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Although we gather as a community for worship in the Church, the Church is not limited to the building where we gather. Just as we ourselves are members, or parts of the Body of Christ, so our homes are extensions of the space where we worship. St. John Chrysostom described the family as "a little Church."
This reminds us that the whole of our life is a sacrament, a gift of God to the world. Our homes are both shelters for us, but also places of Divine hospitality. All that takes place in a home, in its natural circumstance, is an action of the Church. It is, doubtless, one of the primary arenas of our salvation. If children do not find God there, they will have a hard time finding Him anywhere else.
It is traditional in our Orthodox lives for the priest to come to the home each year and bless it. This serves to remind us of the true meaning of our home, as well as to announce to all the powers of heaven that this place belongs to God and is under His protection.
The priest asks for God's blessing on the home and for the health and well-being of all who dwell there. The blessing of homes begins just after the Feast of the Theophany (January 6) and continues through the beginning of Lent.
A home can be blessed any time of year - which is helpful considering how short our time is this year before Great Lent. But note that there is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Use the sheet to make an appointment for Fr. Stephen to come to your home. He will bring with him all that is needed.
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