The Epiphany of the Lord, or Epiphany, is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on January 19, new style. On the eve of the holiday, January 18, a strict fast was established.
The Feast of the Epiphany — is one of the most ancient holidays of the Christian Church. Its establishment dates back to the times of the apostles. The ancient name of the holiday is — «Epiphany» — phenomenon, or «Theophany» — Epiphany, it was also called the «festival of Lights», «Holy Lights» or simply «Lights». For God comes into the world on this day to show the world the Impregnable Light.
All four Gospels testify to this. «And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came out of the water, John immediately saw the heavens and the Spirit unfolding, like a dove descending on Him. And the voice was from heaven: «You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased» (Mk. 1.9-11).
The word «baptize», «baptize» translated from Greek means «immerse in water». It is impossible to understand the meaning and importance of baptism without first understanding the symbolic and real meaning of water in the Old Testament. Water — the beginning of life. It is from the water fertilized by the life-giving Spirit that all living beings will come. Where there is no water — there is desert. But water can both destroy and destroy — as the water of a great flood God poured sins and destroyed human evil.
In memory of the fact that the Savior consecrated water with His Baptism, there is a blessing of water; on the eve of the holiday, water is blessed in churches, on the very holiday of Epiphany — in rivers or other places where water is taken. A religious procession to the Jordan is a procession for the consecration of natural reservoirs.
Water — is the beginning of life (Photo: Sergey Goruppa, licensed from Shutterstock.com)
The baptism of John was symbolic and meant that just as the body is washed and cleansed with water, so the soul of a person who repents and believes in the Savior will be cleansed of all sins by Christ. John Himself exclaimed: «The Strongest of me is following me, with whom I am not worthy, bending down, to untie His shoe belt; I baptized you with water, and He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit» (Mk. 1, 7-8).
And then Jesus of Nazareth comes to him. John, considering himself unworthy to baptize Jesus, began to hold Him back, saying: «I need to be baptized from You, and are You coming to me?». But Jesus answered and said to him: « Leave now; for this is how we must fulfill all truth» (Matthew). 3, 14-15).
After the Baptism of Christ, baptism for people is no longer just a symbol of purification. Here Jesus revealed Himself to the world as Christ, the Son of God. «I saw, I testify: He is — God's chosen one», — confirms John the Baptist («Messiah» in Jewish — is the same as in Greek «Christ», that is, « God's anointed»).
Epiphany revealed to people the great Divine mystery of the Holy Trinity. Now everyone who is baptized is associated with this mystery, according to Christ to His disciples: «Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit» (Matt. 28, 19).
In the Orthodox Church, the holiday belongs to the twelfths and ends Christmas holidays.
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