Eve of the Epiphany, Saturday 5th January 2109

1st Saturday, Mass of Our Lady
Benediction and Great Epiphany Water Blessing (No novena)

If you wish to have water blessed, please bring only one large container with a wide opening, or better still, fill your empty container from the large reservoir after the blessing is finished.
Please take care not to spill water in the church. Our liturgy must finish in time for the First Saturday devotions held by St. Dominic’s parish.

Epiphany is one of the most primitive feast days of the Church. The Great Blessing of Water takes place on the Eve of Epiphany. This blessing is Eastern in origin but there were parts of Europe that also blessed Epiphany Water. In 1890, the Roman Rite of the Blessing of the Water was included in the Ritual for universal use. The Ritual Prayer includes a Solemn Exorcism.

On Epiphany Day, chalk, gold, incense and myrrh are blessed. The chalk is used to inscribe the name of the 3 Magi (Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior) on the lintels of homes. For the blessing of homes, Epiphany water, chalk, incense and myrrh are used as sacramentals. With the blessed chalk is inscribed:

20 + C + M + B + 19

CBM is also an abbreviation of Christus Mansionem Bendicat, “May Christ bless the house”