Feast of Theophany

On the feast of Theophany we celebrate at least three important events. First, in humbly submitting Himself to baptism, the Sinless Son of God identified Himself with sinners, with us. Secondly, there is the astounding revelation of the Holy Trinity, made manifest with the Divine Voice of the Father, the Spirit in the “form” of a dove, and the Beloved Son Jesus. Thirdly, when the Savior entered the water of the Jordan River, He restored nature itself. Fr. Alexander Schmemann teaches us: “In this celebration water becomes what it was on the first day of Creation, when ‘the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters’ (Gen 1:2).

The words of the service echo this in praise and thanksgiving: ‘Great art Thou, O Lord, and marvelous are Thy works, and there are no words which suffice to hymn Thy wonders…” Once again, humanity stands before the mystery of existence. Once again, we experience the world joyfully and we see its beauty and harmony as God’s gift. Once again we give thanks. And in this thanksgiving, praise and joy we once again become genuine human beings.

The joy of Epiphany is in the recovery of a cosmic experience of the world, of recovering faith that everything and everyone can always be washed, purified, renewed, reborn and that regardless of how dirty and clouded with mud our life has become, no matter what swamp we might have rolled in, we always have access to a purifying stream of living water, because humanity’s thirst for heaven, goodness, perfection and beauty is not dead, nor can it ever die. Indeed, this thirst alone makes us human beings. …Who said that Christianity is depressing and grim, morbid and sad, and pulls human beings away from life? Look at the faces of worshippers that day and see the light and joy that shines as they listen to the psalm thundering its exultation, “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters” (Ps 29:3), as they watch the priest sprinkling volleys of blessed water throughout the church and those glittering drops fly as if throughout the whole world, making that world once again a possibility and a promise, the raw material for a mysterious miracle of transformation and transfiguration.

God Himself entered this water in the form of a man; God united Himself not only with humanity, but also with all matter and made all of it a radiant, light-bearing stream flowing towards life and joy. But none of this can be experienced or sensed without repentance, without a deep change of consciousness, without the conversion of mind and heart, without the ability to see everything in a new light. This was precisely the repentance John the Baptist preached and which made it possible to see Jesus approaching the river Jordan and lovingly accept Him as God Himself who from the beginning of time loved the human race and created the whole world for us as an image of His love, eternity and joy.”

Theophany Prefeast Exapostilarion

Let us, O faithful depart now from Bethlehem. Having beheld a new wonder,
let us run to the Jordan with fervent souls. There we shall see a strange mystery:
my Messiah, now standing naked, will clothe me with the garment of the heavenly kingdom.

A Proclamation

The Feast of Epiphany was the traditional time to announce the major feasts and celebrations of the Church for the upcoming year. Before the advent of perpetual calendars, the internet, and iPhones, the formal announcement by the deacon was the usual way the Church made known the date of Easter and all the celebrations that are dependent upon its date.

Let us recall the year’s culmination, the Pascha of the Lord: His Last Supper, His Crucifixion, His Burial, and His Rising, celebrated between April 16 and April 20. From Pascha are reckoned all the days we keep holy. Forgiveness vespers, the beginning of Lent, will occur on March 2.

Pure Week will be March 3 — March 7.

To Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is coming, Lord of time and history, be endless praise, forever and ever. Amen.