Meditation Monday - Chalking The Door

Tonight is the Feast of Epiphany when we celebrate the coming of the Magi with their gifts for the baby Jesus. I love the way that Kendall Vanderslice at Edible Theology talks about this celebration. She says: “This story is one of social upheaval, a subversion of the expected order. It’s a story of kings bowing to a child. Of a powerful earthly king who was afraid of being dethroned by a poor infant. When we celebrate Epiphany, we remember that God’s ways are often unexpected. They are delightfully ironic, turning our sense of order on its head.”

My favourite epiphany practice which I have done for the last 7 years, is the chalking of the door. I came across this practice when I was in Germany several years ago, at first puzzled by these strange patterns over the doors which spelled out a hidden code. Now I display the same hidden code over my own back door, and people often ask what it is all about.

Either on Twelfth Night (January 5), the twelfth day of Christmastide and eve of the feast of the Epiphany, or on Epiphany Day (January 6) itself, many Christians in Europe chalk their doors with a pattern such as this, “20 † C † M † B † 25”. The numbers refer to the calendar year (20 and 25, for this year); the crosses stand for Christ; and the letters have a two-fold significance: C, M and B are the initials for the traditional names of the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar), as well as an abbreviation of the Latin blessing Christus mansionem benedicat, which means, May Christ bless this house. Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request for Christ to bless our homes and stay with those who dwell in them throughout the entire year.

Of course we don’t really know the names of the Magi. We don’t even know if there were three of them, or if they were all men, but it is still a fun way to bless our homes and welcome others into our midst.

Chalk is used in this tradition because it is an ordinary substance of the earth, “dust” put to holy use. It reminds us that we are of the dust of the ground, the most ordinary of substances, and yet are fashioned as holy beings for holy purposes. Chalk will not permanently mark the dwelling. Weather will likely cause the marking to fade over time, but each time we view the inscription upon entering our homes we will remember the reason for it and rededicate ourselves to that purpose.

In some traditions the chalk is blessed by the priest of minister. In others this is not a concern. The symbols are usually written on private dwellings, but can just as easily be written on churches, classrooms, offices or even hospital rooms. Usually the symbols are written across the top of the door frame but in recent years people have become quite creative in how they do it. Some do it down the side and others, especially if they have small children or someone in a wheelchair, do it across the bottom. My favourite image of chalking the door is the image at the top of this post which was sent to me a few years ago by a Godspace follower who had never chalked her door before because she always thought it had to be done across the top. But as you can see, when she learned otherwise she went to town and decorated the whole door.

A Blessing of the Home

God who is Three, God who is One,

Bless this house in which we stand.

Bless it from roof to floor,

from wall to wall, from front to back.

May your Spirit alone dwell within these walls,

To bring joy and laughter to all who enter here.

We call upon the Sacred Three

To protect, keep safe and surround this home.

The circle of God around it,

The peace of Christ within it,

The life of the Spirit above it,

this day, this night and every night.

May the Triune God be the guardian of this place.

Peace be here in the name of the God of love,

Welcome be here in the name of the Christ of peace,

Joy be here in the name of the Spirit of life.

God who is One, God who is Three,

Bring light for the day and rest for the night.

We call upon the Sacred Three

To welcome, guide and nurture all who enter here,

The circle of God around friend and stranger,

The peace of Christ within guest and host,

The life of the Spirit above all who stand at the door,

this day, this night and evermore.

Following the blessing, people in turn mark their doorways with one or more of these symbols:

20+C+ M+ B+25

(Adapted from a house blessing in A Celtic Daily Prayer)