BLESSING OF EPIPHANY WATER
Monday - January 5, 2026 - 6:15 PM
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church
Bring your own Salt and Water (label the containers with your name). One large container of water per family (nothing smaller than a quart size). It should be leak proof, but easy to open with a large opening to facilitate the priest putting blessed salt in it. Please place your containers of salt and water on the table in front of the altar no later than 6:00 PM. Please reverently & silently retrieve your blessed salt and water after the blessing. Servers will help in the orderly distribution of blessed items.
WHAT IS EPIPHANY WATER?
As one person quipped: "Epiphany Water is basically Holy Water on steroids."
The Blessing of the Epiphany Water begins with the Litany of the Saints, the Agnus Dei and psalms, after which, the priest chants a powerful exorcism against Satan and his legions. An antiphon extols the fruits of the baptism of Our Lord and references the wedding feast at Cana, and then the exorcism of salt and water begins. After the salt is added to the water, the Te Deum is sung, and a simple, but profound prayer beseeching God’s mercy ends the ceremony.
The exorcisms are unique to the Epiphany water and make it a powerful sacramental against attacks of Satan so that “wherever this water and salt is sprinkled it may turn aside every attack of the unclean spirit”.
EPIPHANY HOME BLESSING WITH CHALK
It has been a tradition in the Catholic Church to hand out blessed chalk at the Masses for Epiphany, and then use the blessed chalk as part of blessing one’s home in the New Year.
We will distribute the blessed chalk after all Masses on the weekend, January 3-4.
Use the blessed chalk to write 20+C+M+B+26 above the doorways:
C, M, B for the 3 Magi – Casper, Melchior, and Balthasar
and for "Christus Mansionem Benedicat," Latin for “May Christ Bless this House.”
Together, as a family, pray the accompanying Prayer.