BLESSING OF A HOME / HOUSE (Prayers)

BLESSING OF A HOME All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Priest: "Peace be to this house and to all who dwell here, in the name of the Lord. Response: Blessed be God forever. P. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. P. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Priest: Let us pray. We humbly beg of you, God the Father almighty, to bless and sanctify this home, those who live in it and everything in it. Be so kind as to fill it with all good things. Grant them, Lord, abundance of blessings from heaven and the substance of life from the richness of the earth. Direct the longings of their prayer to the fruits of Your mercy. Be so kind, then, as to bless and sanctify this home at our coming in, just as You blessed the home of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. May Your angels of light live within the walls of this house, and guard it and all who live in it, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Recitation of the Psalm [Psalm 23]: 1. The Lord is my shepherd;* I shall not want. 2. He makes me to lie down in green pastures;* he leads me beside the still waters. 3. He restores my soul;* he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his Name's sake. 4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;* for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me. 5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;* You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,* and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be the word without end. Amen. First Reading: [The following Scripture is read by the Head of the House:] A reading from Paul's letter to the Colossians: As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17) This is the word of the Lord. All Respond: Thanks be to God. Gospel [Luke 19:1-10]: C. The Lord be with you. P. And with your spirit. C. A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Luke. P. Glory to you, O Lord. 1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” This is the Gospel of the Lord. P. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ SHORT MESSAGE Blessing at the Prayer Table: P: When Christ took flesh through the Blessed Virgin Mary, he made his home with us. Let us now pray that he will enter this home and bless it with his presence. May he always be here among us; may he nurture our love for each other, share in our joys, comfort us in our sorrows. Inspired by his teachings and example, and transformed by his Holy Spirit, let those who dwell here seek to make their home before all else a dwelling place of love, diffusing far and wide the goodness of Christ. [Sprinkle of Holy Water] Blessing at the Entrance: Jesus Said: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” [Sprinkle of Holy Water] Blessing in the Living Room: Peter wrote: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. [Sprinkle of Holy Water] Blessing in the Bedroom: The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, In undisturbed places of rest.” [Sprinkle of Holy Water] Blessing in the Kitchen: Jesus said: “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” [Sprinkle of Holy Water] CONCLUDING PRAYER P: The Lord be with you. R: And with your spirit. P: Let us pray together in the words that our Lord has taught us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. P: Let us entrust this family into the loving protection of our Blessed Mother and pray for her intercession: Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen. P: Let us pray: O heavenly Father, Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee to bless and sanctify this house and all who dwell therein and everything else in it, and do Thou vouchsafe to fill it with all good things; grant them, O Lord, the abundance of heavenly blessings and from the richness of the earth every substance necessary for life, and finally direct their desires to the fruits of Thy mercy. At the entrance, therefore, deign to bless and sanctify this house as Thou didst deign to bless the house of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; and may the angels of Thy light, dwelling within the walk of this house, protect it and those who dwell therein. Jesus, King of love, you shared in the life of your earthly home at Nazareth with Mary and Joseph. Bless, we pray, our new home and our life here, that we may help each other and those who visit us to grow more and more in your love. Visit this house, we beg Thee, O Lord, and banish from it the deadly power of the evil one. May Thy holy angels dwell here to keep us in peace, and may Thy blessings be always upon us. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, R: Amen. [Psalm 25:3-14] [If needed the following Psalm shall be recited by those who stay back around the Prayer Table during the blessing of other places] 3 Show me your ways, O LORD,* and teach me your paths. 4 Lead me in your truth and teach me,* for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long. 5 Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love,* for they are from everlasting. 6 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions;* remember me according to your love and for the sake of your goodness, O LORD. 7 Gracious and upright is the LORD;* therefore he teaches sinners in his way. 8 He guides the humble in doing right* and teaches his way to the lowly. 9 All the paths of the LORD are love and faithfulness* to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. 10 For your Name's sake, O LORD,* forgive my sin, for it is great. 11 Who are they who fear the LORD?* he will teach them the way that they should choose. 12 They shall dwell in prosperity,* and their offspring shall inherit the land. 13 The LORD is a friend to those who fear him* and will show them his covenant. 14 My eyes are ever looking to the LORD,* for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be the word without end. Amen.