Tag Archives: Temptations

Things to remember for house blessings at Theophany

By Fr. Luke | Published: January 18, 2010
  1. Water BlessingIf possible every member of the family should gather, properly attired, for the Priest’s visit.
  2. At your home altar, or on the dining room table place a clean cloth, a lit candle and a Theophany icon or icon of Christ. You may also have incense prepared and ready if you like. Many people also like to provide a few sprigs of basil, rosemary or other greenery for the sprinkling of the house as well.
  3. Be sure to have a list of the members of your family (Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike) ready for the Priest.
  4. Secure any pets that might jump up on the Priest or get underfoot as you move from room to room (however don’t forget pets may be blessed too!)
  5. Turn off all TVs, radios, computers, etc.
  6. Everyone in the house should gather around the family altar or table when the Priest arrives and join in the chanting of the litany responses and hymns.
  7. The head of the house carries the candle, leading the Priest and the family. Children may carry icons.
  8. At the end of the service, each member of the family comes forward to kiss the Cross while the Priest blesses them with the holy water.

Note: Most parishes have a Lesser Blessing of Water at the beginning of each month. This holy water should be taken home so that the house blessing might be occasionally “renewed” by the family themselves by sprinkling the home on Great Feasts, family celebrations or in times of temptation or after arguments and unpleasantness.

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Temptations on Feast Days

By Fr. Luke | Published: September 26, 2007

—Geronta, why do temptations often occur on feast days?

—Don’t you know? On feast days, Christ, the Panagia, and the Saints are joyful. They treat people, giving blessings and spiritual gifts. If parents give gifts when their children celebrate their namedays and kings release prisoners when a prince is born, why shouldn’t the Saints care for us on special occasions, too? Certainly the joy they give greatly endures and our souls are greatly helped. Knowing this the devil creates temptations in order to deprive people of the Divine gifts: they neither rejoice nor benefit from the feast. Sometimes you even see when a family is preparing to commune on a feast day, that the devil will send them a temptation to fight and then not only do they not commune, but they don’t even go to church! That’s how the little demon does it, so as to be deprived of all Divine help. Read more →

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