Like so many of our family customs, the celebration of the King's Feast, or Epiphany, began when our children were toddlers. They put their shoes outside the door for gifts from the Kings, and a few almond cookies with a small toy were all they received. In their visit the Wise Men left a tiny gold paper crown on each Christ-Child figure, and raised the family manger to a throne draped in red and gold fabric. At the Nativity scene they left figures of the Magi and their retinue.
I used to make paper crowns of gold so each of our children could be a King. Then, using bright pieces of fabric, I would hem both ends and draw a contrasting ribbon through one. This gathered the fabric into a cape for the King. The children chose their names - Caspar, Baltassar or Melchior. Their day was spent journeying to Bethlehem on rocking horse or tiny saw-horse camels. At supper we served a simple cake with white frosting topped by a crown of gumdrops. (Recipe can be found at the end of this post) Three pieces of the cake were given away in honor of the Wise Men. It was always a job to keep the crown from losing its "jewels" before it was served. After supper each child was tossed to the ceiling three times, in honor of each of the Magi; then the ritual began. (Our children have grown since we started these customs so their is no more throwing them to the ceiling but the rest of the customs still remain for a few more years anyway. We only have two that now are young enough to want to pretend to be the kings:( )
With the three Kings in procession we blessed the house with holy water and marked the doors with blessed chalk. We put 19 + C + M + B + 96 using the initials of the Magi and the year, so that our coming and going would be in search of the Truth. Although our ceremony was small, the children had fulfilled its chief purpose - to honor Christ as King.
Epiphany means the revelation of the Messiah's coming to the Gentiles whom the Magi represent. It is one of the five days of the year called "a day most holy" in the Canon of the Mass. In Spain, Portugal, Central and South America, the feast is kept with almost as much solemnity as Christmas.
On this night our family gathers around the crib with lighted candles and recites or sings:
ALL: A Child is born in Bethlehem, alleluia!
Full joyous sings Jerusalem, alleluia, alleluia.
From Orient, behold the star, alleluia,
And holy kings come from afar, alleluia, alleluia.
The father reads the Gospel for the Feast of the Epiphany, St. Matthew 2: 1-12.
WHEN Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to adore him. And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he enquired of them where Christ should be born. But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda; for so it is written by the prophet: "And thou, Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda, for out of thee shall come forth the ruler that shall rule my people Israel." Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them; and sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently enquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore him. Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him. And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts ; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their own country.
ALL: From the East came the magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures, they offered costly gifts: gold to the Great King, incense to the True God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial, alleluia!
While the father sprinkles the rooms of the house with holy water, the mother and children recite the canticle of the Blessed Mary, the Magnificat :
FATHER: My soul magnifies the Lord,
ALL: and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid, for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed,
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation toward those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the might from their thrones and has exalted the lowly.
The hungry He has filled with good things and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has given help to Israel His servant, mindful of His mercy
As He promised our fathers - toward Abraham and his descendants forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Then follows these prayers:
ALL: From the East came the magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures, they offered costly gifts: gold to the Great King, incense to the True God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial, alleluia!
FATHER; Many shall come from Saba.
ALL: Bearing gold and incense.
FATHER: O Lord, hear my prayer.
ALL: And let my cry come onto Thee.
FATHER: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst this day reveal Thy Only-Begotten Son to the Gentiles, grant that we who know Thee by faith may be brought to the contemplation of the heavenly majesty. Through the same Jesus Christ.
ALL: Amen.
ALL: Be enlightened and shine forth, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come and uon thee is risen the glory of the Lord, Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
FATHER: Nations shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brilliance of thy rising.
ALL: And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
FATHER: Let us pray. O Lord, Almighty God, bless this house that it may become a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, and thanksgiving to God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Upon this house and those who dwell herein may Thy blessing remain forever. Through Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
The blessing of the chalk:
FATHER: Let us pray: O Lord God, bless this chalk to make helpful o man. Grant that we who use it with faith and inscribe with it the names of thy saints Caspar, Melchior, and Baltassar upon the entrance of our homes, may through their merits and petition enjoy physical health and spiritual protection. Through Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
The father then writes the initials of the names of the Magi separated by crosses and the year above the door in this manner:
20 + C + M + B + (year)
In conclusion the following hymn is sung or prayed:
The star of Jacob leadeth them, alleluia!
From Saba to blest Bethlehem, alleluia, alleluia!
God, myrrh, and incense pure they bring, alleluia!
To Mary's Child, God, Man and King, alleluia, alleluia!
Now sing: We Three Kings of Orient Are
This home service may also be used the evening before Epiphany or any day during the Octave.
TWELFTH NIGHT CAKE
1 cup shortening 1/2 tsp. salt
2 2/3 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups milk
5 1/2 cups of flour 2 tsp. vanilla
5 tsp. baking powder 6 beaten egg whites
Cream shortening and sugar. Add milk alternately with sifted dry ingredients. Fold in beaten egg whites. Add vanilla. Bake in three 9 inch greased layer tins in a moderate oven (375) for about 30 minutes. Frost and top the cake with a crown of gumdrops.
Most of the Advent and Christmas traditions that we as a family do came from a book titled, "Advent and Christmas in a Catholic Home," by Helen McLoughlin
A printable version of these prayers can be downloaded here:
I used to make paper crowns of gold so each of our children could be a King. Then, using bright pieces of fabric, I would hem both ends and draw a contrasting ribbon through one. This gathered the fabric into a cape for the King. The children chose their names - Caspar, Baltassar or Melchior. Their day was spent journeying to Bethlehem on rocking horse or tiny saw-horse camels. At supper we served a simple cake with white frosting topped by a crown of gumdrops. (Recipe can be found at the end of this post) Three pieces of the cake were given away in honor of the Wise Men. It was always a job to keep the crown from losing its "jewels" before it was served. After supper each child was tossed to the ceiling three times, in honor of each of the Magi; then the ritual began. (Our children have grown since we started these customs so their is no more throwing them to the ceiling but the rest of the customs still remain for a few more years anyway. We only have two that now are young enough to want to pretend to be the kings:( )
With the three Kings in procession we blessed the house with holy water and marked the doors with blessed chalk. We put 19 + C + M + B + 96 using the initials of the Magi and the year, so that our coming and going would be in search of the Truth. Although our ceremony was small, the children had fulfilled its chief purpose - to honor Christ as King.
Epiphany means the revelation of the Messiah's coming to the Gentiles whom the Magi represent. It is one of the five days of the year called "a day most holy" in the Canon of the Mass. In Spain, Portugal, Central and South America, the feast is kept with almost as much solemnity as Christmas.
On this night our family gathers around the crib with lighted candles and recites or sings:
ALL: A Child is born in Bethlehem, alleluia!
Full joyous sings Jerusalem, alleluia, alleluia.
From Orient, behold the star, alleluia,
And holy kings come from afar, alleluia, alleluia.
The father reads the Gospel for the Feast of the Epiphany, St. Matthew 2: 1-12.
WHEN Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to adore him. And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he enquired of them where Christ should be born. But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda; for so it is written by the prophet: "And thou, Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda, for out of thee shall come forth the ruler that shall rule my people Israel." Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them; and sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently enquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore him. Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him. And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts ; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their own country.
ALL: From the East came the magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures, they offered costly gifts: gold to the Great King, incense to the True God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial, alleluia!
While the father sprinkles the rooms of the house with holy water, the mother and children recite the canticle of the Blessed Mary, the Magnificat :
FATHER: My soul magnifies the Lord,
ALL: and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid, for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed,
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation toward those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the might from their thrones and has exalted the lowly.
The hungry He has filled with good things and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has given help to Israel His servant, mindful of His mercy
As He promised our fathers - toward Abraham and his descendants forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Then follows these prayers:
ALL: From the East came the magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures, they offered costly gifts: gold to the Great King, incense to the True God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial, alleluia!
FATHER; Many shall come from Saba.
ALL: Bearing gold and incense.
FATHER: O Lord, hear my prayer.
ALL: And let my cry come onto Thee.
FATHER: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst this day reveal Thy Only-Begotten Son to the Gentiles, grant that we who know Thee by faith may be brought to the contemplation of the heavenly majesty. Through the same Jesus Christ.
ALL: Amen.
ALL: Be enlightened and shine forth, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come and uon thee is risen the glory of the Lord, Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
FATHER: Nations shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brilliance of thy rising.
ALL: And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
FATHER: Let us pray. O Lord, Almighty God, bless this house that it may become a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, and thanksgiving to God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Upon this house and those who dwell herein may Thy blessing remain forever. Through Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
The blessing of the chalk:
FATHER: Let us pray: O Lord God, bless this chalk to make helpful o man. Grant that we who use it with faith and inscribe with it the names of thy saints Caspar, Melchior, and Baltassar upon the entrance of our homes, may through their merits and petition enjoy physical health and spiritual protection. Through Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
The father then writes the initials of the names of the Magi separated by crosses and the year above the door in this manner:
20 + C + M + B + (year)
In conclusion the following hymn is sung or prayed:
The star of Jacob leadeth them, alleluia!
From Saba to blest Bethlehem, alleluia, alleluia!
God, myrrh, and incense pure they bring, alleluia!
To Mary's Child, God, Man and King, alleluia, alleluia!
Now sing: We Three Kings of Orient Are
This home service may also be used the evening before Epiphany or any day during the Octave.
TWELFTH NIGHT CAKE
1 cup shortening 1/2 tsp. salt
2 2/3 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups milk
5 1/2 cups of flour 2 tsp. vanilla
5 tsp. baking powder 6 beaten egg whites
Cream shortening and sugar. Add milk alternately with sifted dry ingredients. Fold in beaten egg whites. Add vanilla. Bake in three 9 inch greased layer tins in a moderate oven (375) for about 30 minutes. Frost and top the cake with a crown of gumdrops.
Most of the Advent and Christmas traditions that we as a family do came from a book titled, "Advent and Christmas in a Catholic Home," by Helen McLoughlin
A printable version of these prayers can be downloaded here:
| the_blessing_of_the_home_for_epiphany.pdf |
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