The Prokeimenon is in the 6th Tone: Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has

him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you

O Lord save Thy people // and bless Thine inheritance! well.” And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him,
glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to
v: To Thee, O Lord, will I call. O my God, be not silent unto me! God. Luke 18:35-43 (31 Sunday)
st

The Reading from the 1st Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to Timothy
The Season for House Blessings
My Son Timothy: This is a faithful saying and worthy of all Between Theophany and the Sunday of the Publican & Pharisee
acceptance, ***Contact Fr. James to schedule an appointment***
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
of whom I am chief. Preparing for House Blessings
However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Prepare a small table covered with a clean cloth near the icon corner with:
1. A candle
Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering,
2. An Icon of Christ (or festal icon of Theophany)
as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him
3. Prayer List of living & departed friends & family members
for everlasting life.
4. Holy Water (blessed on Theophany) in a clean bowl.
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible,
to God who alone is wise,
be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
I Tim 1:15-17 (31st
Sun)

The Alleluia is in the 6th Tone: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

v: He who dwelleth in the shelter of the Most-High shall abide in the
shadow of the heavenly God!
v: He shall say to the Lord: My Protector and My Refuge; my God, in
whom I trust!

Order of the House Blessing

The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind
man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he
asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was
passing by.And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy
on me!”
Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but
he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And
when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me
to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”
1. Blessing & Introductory Prayers
2. Led by a member of the household holding a candle (usually a
child), the priest blesses all the rooms of the house with holy
water, while all join in singing the troparion hymn for the Feast of
Theophany:
When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan,
the worship of the Trinity was made manifest.
For the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee,
and called Thee His beloved Son;
and the Spirit in the form of a dove
 confirmed the truthfulness of His word.
O Christ our God, Who hast revealed Thyself//
and hast enlightened the world, glory to Thee.
3. Prayer for living and departed family & friends
4. A final prayer and dismissal
House Blessings: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
What about Fellowship? At this point, if time permits, the priest may
stay and visit with the individual or family. This is a wonderful time to
become better acquainted with one another, to share any hopes and
concerns you might have about the parish, the home, or life in general
and/or to ask any questions about Scripture, the Divine Services,
Sacraments, prayer, saints, contemporary ethical/moral issues, etc.
What about Food/Drink? At least at All Saints, individuals/families are
not expected to offer the priest a meal or snacks in conjunction with a
house blessing, unless this has been agreed to in advance. A cup of
coffee/tea or a cold drink is a more than sufficient token of hospitality.
Please do not offer your priest alcohol, as he’s usually driving to the next
house! :-)
Trebi: I have come to pray for God's blessing on the home and the
household because I want to do so and because I want God to bless you
and your home! I also come hoping to get to know you all better, to build
trust in the pastoral relationship, and to discuss various issues as needed.
Such an opportunity is a wonderful gift and payment enough for me.
One may, of course, offer a personal gift if they so desire. However, as in
years past, I encourage all those who wish to offer a gift (in gratitude for
God’s mercy and help during this season) to do so by donating to:
1) All Saints: for our work of worship, education, evangelism and
outreach
2) ONE Stewards: diocesan (DNE) charity and youth programs
3) Stewards of the OCA: national (OCA) charity and youth programs
4) Local charities:
Birthright: supports young women facing unplanned pregnancies
Foodshare: working to end hunger in central CT
Loaves & Fishes: serves the poor in Hartford
Chrysalis Center: provides social services and housing in central
CT
5) Orthodox charities:
IOCC: The Orthodox “Red Cross”: international disaster relief
OCMC: Focused on international evangelism and missionary
work
OCPM: Orthodox ministry for prisoners and their families
FOCUS-NA: assists the hungry, poor, and needy throughout USA
6) Our Seminaries: St. Herman's(AK), St. Tikhon's(PA), St.
Vladimir’s(NY)
The Custom of Blessing Homes
The custom of blessing homes during the Theophany season is of special
beauty and significance. It is not simply a sentimental tradition without
meaning, nor is it a custom whose meaning we have forgotten, like an old
friend whose face we remember, but whose impact on our life has been
forgotten.
The yearly blessing of homes at the Feast of the Theophany touches our
daily lives with the sanctifying waters of the Jordan in which Our Lord
was baptized. In blessing a home, the Church asks God to drive away
every evil influence from our home and those who live in it, and to renew
with extra vigor the influence of the Holy Spirit in our domestic lives.
The Church Fathers speak of the home as a small church, and just as we
must chase away the influences of the Evil One from our parishes and
parish families, so too must we do so - at least annually - in our domestic
family.
When an Orthodox Christian believer moves into a new home, he
dedicates his new home as the abode of a follower of Christ. He asks that
God, the source of all goodness and the Giver of every perfect gift, to
bless his house and all that is within it; he recalls that Jesus Christ, His
Son, came to bring Salvation to it, even as He brought Salvation to the
house of Zacchaeus; he prays that the Holy Spirit may abide in it, guiding
those who dwell in it in the Paths of righteousness.
On the Feast of Theophany we rededicate our home for its original
purpose, just as we must periodically rededicate our life to Christ. We do
it especially on this Feast because this is the day on which we remember
in the Church Year the coming of Christ who began His Ministry when
He descended into Jordan to be Baptized by St. John the Forerunner and
Baptist. He enters again into our lives reminding us that we must "repent,
for the Kingdom of God is at hand."

An Orthodox Christian must dedicate not only himself and his house to
the Lord, but his daily work and all his efforts as well. All things are to be
done to the glory of God. That is why in the Orthodox Church, not only
religious objects, such as icons, crosses, churches and vestments, are
blessed, but also homes, fields, animals and all objects which are used in
our daily life for the good of man. In this the Church expresses its faith
that the Holy Spirit's sanctifying action extends over the whole Creation.

Contact Fr. James to schedule an appointment!