May 15th, 2016

If you walk around our village long enough, you will begin to notice an inscription written in chalk on, above or beside some of the door frames. It is this: 20*C+M+B+16. Some of you may already be familiar with it. I wasn’t. I have seen it several times now and finally took a picture of it the other evening when I was out for a stroll.

I asked my friend, Amy, if she knew what it was. She told me it had something to do with giving a donation. My curiosity peaked last night, motivating me to do a little research. There were several sites that gave explanations. Here is a bit of what I pieced together…

The numbers are for the current year (2016). The C, M, B are the initials of the traditional names of the Wise Men (Magi), Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar who came to visit Jesus, Mary and Joseph in their home. The letters can also stand for the latin words, “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” meaning “May Christ bless this home.” The “+” sign represents the cross.

A Christian Tradition, called the Epiphany, celebrates the visit of the three Wise Men on January 6th. As a part of the celebration, a priest or the father of the family chalks this inscription above a door as a blessing over the house and an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest and participant in all that occurs inside the home. I like this. 

Another source I read gave a variation of the celebration where German children go house to house gathering donations for charities dressed as the three kings. They sing songs, recite messages of Christmas and write the inscription on or around the door. We were still living in our apartment this year during the Epiphany which may explain why we didn’t get to participate. I would love for the boys to see this.

I’m hoping we get a visit from the three wise men in 2017. If not, we may have our own family celebration and chalking of our door as a reminder of the Guest we desire to live amongst. Daryl Moresco, from the order of the Carmelites, writes, “With time the chalk will fade. As it does we let the meaning of the symbols written sink into the depths of our heart and be manifest in our words and actions the Latin words, Christus mansionem benedictat, ‘May Christ bless the house.'” 

Blessings on your home~