The occasion provides a special opportunity for a gathering of the members of the community to mark the joyful event and to thank God, from whom all blessings come, for the gift of a new home.

All pray briefly in silence; then, with hands outstretched, the celebrant says the prayer of blessing: Blessed are you, Lord, all-powerful God, who in Christ, the living water of salvation, ...

A sneeze is usually all it takes to get a “God bless you.” Offering blessings is deeply rooted in the faith story of the three monotheistic religions: Islam, Judaism and Christianity.