestinal Conditions and Stomach Diseases)
February
Saint Blaise
Feast Day: February 3
Patron Saint of Throat Ailments
Our Lady of Lourdes
Feast Day: February 11
(Patroness of Healing)
St. Julianna of Nicomedia
Feast Day: February 16
Sickness and Bodily Illness
March
Saint Longinus
Feast day: March 15
Patron of: the blind and people with poor eyesight
Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer
Feast day: March 19
Solace of the Afflicted, Hope of the Sick
April
Blessed Margaret of Castello
Feast day: April 13
Patroness of Persons with Developmental Disabilities, of the Unwanted, of the Disfigured
Saint Lidwina Van Schiedam
Feast day: April 14
Patroness of Those with Prolonged Suffering
Saint Benedict Joseph Labre
Feast day: April 16
Patron of those suffering from mental illness.
May
Saint Dymphna
Feast day: May 15
Patroness of those with mental illnesses, mental health professionals
June
Saint Anthony of PaduaFeast day: June 13
Consoler of the afflicted; Patron of amputees
Saint Germaine Cousin
Feast day: June 15
Patroness of persons who have lifelong struggles, physically challenged people, disabled people, the sick
St. Vitus
Feast day: June 15th
Patron of epileptics, those afflicted with St. Vitus’ Dance (named after him}, dancers, and actors
Saint Hervé (Harvey) of Brittany
Feast day: June 17
Patron of blind musicians and singers, of blind people, is invoked about eye conditions and mental anxiety
July
St. Camillus de Lellis
Feast Day: July 14
Patron of Open Sores, Chronic Renal and Stomach Illnesses
Saint Christina the Astonishing
Feast day: July 24
Patroness of the mentally ill.
Saint Christopher
Feast day: July 25
Patron of epileptics
August
St. Alphonsus Ligouri
Feast Day: August 1
Patron of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Saint Roch (Roche, Rock, Rogue, Rocco) of Montpellier
Feast day: August 16
Patron Saint of the Sick and Service Dogs
September
Saint Giles
Feast day: September 1
Patron of Persons with Physical Disabilities
Saint Joseph of Cupertino
Feast day: September 18
Patron of Persons with Severe Intellectual Developmental Disabilities
Blessed Herman the Cripple
Feast day: September 25
Persons with multiple disabilities
The Archangel, Saint Raphael
Feast day: September 29
Patron of Persons who are Blind and Persons with Emotional Difficulties
October
Saint René Goupil
Feast day: October 19
Deaf Patron of Persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
November
Blessed John Licci (Giovanni Liccio)
Feast day: November 14
Patron of Head Injuries
St. Albert the Great
Feast Day: November 15
Patron of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
December
Saint Lucy of Syracuse
Feast day: December 13
Patroness of Vision and Blindness
Saint Servulus of Rome
Feast day: December 23
Patron of the Disabled, especially Cerebral Palsy
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-servulus-of-rome/
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-servulus-of-rome/
Friday, January 10, 2020
Welcome!
Welcome to Living The Disabled Catholic Life. I created this blog to share my journey of faith with you and how living with a disability has shaped my faith. I hope you will find this blog informative and helpful in your own faith journey within the Catholic Church. This blog is for anyone who has a disability who wants to grow in the Catholic Church.
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