Blessed Feast! S’prazdnikom!Â
Christ is Baptised! In the Jordan!
January 19/6
Today we celebrate the ancient and Great Feast of Holy Theophany…the Baptism of our Lord in the River Jordan, by St. John the Baptist, the Forerunner of Christ.
Theophany comes from the Greek word theophania, which means “appearance of God” revealing the manifestation of the Most Holy Trinity to the world through the Baptism of Christ, the Son of God. (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22).
As we joyfully celebrate Holy Theophany, and the additional Great Blessing of the Water service for Holy Water, we are reminded of the Great Sacrament and Mystery of our own baptism.
The Father was revealed to the sense of hearing; the Spirit was revealed to the sense of sight, and in addition to these, the Son was revealed to the sense of touch. The Father uttered His witness about the Son, the Son was baptized in the water, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove hovered above the water. When John the Baptist witnessed and said about Christ, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29), and when John immersed and baptized the Lord in the Jordan, the mission of Christ in the world and the path of our salvation was shown. That is to say: The Lord took upon Himself the sins of mankind and died under them [immersion] and became alive again [the coming out of the water]; and we must die as the old sinful man and become alive again as cleansed, renewed and regenerated. This is the Saviour and this is the path of salvation. ~ St. Nikolai Velimirovich
Theophany Troparion (Tone 1): When Thou, O Lord, was baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest; for the voice of the Father bore witness unto Thee, calling Thee His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth as steadfast and sure. O Christ our God, Who hath appeared and enlightened the world, glory to Thee.
Theophany Kontakion (Tone 4): Thou hast appeared today to the inhabited world, and Thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us, who sing Thy praises and chant with gladness: Thou hast come, Thou hast appeared, O Light unapproachable.
A Sermon on Holy Water  by St. John Maximovitch
Annual Miracle of the River Jordan Reversing Its Flow
Our church is located so close to the ocean that we walked down Memorial Crescent to the Ross Bay Pebbles beachfront on Dallas Rd. There, Father Philosoph prayed and sent his wooden Cross (tied with a little rope) into the ocean – blessing it, as the choir joyfully sang the Theophany Tropar in the sunshine.Â
Today and during the afterfeast of Theophany is a very good time to pre-arrange with your priest for a traditional House Blessing.
Perhaps, there may also be an opportunity to take a festal hike near water... whether by a lake, river, stream or ocean! Christ is Baptised! In the Jordan!
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+Archpriest John, Holy Theophany 2021
Memory Eternal!
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