I have never had this performed at my home before. Does my priest need to inspect my home? Make sure my icons are appropriate? Verify I have a prayer corner of some kind? Do I need to have some refreshment or small gift of appreciation of his efforts available?
Don’t think of blessing your house as some kind of ‘home inspection’; rather think of it as God's sanctification of all things through Christ's epiphany to the world, and His baptism in the River Jordan .
By prayer, and by the sprinkling with the blessed water, the sanctification of your home, is a mystical action, it symbolizes the new creation of the Kingdom of God, in which God fills all things with Himself. In the Orthodox Faith, the household is considered to be sort of a "small church," and the family table is the "home altar" where the people gather each day to receive their "daily bread" from God and with thanksgiving in the Name of Christ.
You should invite your priest annually to ask God to have mercy on your home, to rid it of every evil and to fill it with every blessing. At this time you will pray together for the living and the dead of the household, and of all who live and have lived in the house. You see, the house itself, together with the living persons of the household, are filled with all the fullness of God.
When the priest comes to bless the house and the people, be yourself; don’t worry if your "small church" (home), does not have the trappings of fancy icon corners or whatnot. The purpose is for a blessing. Here are some guidelines that my parish gives out, don’t worry, your priest will have anything you lacking.
1. A lighted candle, an icon and a wide bowl for the blessed water should be placed on the table.
2. All radios, television sets, phonographs, etc. should be turned off.
3. All who are present in the house should come together and stand by the table until the very end of the service.
4. Those who are able should join in the singing of the hymns and responses of the service.
5. The first names of those for whom special prayers are to be offered, including of course all members of the family and those living in the house, should be clearly printed on a sheet of paper, with the clear distinction between the living and the dead.
My wife and I always invite out priest to stay for a meal, but we have a very small parish. I understand that at larger parishes the priest must keep to a schedule.
