Feast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Theophany is the Feast, which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world through the Baptism of the Lord. God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by Saint John the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form of a dove. From ancient times, this Feast was called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of Lights since God is Light and has appeared to illumine “those who sat in darkness” and “in the region of the shadow of death” (Mt.4:16), and to save the fallen race of mankind by grace.
On the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Holy Church proclaims our faith in the most sublime mystery, incomprehensible to human intellect, of one God in three Persons. It teaches us to confess and glorify the Holy Trinity, one in Essence and Undivided. It exposes and overthrows the errors of ancient teachings that attempted to explain the Creator of the world by reason and in human terms.
The Church teaches that Baptism is necessary for believers in Christ and inspires us with a sense of deep gratitude for the illumination and purification of our sinful nature. The Church teaches that our salvation and cleansing from sin are possible only by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit.
In Russia before and again, the pious celebrate this Feast on January 19 by submerging themselves in icy water. The event symbolizes the Baptism of Christ and the cleansing of the soul at the start of a new year. If winter ice is sturdy enough, it is common to arrange the blessing on the frozen river or lake.
At St. Xenia’s, the blessing of the waters will take place at the end of the Divine Liturgy. Please remember to bring a proper vessel to take the blessed water home.
As is tradition, Father Oleg will be available to bless the homes of our faithful over the next few weeks. There will be a sign-up list for those who wish to have their homes blessed at the candle kiosk where candles are sold. Father Oleg will then follow up on the list to make arrangements.
We thank https://azbyka.ru and other sources for the provided information.
