The post-Easter period is mainly characterised by the blessings of homes. In every Maltese and Gozitan town and village various priests are visiting families to meet and bless them and their houses. Such an occasion is a good starting point for the priest to get to know better the people who reside at his parish.

Obviously there are different ways of doing house blessings. Some prefer to bless families street by street in a limited span of time, say two months. Others prefer to prolong the blessings over a year. Irrespective of the manner it is done, house blessing is still relevant for sound pastoral work. In a certain sense, it is an experience of casting down the nets. And the catch one gets is indeed surprising at times. In fact, sometimes places where one thinks he will be less received turn out to be the places where one is welcomed with an open heart. The contrary is also possible.

The secret of it all is the courage to go and meet the people where they are at. We priests have to realise that it is Jesus Christ who in our person goes and meets his people to draw them back to his heart, to encourage them to keep going to enter the narrow gate, to support them to do God's will in their lives, no matter how hard it is.

Consolidated by a listening ear as well as a warming presence, the blessed water is capable of imparting the healing a wounded heart desperately needs. My pastoral experience informs me that a simple prayer and a blessing is all that is needed in complex situations where there seems to be no solution to them. Our Loving God cares for his people simply by accompanying them in all the hardships they face.

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap., San Ġwann.