A blest time was had by all

Commencing with the first Sunday of December right through the early February, here in our parish we celebrate a number of blessings. On the first Sunday of December each year we bless our advent wreaths, whether in the church or at home. On the second Sunday of December each year we bless people’s cars, to remind them of the importance of safety on the roads, especially over Christmas and the holiday season. On the Sunday before Christmas each year we bless our cribs and Christmas trees, whether in the church or at home. On the last Sunday of each year we bless calendars that people have bought with them to church. In so doing, we’re asking God’s blessing upon every second of every day in the coming year, and also are reminding ourselves that each day is meant to be celebrated.

On the feast of Epiphany each year we bless pieces of chalk which people take home and write about their front doors: 20 +C+M+B 03 (the first two digits of this year followed by the initials tradition gives to the wise men – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar – with a cross in fornt of each initial signifying “saint” followed by the last two digits of the year; the letters also abreviate the prayer: Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless this house”). On the feast of the Baptism of Jesus each year we bless those young people who are leaving home for the first time to go off to boarding school, college, university, or because of employment reasons. On the feast of the Presentation of Jesus we bless candles to be used in the church during the year or by people at prayer time in their homes. Each year on this day we also bless those people who will teach our children during the coming year about the Christian faith. The day after the feast of Presentation each year, which is the feast of St Blaise, we bless people’s throats using candles blest the previous day, asking God to keep people free of all sickness and disease during the coming year. St Blaise is said to have miraculously removed a fish bone from a boy’s throat.

Some might think this is all a bit hocus-pocus. I’ll admit, just because a calendar is blest doesn;t ensure that a person will have a worry-free year. But it all serves to remind us of God’s presence in our lives and that God wants to be involved in the everyday and ordinary events of our lives as well as the spectacular and significant events.

I know of no other parish in our diocese where these days are celebrated in these ways.