Five homes receive blessings
thanks to local priests
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January 20, 2016Psalm 67:1
“God be gracious to us and bless us,
and cause His face to shine upon us.”A lovely part of our Catholic heritage is the tradition of blessing of the home in the beginning of the New Year. Thanks to Fr. Greg (Grzegorz) Golba from Our Lady of the Lake Church in Sparta and Fr. Jhon Madrid from Saint Thomas the Apostle in Oak Ridge, five of our groups homes have been recently blessed. The residents of the homes were very happy for the opportunity to have their individual rooms blessed as well and made it a point to show Fr. Greg and Fr. Jhon just where to go. Nothing puts a smile on the face of the DPD family more than a chance to pray together and celebrate how God has graced us with so much.
At the Alexander House in Oak Ridge Fr. Jhon Madrid follows a traditional way of blessing by using chalk to write above the home’s entrance, 20 + C + M + B + 16. The letters C, M, B have two meanings.
They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 2016 is the year. Resident Darlyn was happy to share in the prayers.
Robert was happy to have Fr. Jhon, his parish preist come to his house and then even bless his own room!
Robert is a regular parishoner at St. Thomas the Apostle and a familiar face in the parish community.
Father Jhon Madrid with John from the Alexander House in Oak Ridge
With Father Greg Golba from Our Lady of the Lake in Sparta, the Wallace House family gathers to ask God’s blessing on their home and on those who live in or visit the home. It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in not only in the physical home but also in our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows.
After the blessing Father Greg joined Jack and the other residents of Wallace House for tea and cookies and lively conversation.
Father Greg gathered the residents of the Wallace House for a final blessing and gave everyone prayer cards with a reminder to always love one another.
