Traditional Catholic House Blessing Prayer

The Catholic Church has always recognized the home as the domestic church—a sacred space where the Faith is lived daily. Just as churches are blessed and consecrated, so too should Christian homes be sanctified with prayer and blessing. The Traditional Roman Ritual provides several forms of the Blessing of a Home, to be used at different times of the liturgical year.

There are four principal versions:

1. On the Feast of the Epiphany – the most solemn version, which includes incense.
2. On Holy Saturday and during Paschaltide – incorporating the Vidi Aquam.
3. Outside of Paschaltide (Version 1) – incorporating the Aspérges.
4. Outside of Paschaltide (Version 2) – a shorter, less formal version.

Like the other blessings found in the Rituale Romanum, these prayers are intended to be prayed in Latin. However, approved English translations may also be used for the faithful to understand the meaning. Importantly, all versions require the use of exorcized and blessed Holy Water, prepared according to the traditional formula.

Sometimes, this blessing is followed by the Consecration of the Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, making the home truly a dwelling consecrated to Christ. It is also worth noting that the prayers speak intentionally of a “home,” not just a “house”—meaning this blessing applies equally to apartments or other dwellings.

Traditional Latin Mass priests are often willing to perform this beautiful blessing, bringing Christ’s peace and protection into Catholic homes. Below are English translations of the main forms of this blessing.

1. Blessing of a Home Outside of Paschaltide (Version 1)

When a priest blesses a home outside of Paschaltide, he begins upon entering:

℣. Peace be unto this home.

℟. And unto all who dwell herein.

As he sprinkles the principal room, he prays:

Sprinkle me with hyssop, O Lord, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 50:3) Be merciful to me, O God, for great is Thy goodness.

℣. Glory be to the Father, etc.

Sprinkle me with hyssop, O Lord…

℣. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

℟. Who made heaven and earth.

℣. The Lord be with you.

℟. And with thy spirit.

Prayer:

Hear us, holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God! And deign to send Thy holy Angel from heaven to guard, cherish, protect, visit, and defend all who dwell in this home. Through Christ our Lord.

℟. Amen.

2. Blessing of a Home Outside of Paschaltide (Version 2)

℣. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

℟. Who made heaven and earth.

℣. The Lord be with you.

℟. And with thy spirit.

Prayer:

Thee, God the Father Almighty, we fervently implore for the sake of this home, and its occupants and possessions, that Thou wouldst bless ✠ and sanctify ✠ it, enriching it with every good. Pour out on them, O Lord, heavenly dew in good measure, as well as the fatness of earthly needs. Mercifully hear and grant the fulfillment of their prayers. And at our lowly coming, deign to bless ✠ and sanctify ✠ this home, as Thou didst bless the homes of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Within these walls let Thine Angels of light preside and stand watch over them that dwell here. Through Christ our Lord.

℟. Amen.

The home is then sprinkled with Holy Water.

3. Blessing of a Home on Holy Saturday and During Paschaltide

The priest, vested in surplice and white stole, enters the home with a server carrying the vessel of blessed water and says:

℣. Peace be unto this home.

℟. And unto all who dwell herein.

He then sprinkles the dwelling’s main room and its occupants, saying:

I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple, alleluia: and all to whom this water came were saved, and they shall say: alleluia, alleluia.

Psalm 117:1 – Let us give thanks to the Lord for His goodness: for His mercy endureth forever.

℣. Glory be to the Father, etc.

I saw water…

℣. Show us Thy mercy, Lord, alleluia.

℟. And grant us Thy salvation, alleluia.

℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟. And let my cry come unto Thee.

℣. The Lord be with you.

℟. And with thy spirit.

Prayer:

Hear us, holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God! And as in their departure from Egypt Thou didst guard the homes of the Israelites from the avenging Angel if they were smeared with blood (prefiguring our Pasch in which Christ is slain), so likewise send Thy holy Angel from heaven to guard, cherish, protect, visit, and defend all who dwell in this house. Through the same Christ our Lord.

℟. Amen.

Conclusion

The Traditional Blessing of a Home is a beautiful reminder that Catholic life extends beyond Sunday Mass and into the daily living of the Faith. Invoking God’s protection, asking His angels to guard the home, and consecrating the family dwelling to Christ brings untold spiritual graces.

Whether performed on Epiphany, Holy Saturday, Paschaltide, or at any other time of the year, these ancient prayers remain a powerful testimony to the Church’s care for her faithful, and a sure means of sanctifying the heart of Catholic family life: the home.

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 125

This is Episode 125 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today's episode I discuss the Evangelical Counsels - their historical context and continuing relevance to Catholics.

This episode of A Catholic Life is sponsored by the Sanctifica app — your go-to tool for living the richness of the liturgical year. From feast days and saints to traditional devotions, the rosary, and even now even with the Divine Office and an interactive map to find Traditional Latin Mass locations — Sanctifica pulls it all together in one simple, beautiful app.

It’s liturgical tradition made accessible, right at your fingertips. For me, it’s been a real game-changer: quick access to novenas and the Office, gentle reminders for feast days, and countless treasures I might have otherwise missed. If you’ve been wanting to bring more order and depth into your daily spiritual life, Sanctifica makes it easy. Download it for free today on the App Store or Google Play. It’s a powerful companion for anyone striving to truly live a Catholic life.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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Walking Through the Holy Doors: My Pilgrimage During the 2025 Jubilee Year

Scriptural Basis for Jubilee Years

One aspect of being Catholic that is often not discussed, as it comes up usually a few times in a person’s lifetime, is the observation of Holy Years of Jubilee. Beyond the weekly, monthly, and annual cycle that we know well as Catholics, there is the Jubilee cycle that comes less frequently. The website FishEaters does a good job introducing the origin of Jubilee Years:

In the Old Covenant, God set aside certain times to be honored as sacred. As recorded by Moses in Exodus 20:8-11, there was to be a weekly "Sabbath" -- which means "cease" or "rest." In Deuteronomy 16:16-17, Moses records God's commands to our spiritual ancestors to keep the yearly Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. In addition to these weekly and yearly cycles of time, God also ordered periodic year-long sabbaths. These "sabbatical years" were of two types: the regular sabbatical year which was to take place every 7th year, and the special year of Jubilee, which took place after "seven weeks of seven years," or after 49 years -- that is, in every 50th year. All told, then, every 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, 35th, 42nd, 49th, and 50th years would be sabbath years, with two years in a row -- the 49th year and the 50th year of jubilee -- being such. The word "jubilee" is a Hebrew word which etymologically indicates the ram's horn -- "jobel" (also "shofar") -- that God ordained should announce these special sabbatical years in Leviticus 25:1-13

The Church has accordingly adopted this practice and continued it, since our Lord Himself said He came not to abolish the Old Law but to perfect it. We see this in many different aspects of the Old Testament such as the ritualistic observances in worship and even the vestments.

The Holy Years

Writing for the National Catholic Register, Father Raymond de Souza writes:

There will be a holy year in 2025, keeping the tradition of holy years every quarter-century. The last holy year was the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016; before that there was the “ordinary” holy year of 2000, styled the “Great Jubilee.” The previous ordinary Holy Year was in 1975.

But in the last century we have seen more Holy Years, in addition to Jubilee Years, as Father De Souza notes:

In 1933, Pope Pius XI called an extraordinary jubilee year for the 1,900th anniversary of the redemption…The idea of “special years” has become a key pastoral tool in the last century. The tradition of holy years began in 1300, with invitations for Catholics to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Eventually the interval between holy years was shortened from 100 to 25 years, so that everyone might (theoretically) have a chance to complete a holy year pilgrimage during his lifetime.

Special holy years were issued in 1954 (Marian Year), 1967 (Year of Faith), 1983 (Jubilee of Redemption), 1988 (2,000th Anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Birth), 2002 (Year of the Rosary), and 2004 (Year of the Eucharist). Closer to our own time Pope Benedict XVI observed three such years throughout his pontificate: The Year of St. Paul, the Year for Priests, and the Year of Faith. In 2015 Pope Francis called an extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy and followed in 2019 with the Year of Our Lady of Loretto and in 2020 with the Year of St. Joseph.

The Holy Doors (Portae Sanctae)

Jubilee Years in particular are special as they are opportunities for us to invoke the mercy of God in a special way and come to Rome on pilgrimage to enter the Holy Doors which are only ever open in Jubilee Years. FishEaters elaborates on that:

The Sacrament of Confession can be likened to God's granting to us what He commanded to Moses: "remission to all the inhabitants of thy land: for it is the year of jubilee." In these holy years, penance is key (a General Confession in Jubilee Years is recommended by Pope Benedict XIV). 

In addition to the special emphasis on the alleviation of the eternal effects of sin through the Sacrament of Confession, the temporal effects of sin are a focus of Jubilee Years, too. A plenary indulgence can be gained, under the usual conditions, by making a pilgrimage to the four primary patriarchal churches in Rome and walking through their Holy Doors (portae sanctae), which are symbolic of Christ. This is the standard requirement for the Jubilee indulgence, but the exact requirements (published when the Jubilee is announced) may vary from Jubilee to Jubilee and usually include provisions for visiting local churches, doing charitable works, or fasting, etc.

The Holy Doors are present in the four major Basilicas of Rome. In the past few years, some additional Holy Doors were established by the Holy See. To see the opening of the Doors, or to walk through them during the Holy Year, is an experience that one will not forget. The Holy Jubilee of 1950 was documented by Life Magazine and with the advent of television, most Catholics had their first opportunity to ever see the ceremony of their opening.

 

My Experience of the Jubilee Pilgrimage

This year I had the privilege of personally taking part in the Jubilee. A Jubilee Year is not just a theological concept or a historical tradition, but a lived reality for those who make the journey. Walking through the Holy Doors of the four major basilicas of Rome was a moment of profound grace and awe. The prayers, confessions, and indulgences connected with the Jubilee all came alive when I was physically present in the Eternal City, following the same path that countless pilgrims have walked for centuries.

During this Jubilee pilgrimage, I was blessed to walk through all the Holy Doors of the four Major Basilicas, each one a profound reminder of Christ as the true gate of salvation. I prayed at the tomb of St. Lawrence, venerated the relics of the saints—including the foot of St. Mary Magdalene, the True Cross, and even the Crib of Bethlehem—and gazed upon the breathtaking Ecstasy of St. Teresa. Each day I was able to assist at the Traditional Latin Mass, uniting my prayers with countless pilgrims across the centuries. On a lighter note, I even mailed a letter to the Holy Father, savored the incomparable cuisine of Rome, and managed to log over 30,000 steps daily in the sweltering summer heat—a reminder that pilgrimage is both a spiritual and physical journey.

The Church reminds us that these years are not meant simply as a commemoration, but as a true call to conversion and renewal. That truth was something I felt tangibly as I entered each basilica, joined the faithful from every nation, and reflected on the mercy of God poured out so abundantly in these extraordinary times.

In this article, I have included several of my own photographs from the pilgrimage. They capture not only the grandeur of the basilicas and the Holy Doors but also the spirit of joy and prayer that filled the streets of Rome. These images, I hope, convey some of the sense of sacredness and unity that a Jubilee offers to the universal Church.

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