The Feast of the Epiphany is also called Epiphany, since the Holy Trinity first appeared to the world on this day - God the Father proclaimed the Son from heaven, the Son received Baptism in the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended on the Son.
All four Gospels testify to this: “... Jesus came in those days from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John, and when he came out of the water, John immediately saw the heavens opening and the Spirit like a dove descending on Him. And a voice came from heaven : “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Sputnik Georgia asked about the history of the Epiphany holiday and what traditions, customs and signs are associated with it in Orthodoxy.
Epiphany
Christians have been celebrating the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ from the prophet John the Baptist in the Jordan River since ancient times.
One of the very first Christian holidays began to be celebrated during the lifetime of the apostles - it is mentioned in the apostolic decrees and rules. Until the 4th century, Epiphany and Christmas were a single holiday called Epiphany.
On Epiphany, in the first centuries of Christianity, converts were baptized - they were called catechumens. As a sign that the Sacrament of Baptism cleanses a person from sin and enlightens him with the Light of Christ, this day was often called the “day of Enlightenment”, “Feast of Lights”, or “holy Lights”. The custom of blessing water in reservoirs existed even then.
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The separate celebration of the Nativity of Christ and the Baptism of the Lord was first introduced around 377 in the Church of Constantinople. Later, the custom of celebrating the Nativity of Christ on December 25 spread from Constantinople throughout the Orthodox East.
On Epiphany Eve there is a strict fast, and, in principle, you are not supposed to eat until the water is blessed. This is the first day of fasting, in fact, after Christmas, since before that the church celebrates Christmastide, when there is no fasting.
In some Eastern churches, the ancient combination of holidays remains. For example, Armenians continue to celebrate Christmas and Epiphany on the same day - January 6th.
The meaning of the feast of the Epiphany is explained in liturgical texts as follows: the Lord accepted baptism for the salvation of people, not for own purification, which He did not need. The modern Sacrament of Baptism gives the grace of God because the water of baptism is sanctified by the Lord.
Traditions
Agiasma or Epiphany water is one of the main shrines - in Orthodox churches the Great Blessing of Water is celebrated annually on Epiphany and on the eve of the holiday - on Epiphany Christmas Eve.
The tradition of blessing water on the eve of the holiday is believed to date back to the ancient Christian practice of Epiphany after morning service Epiphanies of the Catechumens.
The Blessing of Water on the feast of the Epiphany is associated with the custom of Christians of the Jerusalem Church to march to the Jordan, to the traditional place of the baptism of Jesus Christ, on the day of Epiphany.
© photo: Sputnik / Alexander Kryazhev
The special healing properties of holy water, which replenish the mental and physical strength of a person who receives it with faith, were noticed in the ancient Church.
And today, after a special prayer service, during which the healing grace of the Holy Spirit is invoked on the water, according to tradition, believers in the church drink Epiphany water, wash their faces with it, fill their bottles with agiasma and take them home.
The supply of holy water, which should be kept in the home of every Christian, is replenished by believers once a year. A special property of agiasma is that when added in small quantities even to ordinary water, it imparts beneficial properties to it, so Epiphany water can be diluted with plain water in case of its shortage.
Customs and rituals
IN extreme antiquity The traditions and rituals of this holiday are rooted. The holiday of Epiphany ended with Christmastide, which was a period “without the cross” according to popular belief, since Jesus Christ, who was born recently, had not yet been baptized.
On this day, the “terrible evenings” also ended, during which people walked freely otherworldly forces in the world of people. On Epiphany Eve it was believed that this evil spirit became especially dangerous. Accordingly, many rituals and traditions in the old days were carried out in order to cleanse oneself from evil spirits and seal the borders between the living and the dead.
People prepared for the feast of the Epiphany very carefully - they put the house in perfect order, swept and washed the floors, because they believed that the devils could hide in the rubbish.
They fumigated with incense smoke, sprinkled with holy water and drew crosses with chalk in all places where evil spirits could hide - corners, windows, doors, cellar, oven, outbuildings and gates.
Behind festive table people sat down in prayer when the first star lit up in the sky. On Epiphany Christmas Eve, the dinner, which consisted of Lenten dishes, had its own name - “hungry kutia”.
The whole family gathers at the festive table, just like before Christmas - in the old days it was believed that if all generations of the same clan gather together, then big family will live the whole next year in the same composition, and most importantly, in health.
Kutia and uzvar were always served on the festive table, as well as fish, dumplings, pancakes, vegetables and baked goods. According to tradition, after dinner, to ensure a good year for bread, all the spoons were put into one bowl, which was covered with bread.
To find out their future, people listened to the cattle on the night of Epiphany, because they believed that on Epiphany Eve, domestic animals acquired the ability to speak human language.
Epiphany Christmas Eve was also the last day on which Christmas fortune telling- that night the youth spent their last gatherings with fortune telling, games and songs.
According to tradition, girls wondered about their betrothed, about the future - on this night the same rituals are suitable for fortune-telling as on Christmas Eve before Christmas and the Old New Year.
Other traditions and customs
On the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, in the morning we went to church, where after mass they blessed the water with the Great Rite. The blessing of water is carried out in the same manner both on the eve and on the day of the holiday, so the water blessed on these days is no different.
Then the whole family had a meal - on the festive table, according to tradition, 12 different dishes were served - porridge generously flavored with butter, jellied meat, baked pork, sausage, pancakes and so on. By the way, in some places in Rus' they prepared “square” pancakes so that “there would be money in the house.”
After the meal, the whole family together thanked the Almighty for the bread present on the table, and went to “let go” of the Christmas holidays - they released a white dove from the cage.
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During all the holidays before the Epiphany, women tried not to go for water, as this was considered purely men's work, and did not rinse their clothes in the river, because they believed that devils were sitting there and they could grab them.
At the Epiphany of the Lord, women always put viburnum or coral in a vessel with holy water and washed themselves so that their cheeks were rosy.
On Epiphany, the girls also tried to find out their fate - from the very morning of the holiday they went out onto the road and waited for a passerby. If a healthy, economical man passed first, it meant that they would soon meet their soul mate. Well, if it’s a child or an elderly person, they won’t meet their loved one in the near future.
Signs
In the old days, people used Epiphany signs, including those related to the weather, to find out what the coming year would bring them and what harvest awaited them.
A snowstorm on Epiphany means there will be a harvest. If the snow bends the branches on the trees, there will be good harvest, the bees will swarm well. Little snow on the tree branches indicated that there would be few mushrooms and berries in the summer.
The snowstorm also indicated that it would be cold on Maslenitsa, and strong southerly winds- they predicted a stormy summer.
The old people predicted the fertility of the lambs if the stars sparkled and burned on Epiphany evening.
Starry sky on Epiphany night - sure sign that spring will be early, and summer and autumn will be very warm and rainy.
Spring can begin with heavy floods and river floods if the Epiphany coincides with the full moon.
A calm year without any unpleasant shocks is predicted by calm weather and clear skies on the feast of the Epiphany. This sign indicates that you can safely start something new - build a house, open your own business or start a family. Accordingly, everything is balanced decisions made will bring only positive results.
Big snow cover or snowfall is good sign, which indicated that no terrible epidemics or diseases were expected until the next Epiphany.
Is it raining or very strong wind on the Epiphany of the Lord, indicated that the coming year would be very turbulent both politically and economically.
On the night of Epiphany, a silver bowl was placed on the table, filled with water. At exactly midnight, the water should ripple, and whatever wish you have time to shout over the bowl at that moment will come true.
The girls collected Epiphany snow and ice in the open field, which they used to wipe their faces so that it would be white and ruddy.
The material was prepared based on open sources
On the eve of great holidays and Sundays it is served all-night vigil, or, as it is also called, all-night vigil. The church day begins in the evening, and this service is directly related to the event being celebrated.
The All-Night Vigil is an ancient service; it was performed back in the first centuries of Christianity. The Lord Jesus Christ himself often prayed at night, and the apostles and the first Christians gathered for night prayer. Previously, all-night vigils were very long and, starting in the evening, continued throughout the night.
All-night vigil begins with Great Vespers
In parish churches, Vespers usually begins at seventeen or eighteen o'clock. The prayers and chants of Vespers relate to the Old Testament, they prepare us for matins, which is mainly remembered New Testament events. Old Testament- a prototype, a harbinger of the New. Old Testament people lived by faith - waiting for the Coming Messiah.
The beginning of Vespers brings our mind to the creation of the world. The priests cense the altar. It signifies the Divine grace of the Holy Spirit, which hovered during the creation of the world over the earth that had not yet been built (see: Gen. 1, 2).
Then the deacon calls the worshipers to stand before the start of the service with an exclamation "Rise up!" and asks for the priest’s blessing to begin the service. The priest, standing before the throne in the altar, utters the exclamation: “Glory to the Holy One, Consubstantial, Life-Giving and Indivisible Trinity, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages”. The choir sings: "Amen."
While singing in chorus Psalm 103, which describes the majestic picture of God’s creation of the world, the clergy censer the entire temple and those praying. The sacrifice signifies the grace of God, which our ancestors Adam and Eve had before the Fall, enjoying bliss and communion with God in paradise. After the creation of people, the doors of heaven were open to them, and as a sign of this, the royal doors are open during incense. After the Fall, people lost their pristine righteousness, distorted their nature and closed the doors of heaven to themselves. They were expelled from paradise and wept bitterly. After censing, the royal gates are closed, the deacon goes out to the pulpit and stands in front of the closed gates, just as Adam stood in front of the gates of heaven after his expulsion. When a person lived in paradise, he did not need anything; With the loss of heavenly bliss, people began to have needs and sorrows, for which we pray to God. The main thing we ask God for is forgiveness of sins. On behalf of all those praying, the deacon says peace or great litany.
After the peaceful litany there follows the singing and reading of the first kathisma: Blessed is the man like him(which) do not go to the counsel of the wicked. The path of returning to paradise is the path of striving for God and evading evil, wickedness and sins. The Old Testament righteous, who waited with faith for the Savior, maintained the true faith and avoided communicating with godless and wicked people. Even after the Fall, Adam and Eve were given the promise of the Coming Messiah, that the seed of the woman will erase the head of the serpent. And a psalm Blessed is the husband also figuratively tells about the Son of God, the Blessed Man, who committed no sin.
Next they sing stichera on “Lord, I have cried”. They alternate with verses from the Psalter. These verses also have a penitential, prayerful character. During the reading of the stichera, incense is performed throughout the temple. “May my prayer be corrected, like incense before You,” the choir sings, and we, listening to this chant, like our sinners, repent of our sins.
The last stichera is called the Theotokos or dogmatist, it is dedicated Mother of God. It reveals the church teaching about the incarnation of the Savior from the Virgin Mary.
Although people sinned and fell away from God, the Lord did not leave them without His help and protection throughout Old Testament history. The first people repented, which means the first hope for salvation appeared. This hope is symbolized opening of the royal gates And entrance at vespers. The priest and deacon with the censer leave the northern side doors and, accompanied by the priests, go to the royal doors. The priest blesses the entrance, and the deacon, drawing a cross with a censer, says: “Wisdom, forgive me!”- this means “stand up straight” and contains a call for attention. The choir sings a chant "Quiet Light", saying that the Lord Jesus Christ descended to earth not in greatness and glory, but in a quiet, Divine light. This chant also suggests that the time of the Savior’s birth is near.
After the deacon proclaimed verses from the psalms called prokinny, two litanies are pronounced: strictly And pleading.
If the all-night vigil is celebrated on the occasion of a major holiday, after these litanies the lithium- a sequence containing special prayer requests, at which the blessing of five wheat loaves, wine and oil (oil) takes place in memory of Christ’s miraculous feeding of five thousand people with five loaves. In ancient times, when the All-Night Vigil was served all night, the brethren needed to refresh themselves with food in order to continue performing Matins.
After the litia they sing "stichera on verse", that is, stichera with special verses. After them the choir sings a prayer “Now you let go”. These were the words spoken by the righteous saint Simeon, who waited for the Savior with faith and hope for many years and was honored to take the Infant Christ into his arms. This prayer is pronounced as if on behalf of all the Old Testament people who with faith awaited the coming of Christ the Savior.
Vespers ends with a hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary: "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice". She was the Fruit that Old Testament humanity had been growing in its depths for thousands of years. This most humble, most righteous and most pure Young Lady is the only one of all the wives who was honored to become the Mother of God. The priest ends Vespers with the exclamation: "The blessing of the Lord is upon you"- and blesses those praying.
The second part of the vigil is called Matins. It is dedicated to the recollection of New Testament events
At the beginning of Matins, six special psalms are read, which are called six psalms. It begins with the words: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” - this is the chant sung by the Angels at the birth of the Savior. The Six Psalms is dedicated to the anticipation of the coming of Christ into the world. It is an image of the Bethlehem night when Christ came into the world, and an image of the night and darkness in which all humanity was before the coming of the Savior. It is not for nothing that, according to custom, all lamps and candles are extinguished during the reading of the Six Psalms. The priest in the middle of the Six Psalms in front of the closed royal doors reads special morning prayers .
Next, a peaceful litany is performed, and after it the deacon loudly proclaims: “God is the Lord, and appear to us. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.". Which means: “God and the Lord appeared to us,” that is, he came into the world, the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah were fulfilled. Reading follows kathisma from the Psalter.
After the reading of the kathisma, the most solemn part of Matins begins - polyeleos. Polyeleos translated from Greek as mercifully, because during polyeleos verses of praise are sung from Psalms 134 and 135, where the multitude of God’s mercy is sung as a constant refrain: for His mercy endures forever! According to the consonance of words polyeleos sometimes translated as abundance of oil, oil. Oil has always been a symbol of God's mercy. During Great Lent, the 136th psalm (“On the rivers of Babylon”) is added to the polyeleos psalms. During the polyeleos, the royal doors are opened, the lamps in the temple are lit, and the clergy, leaving the altar, perform full incense on the entire temple. During censing, Sunday troparia are sung "Angelic Cathedral", telling about the resurrection of Christ. At all-night vigils before holidays instead Sunday troparions sing the glory of the holiday.
Next they read the Gospel. If they serve the all-night vigil on Sunday, they read one of the eleven Sunday Gospels, dedicated to the resurrection of Christ and His appearance to the disciples. If the service is dedicated not to the resurrection, but to a holiday, the holiday Gospel is read.
After the reading of the Gospel at Sunday all-night vigils, hymns are sung “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ”.
Those praying venerate the Gospel (on the holiday - to the icon), and the priest anoints their forehead with consecrated oil in the shape of a cross.
This is not a Sacrament, but a sacred rite of the Church, serving as a sign of God’s mercy towards us. Since the most ancient, biblical times, oil has been a symbol of joy and a sign of God’s blessing, and the righteous person on whom the favor of the Lord rests is compared with the olive, from the fruits of which oil was obtained: But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God, and I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.(Ps 51:10). The dove released from the ark by the patriarch Noah returned in the evening and brought a fresh olive leaf in its mouth, and Noah learned that the water had gone down from the earth (see: Gen. 8:11). This was a sign of reconciliation with God.
After the priest’s exclamation: “By mercy, generosity and philanthropy...” - the reading begins canon.
Canon- a prayer work that tells about the life and deeds of the saint and glorifies the celebrated event. The canon consists of nine songs, each beginning Irmosom- a chant sung by a choir.
Before the ninth hymn of the canon, the deacon, having bowed to the altar, exclaims before the image of the Mother of God (to the left of the royal doors): “Let us exalt the Virgin Mary and Mother of Light in song”. The choir begins to sing a chant “My soul magnifies the Lord...”. This is a touching prayer-song composed by the Holy Virgin Mary (see: Lk 1, 46-55). A chorus is added to each verse: “The most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word, we magnify Thee as the real Mother of God.”
After the canon, the choir sings psalms "Praise the Lord from heaven", “Sing a new song to the Lord”(Ps 149) and "Praise God among His saints"(Ps. 150) along with “praise stichera.” At the Sunday all-night vigil, these stichera end with a hymn dedicated to the Mother of God: “Most blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary...” After this, the priest proclaims: “Glory to You, who showed us the Light,” and begins great doxology. The all-night vigil in ancient times, lasting all night, was captivating early morning, and during Matins the first morning rays of the sun actually appeared, reminding us of the Sun of Truth - Christ the Savior. The doxology begins with the words: "Gloria..." Matins began with these words and ends with these same words. At the end, the entire Holy Trinity is glorified: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.”
Matins ends purely And petitionary litanies, after which the priest pronounces the final vacation.
After the all-night vigil, a short service is served, which is called the first hour.
Watch- this is a service that sanctifies a certain time of the day, but according to established tradition they are usually attached to long services - matins and liturgy. The first hour corresponds to our seven o'clock in the morning. This service sanctifies the coming day with prayer.
Epiphany is one of the largest Orthodox holidays. This day in our country is celebrated annually on January 19th.
In Russia it is an important event It is celebrated quite widely, services are held in all churches, and people, believers and non-believers, visit churches to pray and draw blessed water.
From the history of the event
According to the Gospel, when Jesus Christ turned 30 years old, he found John the Baptist, who was in those days in the city of Bethabara near the Jordan River. Then many people were baptized by John in the Jordan River, because they believed in his prophecies, including the imminent appearance of the Messiah.
The rite of baptism in the Jordan River for John and his followers symbolized renewal, the replacement of the old law with the new one that the Messiah would bring with him.
On the day when Christ himself appeared to the prophet to undergo the rite of Baptism, John the Baptist did not believe that the Messiah himself had visited him. And Jesus humbly replied that he must fulfill the truth and received Baptism from the prophet.
They say that on the Day of the Baptism of the Lord, unprecedented events took place, or rather, the sky opened and a voice was heard from heaven.
It was after this event that Christ was followed by his first disciples Andrew, Simon, Philip, Nathanael, who later became apostles. And the baptized Jesus went into the desert for 40 days, where he fervently prayed and fasted, tempted by the Devil. After that, he returned to the world to fulfill his destiny.
It is not known for certain when Jesus lived, was born and was baptized. Theological scientists believe that he lived in the 1st century BC, was born from 12 to 4 BC, and was baptized 30 years after his birth. At age 33, Jesus was crucified on the cross.
Christ was baptized in the Yardenit backwater, where it merges sacred river Jordan with Lake Tiberias. Many true believers now want to be baptized there.
The first mentions of Epiphany as a holiday
But at first, the two holidays, Christmas and Epiphany, were not separated; they were celebrated on the same day, January 6, and the event was called Epiphany.
Only at the end of the 4th century AD did the Baptism of the Lord become an independent date. But there is still some unity between these two events; the day before Christmas and Epiphany it is necessary to fast, and the evening before both church holidays is called Christmas Eve.
Good to know: Christmas and Epiphany are connected by the period from January 7 to 17, which is called Christmastide.
Traditions and customs of Baptism
On the eve of Epiphany, you must fast all day, and in the evening, with the appearance of the first star, you can only eat Lenten dishes. You should sit down to eat only after prayer.
On the eve of Christmas Eve, Christians carefully cleaned the house. They washed all the corners, and where, according to legend, there could be evil spirits, crosses were painted in the windows and corners. It is believed that on the evening before Epiphany, evil spirits are especially dangerous.
One of the main traditions on Epiphany evening is washing in an ice hole. It is believed that in this way a person washes away all his sins with holy water and recharges himself with health and strength for the coming year. On this holy day, girls and women dipped viburnum or coral into the blessed water and washed themselves with that water so that their faces looked healthy and their cheeks were rosy.
It is believed that from 00.00 o'clock at night until 24.00 o'clock on January 19, holy water flows from all sources, which has powerful healing properties. According to beliefs, holy water can cure many diseases, fight damage, the evil eye, etc. Services are held in churches on the morning of January 19, and the water is additionally blessed. Holy water retains its healing properties exactly a year.
Believers traditionally go to church on this day, and not only in the morning for the water blessing service, but throughout the day. On this day you need to pray and dedicate yourself spiritual enlightenment. In the temple, people wash themselves and drink holy water.
According to custom, a dozen dishes must be placed on the table on this great holiday. It can be porridge, jellied meat, meat, pancakes, etc. After eating, all family members, young and old, thank the Lord for the bread and go to release the pigeons.
There are also some prohibitions on this great divine holiday. So, on January 19, you cannot engage in physical labor; you should clean up in advance, in as a last resort, you can do this before lunch. But washing is strictly prohibited not only on January 19, but also for 2 days after.
On the day of Epiphany you cannot drink alcohol; it is permissible to drink only a glass of Cahors. You should absolutely not guess at Epiphany, be rude, be greedy and be rude on this day.
Sermon at baptism
Traditionally January 19 in Russia His Holiness Patriarch performs a solemn long liturgy in the church and addresses the believers with words of prayer and sermon. The service is broadcast on television.
Epiphany is one of the most revered religious holidays among Russians. Visiting churches, temples, jumping into an ice hole, and collecting holy water became folk traditions on this day.
Troparion (tone 1)
In the Jordan I am baptized to You, O Lord, Trinitarian adoration appeared: for the voice of your parents testified to You, naming Your beloved Son, and the Spirit in the form of a dove announced your words of affirmation. Appear, O Christ God, and enlighten the world, glory to Thee.
Kontakion (tone 4)
Thou hast appeared this day throughout the universe, and Thy light, O Lord, has appeared upon us, in the minds of those who sing Thee: thou hast come and thou hast appeared, the unapproachable Light.
Greatness
We magnify You, Life-Giving Christ, for our sake now baptized in the flesh by John in the waters of the Jordan.
Currently, in the Orthodox Church, Epiphany means a holiday in which the event of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Jordan is remembered and glorified.
Since ancient times, the Feast of Epiphany, or Epiphany, has also been called the Day of Enlightenment and the Feast of Lights - from ancient custom perform the baptism of the catechumens the day before, on the eve of the holiday, which, in fact, is spiritual enlightenment. A description of the events of Baptism is given by all four Evangelists (; ; ; ). It is also contained in many stichera and troparia of the holiday.
“Today the Creator of heaven and earth comes in flesh to the Jordan, asking for Baptism, the Sinless One, and is baptized by the servant, the Lord of all.” “To the voice of him crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord (to John); you have come, O Lord, to receive the form of a slave, asking for baptism, not knowing sin.” The first sacrament was the Incarnation and Nativity of Christ, the ineffable descent of the Creator (the Incarnation), which illuminated the whole world with light. Now Christ Himself, performing another sacrament, comes to the Jordan to provide a means for the miraculous rebirth of the earthly with the gift of Baptism, the riches of the Spirit, to enrich the impoverished nature of man with Divinity. “Christ’s deliverance is coming through the tribute of Baptism to all the faithful: in this way he cleanses, lifts up the fallen, puts to shame the deposed tormentor, opens the Heavens, brings down the Divine Spirit and bestows incorruptibility with the sacrament.”
The baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ is in the closest connection with the work of saving people. The Lord comes to the Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist. The Baptist John, preparing people to accept Christ, preached repentance and, as a symbol of the cleansing of sins, performed his Baptism. Christ appears on the Jordan, asking for Baptism, alone among all by nature, Sinless, so that, as the Lamb of God, who took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, He would immerse our many immeasurable sins in the waters of the Jordan, and cleanse our sins in Himself, similarly cleansing the like in Baptism. Through His sinless washing, purification extended to all sinful humanity. The lover of mankind, Christ, comes to the Jordan in order to, renewing the world, dilapidated by sins, to create for people a miraculous birth and sonship by water and the Spirit, to raise humanity to a primitive state, “renewing it again by being.” “Renews and edifies (recreates) us with water and the Spirit with wonderful renewal, the One Benefactor.”
“Oh, glorious gifts! Oh, Divine grace and unspeakable love! Behold, the Creator and Master cleanses me with water, enlightens me with fire, and perfects me with the Divine Spirit; now in the Jordan He has taken on my nature, the Sinless One.”
Christ the Savior in baptism bestows (by water) grace “decisive for soul and body together.”
The Baptism of Christ in the entire theanthropic work of redemption of the human race had a fundamental, saving effect. Baptism on the Jordan exudes to mortals forgiveness, remission of sins, enlightenment, restoration of human nature, bestows light, renewal, healing, rebirth and, as it were, a new birth (“rebirth”).
“Earth-born new creators, having become a New Creator, with fire, and by Spirit, and by strange water, performing a wonderful rebirth and renewal, except (without) contrition and crucibles, by God-bearing Baptism creating new things.” Thus, the Baptism of Christ in the waters of the Jordan not only symbolized purification, but had the meaning of a transformative, renewing effect on human nature.
By immersing Himself in the waters of the Jordan, the Lord sanctified “the whole nature of the waters” and the whole earth. The presence of divine power in the watery nature transforms our corruptible nature (through Baptism) into incorruptible. The effect of Baptism extended to the entire human nature.
“With the spirit of the soul you create new things, and with water you sanctify the body formed, edifying the animal (recreating the eternal life within) man: the human nature needs something akin to it, bringing healing (necessary treatment) with wise providence, like a Physician of bodies and souls.” The Baptism of our Lord and Savior was the actual prefiguration and foundation of the mysteriously grace-filled method of rebirth by water and the Spirit in the sacrament of Baptism. Here the Lord reveals Himself to people as the Founder of the new grace-filled Kingdom of Christ, which, according to His teaching, cannot be entered without Baptism ().
“If anyone comes down with Me and is buried in Baptism, he will enjoy the glory and resurrection with Me,” Christ now proclaims.” The triple immersion (of every believer in Christ) in the sacrament of Baptism depicts Christ, the coming out of the water is communion with the three-day Resurrection. “The great way to salvation through baptism is given by Christ.” The Lord Savior “from the water (Baptism) mysteriously by the Spirit made many children, first (before) childless.”
At the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan, true worship of God was revealed to people, the hitherto unknown secret of the trinity of the Divine, the secret of the One God in Three Persons was revealed, the “glorification Holy Trinity» .
“The voice of (God) the Father,” says another stichera, “came from heaven: “This, Whom the Forerunner baptizes with his hand, is My beloved Son (and Consubstantial with Me), in Whom I am well pleased.” The Holy Spirit, descending in the form of a dove, preached to everyone in the Person of Jesus Christ the incarnate God.
The chants describe the experiences that the Forerunner experiences when he sees Christ coming to be baptized and demanding Baptism from him. John the Baptist, in front of all the people listening to him, points to the coming Jesus as the Christ awaited by all Israel - the Messiah. “Our Enlightener (Christ the Savior), who enlightens every person, having seen the Forerunner come to be baptized, his soul rejoices and trembles, shows Him with his hand, and says to people: This is the One who delivers Israel, freeing us from incorruption.”
And when the Lord asked him for Baptism, “The Forerunner trembled and exclaimed loudly: How can a lamp illuminate the Light? How can a slave lay his hand on the Master? Savior, who took upon Yourself the sins of the whole world, You Yourself sanctify me and the waters.”
“Although You are the Child of Mary,” says the Forerunner, “I know You, the Eternal God.” “In whose name do I baptize You? (In the name of) Father? But carry Him within You. Son? But you yourself are incarnate. Holy Spirit? And this weight you give (you can give) to the faithful with your mouth (to the believers with your mouth).” The Lord says to John: “Prophet, come to baptize Me, who created you, and who enlightens with grace and cleanses everyone: touch My Divine top (head) and do not doubt. Leave everything else now, for I have come to fulfill all righteousness.”
Having been baptized by John, Christ fulfilled “righteousness,” that is, faithfulness and obedience to the commandments of God. Prophet and Forerunner Lord John received the command from God to baptize the people as a sign of cleansing from sins. As a Man, Christ had to fulfill this commandment and therefore be baptized by John. By this He confirmed the holiness and greatness of the actions of John the Baptist, and gave Christians an example of humility and obedience to the will of God.
The hymns use a prophecy (Ps. 113) that the Jordan River will stop its flow “from the Face of the Lord”: “Today the psalm prophecy ends in acceptance (is in a hurry to be fulfilled): “the sea, the speech, the sight and the run, the Jordan returned back, from The Face of the Lord, from the Face of God Jacob, who came from a servant to receive Baptism." “The Jordan, seeing the Lord being baptized, divides and stops its flow,” says the first stichera for the consecration of water.
“The Jordan River turned back, not daring to serve You: since I was ashamed of Joshua, why should I be afraid of my Creator without the name?” . The songwriter seems to be asking a question to the Jordan River itself: “Why did your waters return, Jordan? Why do you quash (stop) the streams, and not go through the motions of nature?”
And the Jordan River seems to answer: “I am not powerful (not able) to endure, speaking, the Fire that consumes me. I am surprised and horrified by the extreme convergence: as if it is not customary to wash away the Pure (from sins). I have not learned to wipe away the Sinless One, but to cleanse the defiled vessels.”
The Church, through the mouth of the creators of the stichera, invites believers to be transported in thought and heart to that great event of the Epiphany, which once took place on the Jordan River, in order to give thanks for the “inexpressible grace” in the “slave’s eye” of Christ who came into the world to save the human race.
“Come and see the place where Christ was baptized.” “Come, let us imitate the wise virgins,” “come, shake off all the impurities of passion and despondency, shaking off the sleep of the soul with hearty cheerfulness, let us meet the revealed Lord,” “He who is coming to cleanse souls in the streams of the Jordan,” “let us accept the Divine image in our thoughts, worthy of Baptism,” “let us appropriate the purity of our lives to Him.” ".
The Church remembers on the eve of the holiday and holiday services and the great servant and participant in the event - “I am the Forerunner and the Baptist, and the prophet, and most venerable is the prophet (of the prophets)” John. Finishing the pre-festive singing and beginning to sing about the holiday itself, he turns to John the Baptist and asks him to raise his hands in prayer to the One whose Most Pure Head he touched with these hands on the Jordan; The Church asks the Baptist to come and be present with us with his spirit.
“You showed us your hand, which touched the most pure top of the Lady, with the finger of Him, lift up (stretch out in prayer) for us to Him, the Baptist, for you have much boldness: for you have been the witness of all the prophets from Him. Then raise your eyes again, having seen the All-Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove, to Him, the Baptist, and do mercifulness to us: and come, stand with us, seal the singing and begin the celebration.”
HISTORY OF THE HOLIDAY
As has already been said in the chapter on the history of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the beginning of the Feast of the Epiphany dates back to Apostolic times. It is also mentioned in the “Apostolic Decrees”, which says: “Let them celebrate the feast of Epiphany, since on that day there was the appearance of Christ’s Divinity, who testified to His Father in Baptism and the Comforter to the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, showing to those present what was witnessed” (Book 5 , chapter 42; book 8, chapter 33). In the 2nd century, the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord and the night vigil performed before this holiday are indicated by the teacher of the Church, Presbyter Clement of Alexandria. In the 3rd century, the event of Epiphany was mentioned in their conversations by Hieromartyr Hippolytus of Rome and St. Gregory of Neocaesarea. The Holy Fathers of the Church of the 4th century: Gregory the Theologian, Gregory of Nyssa, Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom, Blessed Augustine and many others - left us their teachings, delivered by them on the feast of the Epiphany. In the 5th century, Saint Anatoly, Archbishop of Constantinople, in the 7th century, Saints Andrew of Jerusalem and Sophronius of Jerusalem, in the 8th century, Saints Cosmas of Maium, John of Damascus and Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople, in the 9th century, Saint Joseph the Studite, as well as the songwriters of Theophanes and Byzantium - made up many hymns for the feast of the Baptism of Christ, still sung by the Church on the day of the feast.
There was no disagreement in establishing the date for the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord between the Eastern and Western Churches, similar topics, which were regarding the Nativity of Christ - in the East and West, the holiday was always celebrated with equal solemnity on January 6.
So, until the 4th century, Epiphany and Christmas were celebrated everywhere on January 6th. The division of holidays and the transfer of the date of celebration of the Nativity of Christ to December 25 occurred in the 4th century.
On January 6, the Ancient Church, in addition to these events, remembered others that reflected the Divine dignity and mission of Jesus Christ, both at His birth and when He went out to preach after Baptism. This, firstly, is the worship of the Magi as a revelation to the pagan world about the coming of Jesus Christ, miraculously accomplished through a star. From this memory, the very holiday of Epiphany in the Western Church received the name “feast of the three kings.” In the Eastern Church, this event, although it was remembered in the service of the holiday, was not expressed in anything in the nature of the holiday. Secondly, this phenomenon Divine power Jesus Christ in His first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. Thirdly, the miraculous feeding of five thousand people by Jesus Christ.
PRE-CELEBRATION OF ENLIGHTENMENT (from January 2/15 to January 5/18)
SATURDAY AND THE WEEK BEFORE ENLIGHTENMENT (EPHINY)
Since ancient times, the Day of the Epiphany has been one of the great twelve holidays. Even in the “Apostolic Constitutions” (Book 5, Chapter 12) it is said: “May you have great respect for the day on which the Lord revealed the Divinity to us.” This holiday, like the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, is celebrated with special solemnity in the Orthodox Church. Both of these holidays, between which there is a period of Christmastide (from December 25 to January 6, Art.), constitute a single celebration.
Almost immediately after the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, starting on January 2/15, he prepares us for the equally solemn feast of Epiphany with troparions and stichera specially dedicated to it (at Vespers), canons of the forefeast (at Matins) and three hymns (at Compline). And church singing in honor of the Epiphany begins already on January 1/14: on the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, the irmos of the canons of the Epiphany are sung in the form of a catavasia.
With his sacred memories, following from Bethlehem to the Jordan and commemorating the event of Baptism, in the pre-festive stichera he calls on believers: “From Bethlehem to the Jordan we will pass, for there the Light is already beginning to illuminate those in darkness.” “Come, let us see, come to the faithful place where Christ was baptized, with clean lips and washed-out souls, secretly leaving Bethlehem.” “Go forth the powers of the angels, from Bethlehem to the streams of the Jordan; and come, John, leave the wilderness”; “Get ready, O River Jordan, get ready, O Zebulun, and show off, O Naphtali, let the whole earth rejoice.”
Contemplating His saving appearance to the world in the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in Baptism His entry into serving the salvation of the world, comparing these two holidays, he says: “The holiday that has passed by (i.e., the Nativity of Christ) has become brighter, but the brightest, the Savior, has come. ..He is poured out with blood, like Bethlehem weeping childless; and this font is known to the blessed waters of many. Then the sorcerer will erect a star, now the Father will show You to the world.” “The holiday that has passed is clear, but the most glorious is the present day: on this day you bowed to the Savior, and on this day the servant is glorified to baptize the Lord. There is a shepherd, hoarsing, seeing and marveling, and here is the voice of the Father preaching the Only Begotten Son.”
“In the preceding feast of the Infant we saw You: in the present we see You as a perfect (mature, adult),” says Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem.
As with the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the coming Saturday and Sunday before Epiphany are called Saturday and the Week before Epiphany (or before the Enlightenment). On the said Saturday, according to the Charter, a special Apostle and Gospel are placed, and on the Week before Epiphany - a special prokeimenon, Apostle and Gospel, dedicated to the upcoming holiday (see Typikon, study of December 26 and January 2). Saturday and the Week before Enlightenment always occur after the celebration of the Nativity of Christ.
THE EVEN OF THEOPHIPANY
The eve of the holiday (January 5/18) is called the Eve of Epiphany, or Christmas Eve. The service of the vigil and the service of the holiday itself are in many ways similar to the service of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ.
On the Eve of Epiphany (January 5/18) it is prescribed strict fast, as on Christmas Eve of the Nativity of Christ: eating once. If the evening service occurs on Saturday and Sunday, the fast is made easier: instead of once, eating is allowed twice: after the Liturgy and after the blessing of water (see Typikon, follow-up on January 6). If the reading of the Great Hours from Vespers, which happened on Saturday or Sunday, is postponed to Friday, then there is no fasting on that Friday.
FEATURES OF THE SERVICE ON THE EVE OF THE HOLIDAY
On all weekdays, except Saturday and Sunday, the service of the Vespers of Epiphany consists of the Great Hours, Vespers with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, and the following great consecration of water.
If Christmas Eve happens on Saturday or Week, then the Great Hours are celebrated on Friday, and there is no Liturgy on that Friday. The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is moved to the day of the holiday. On the very day of Christmas Eve, the Liturgy of John Chrysostom occurs at its own time, and in the afternoon Vespers is performed, after which the Great Blessing of Water takes place.
GREAT CLOCK
The scheme for constructing the great hours and the pictorial ones, as well as the order in which they are performed, are the same as in the eve of the Nativity of Christ (see above the Feast of the Nativity of Christ).
In the 1st hour, in special psalms 31 and 26, he depicts the Lord who received Baptism as a Shepherd, who, according to the prophecy of the king and prophet David, “shepherds me and deprives me of nothing,” who is “my enlightenment and my Savior.”
The troparia tell how the prophet Elisha divided the Jordan at the mercy of the prophet Elijah. This prefigured the true Baptism of Christ on the Jordan, by which the watery nature was sanctified and during which the Jordan stopped its natural flow. The last troparion depicts the feeling of reverent fear that seized John the Baptist when the Lord came to him to be baptized.
In the proverb of 1 hour, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, he announces the spiritual renewal of believers in Jesus Christ (Isaiah, chapter 25). By reading the Apostle and the Gospel, the Church proclaims the Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord, who testified to His eternal and Divine greatness (;).
At the 3rd hour, in Psalms 28 and 41, the prophet depicts the power and might of the baptized Lord over water and all other elements of the world: “The voice of the Lord is on the waters: We will thunder with glory, the Lord on many waters. The voice of the Lord in the fortress; the voice of the Lord in splendor."
At the 6th hour, in Psalms 73 and 76, David prophetically depicts the Divine greatness and omnipotence of the One who came to be baptized in the form of a servant: “Who is great as our God? You are God, work miracles. You saw the waters, O God, and you were afraid: the abyss was crushed.”
The troparia contain the Lord's answer to the Baptist on the Jordan and indicate the fulfillment of the psalm prophecy, when the river stops its waters when the Lord descends into it to receive Baptism.
In the proverb, the prophet Isaiah proclaims salvation in the waters of Baptism and calls on believers: “Draw water with joy from the source of salvation” (); The Apostolic reading commands those baptized into Christ Jesus to walk in newness of life (); The Gospel reading preaches about the Epiphany of the Holy Trinity at the Baptism of the Savior, about His forty-day exploit in the desert and about the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel ().
At the 9th hour, in Psalms 92 and 113, the prophet proclaims the royal greatness and omnipotence of the baptized Lord. “Wonderful are the heights of the sea, marvelous in the high places is the Lord! See the sea and run, Jordan return back. What are you, sea (what is the matter with you, sea), as if you ran away? And to you (and with you), Jordan, how did you return back?”
The troparia depict Christ appearing to the world as the Savior of the world, delivering it from sins and corruption, sanctifying humanity with the water of Divine Baptism and giving adoption to God instead of the previous slavery to sin. In the last troparion, concluding the pre-festive singing, the Church turns to the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord and asks him to offer prayers to the One who was baptized by him.
In the proverb, the prophet Isaiah depicts the inexpressible mercy of God towards people and the gracious help for them that appeared in Baptism (). The Apostle announces the manifestation of God's grace, saving for all people, and the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit on believers (). The Gospel tells about the Baptism of the Savior and the Epiphany ().
The end of the reading of the Great Hours and the Fine Hours is the same as at the eve of the Nativity of Christ.
ORDINARY OF THE EVESPERATION OF THEEPHINY, CELEBRATED ON THE EVEN OF THE HOLIDAY
Vespers on the eve of the Feast of Epiphany is performed similarly to what happens on the eve of the Nativity of Christ: entrance with the Gospel, reading of the proverbs, the Apostle, the Gospel, etc. (see the Rite of Christmas Vespers). But only the paremia at Vespers of Epiphany is read not 8, but 13. The proclamation of the troparion with the singing of its final words occurs, as on the eve of the Nativity of Christ: after the first three and three subsequent proverbs. After the first three proverbs, the singers chorus to the troparion in the 5th tone: “Let us enlighten those who sit in darkness, O Lover of Mankind, glory to Thee” (during the singing, the royal doors open). After the 6th proverb, the chorus in the 6th tone is “Where would Your light shine, except on those who sit in darkness, glory to You.”
If on the eve of Epiphany Vespers is combined with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday), then after the reading of the proverbs there follows a small litany with the exclamation “How holy art thou, our God,” then the Trisagion is sung and the Liturgy is performed in the usual manner. At Vespers, performed separately from the Liturgy (on Saturday and Sunday), after the paremia and small litanies, the prokeimenon is pronounced, the Apostle and the Gospel are read (those set on Saturday and the Week before the Enlightenment). Then - the litany “Rtsem Vsi” and the rest of Vespers.
FOLLOW-UP OF THE “GREAT SANCTIFICATION OF THE WATER OF THE HOLY EPHINY”
The memory of the Jordanian event renews with a special rite of the great consecration of water. On the eve of the holiday, the great blessing of water occurs after the prayer behind the pulpit. If Vespers was celebrated separately, without connection with the Liturgy, then the consecration of the water occurs at the end of Vespers, after the litanies: “Let us perform the evening prayer” and the exclamation of the priest. The blessing of water is also performed on the holiday itself, after the Liturgy (after the prayer behind the pulpit).
Since ancient times, the Orthodox Church has performed the great consecration of water, both on eve and on the holiday itself. The grace of the consecration of water is given the same way - both in the evening and on the very day of Epiphany. At Vespers, the consecration of water is performed in remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, who sanctified the nature of water, as well as the baptism of the catechumens, which in ancient times took place on the eve of Epiphany (“Apostolic Decrees,” book 5, chapter 13. Testimonies of historians: Blessed Theodoret of Cyrrhus, St. Nikephoros Callista); on the very day of the holiday, the consecration of water is performed in remembrance of the Baptism of Christ the Savior.
The blessing of water on the feast of the Epiphany began in the Jerusalem Church, and in IV-V centuries was performed only in this Church: they went out to the Jordan River for the blessing of water, which was a remembrance of the Baptism of the Savior. Therefore, on the feast of the Epiphany, the blessing of water is usually performed on rivers, springs and wells (“walking to the Jordan”), for Christ was baptized outside the temple. In the evening, the blessing of water is performed in churches (see the definition of the Moscow Council of 1667 on this).
The great consecration of water began in the early times of Christianity. The blessing of water on the holiday is mentioned by Tertullian and Saint Cyprian of Carthage. The “Apostolic Constitutions” also contain prayers said during the consecration. So, in the book. 8 says: “The priest will call on the Lord and say: “And now sanctify this water and give it grace and power.” Saint Basil the Great writes: “According to what scripture do we bless the water of Baptism? - from Apostolic tradition, by succession in secret" (91 canons). St. John Chrysostom writes about the special property of water consecrated on the day of Epiphany: it does not deteriorate over a long period of time (“Christ was baptized and sanctified the nature of the waters; and therefore, on the feast of Epiphany, everyone, having drawn water at midnight, brings it home and keeps it all year long. And so the water in its essence does not deteriorate from the continuation of time, but drawn now, for a whole year, and often two and three years, remains fresh and undamaged, and after so much time is not inferior to waters just drawn from springs" - Conversation 37; See . also: Typikon, January 5).
The sequence of the Great Blessing of Water, both at Vespers and on the holiday itself, is one and the same, and in some parts it is similar to the sequence of the Lesser Blessing of Water. It consists of the recollection of prophecies relating to the event of Baptism (proverbs), the event itself (the Apostle and the Gospel) and its commemoration in litany and prayers, of invoking the blessing of God on the waters and of the threefold immersion of the life-giving Cross of the Lord in them.
The rite of blessing of water is performed as follows. After the prayer behind the pulpit (at the Liturgy) or the litanies “Let us perform the evening prayer” (at Vespers), all the clergy in full vestments go out through the royal doors to the sacred font in the vestibule or to the springs. In front are singers singing troparions “The Voice of the Lord” and others, in which the circumstances of the Savior’s baptism are remembered. The singers are followed by candle bearers with candles, a deacon with a censer and a priest carrying honest cross on an uncovered head (usually the Cross rests on the air). At the place of water blessing, the Cross is placed on a table on which there should be a water-blessing bowl with three candles. During the singing of troparions, the rector and the deacon cense the water prepared for consecration, and if the consecration of water takes place in a church, then the altar, clergy, singers and people.
At the end of the singing of the three troparions, the deacon proclaims: “Wisdom” and reads three proverbs from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, which depict the gracious fruits of the Lord’s coming to earth and the spiritual joy of all who turn to the Lord and partake of the Life-Giving Sources of salvation.
Then the prokeimenon is sung, the Apostle and the Gospel are read. The Apostle talks about the mysterious Baptism of the Jews among the clouds and the sea, about their spiritual food and drink, given by God through the prayers of the prophet Moses. The Gospel tells about the Baptism of the Lord. After this, the deacon pronounces the great litany with special petitions. During the litanies, the rector secretly reads a prayer for the purification and sanctification of himself: “Lord Jesus Christ” (without exclamation). The litanies contain prayers for the sanctification of water by the power and action of the Holy Trinity, for the sending down of the blessing of the Jordan on the water and for the granting of grace to it for the healing of mental and physical infirmities, for driving away all slander visible and invisible enemies, for the consecration of houses and for all benefits. Then the priest reads the prayer publicly: “Great art thou, O Lord, and wonderful are thy works” (three times). Then - the continuation of this prayer: “You are the will of those who bear it” (and so on).
RITE OF GLORIFICATION OF THE HOLIDAY
After the dismissal of Vespers or the Liturgy, a lamp is placed on the ambo (or in the middle of the church instead of a lectern with an icon), in front of which the clergy and choristers sing the troparion, and on “Glory, and now” - the kontakion of the holiday. The candle here means the light of Christ’s teaching - Divine enlightenment given at the Epiphany. After this, the priest gives the worshipers a cross and sprinkles them with holy water.
GREAT AGIASMA
Epiphany water - water consecrated on the feast of Epiphany, is called in the Orthodox Church the great agiasma and is great shrine. Since ancient times, Christians have had great reverence for blessed water. At the litany of the great consecration of water, he prays - “for the hedgehog to be sanctified by these waters... and to be granted to them the grace of deliverance (salvation), the blessing of Jordan, by the power and action and influx of the Holy Spirit,” “for the hedgehog to be this water, the gift of sanctification, the deliverance of sins: for the healing of soul and body... to those who draw and receive, for the consecration of houses, ... and for every good (strong) benefit", "about this being (water) for the cleansing of souls and bodies to all who by faith draw and partake of it, ...leading to eternal life”, “may we be worthy to be filled with the sanctification of these waters through communion, invisible phenomenon Holy Spirit."
In the petitions at the litany and in the priest’s prayer for the consecration of water, he testifies to the manifold actions of God’s grace given to all who with faith “draw and partake” of this shrine. Thus, in the prayer for the consecration of water, the priest prays: “Thou, O Lover of Mankind, come now by the influx of Thy Holy Spirit and consecrate this water. And give her the grace of deliverance (salvation); blessing of the Jordan, create (it): a source of incorruptibility, a gift of sanctification, resolution of sins, healing of ailments; demons' omnipresence; impregnable to resisting forces, filled with angelic fortress. Yes, everyone who draws and receives communion has it for the purification of passions, for the consecration of houses, and for all good benefits,” “Grant to all who touch it, and those who partake, and those who are anointed with it, sanctification, health, cleansing and blessing.”
He uses Epiphany water for sprinkling churches and dwellings, for healing, and blesses those who cannot be admitted to Holy Communion to drink it. On the feast of Epiphany, the clergy, taking a vessel of water and the Cross, and singing the troparion of the holiday, visit the homes of their parishioners, sprinkling the houses and those living in them. Sprinkling begins in the Church of God, in which, after the Liturgy at Vespers, the clergy glorify Christ, who was baptized on the day of Epiphany.
On Epiphany Christmas Eve, a strict fast is established, when eating food is not supposed to be eaten at all until Epiphany water, or a small amount of food is allowed. However, with proper reverence, with the sign of the cross and prayer, you can drink holy water without any embarrassment or doubt, even for those who have already tasted something, and at any time as needed. in the liturgical Charter (see Menaion and Typikon under January 5) gives clear and definite instructions on this matter and explains: those who excommunicate themselves from holy water because they have eaten food before are “doing no good.” “It is not from eating for the sake of eating (food) that there is impurity in us, but from our bad deeds: cleansing (for cleansing) from these, we drink without a doubt this holy water” (Typikon, January 6 “see”).
ALL-NIGHT VIgil OF THE HOLIDAY
The All-Night Vigil for the Feast of Epiphany, no matter what day of the week it occurs, begins, as on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, with Great Compline, because Vespers of the Feast is celebrated first, especially. The pattern of Great Compline is the same as at Christmas. Great Compline ends with a litia. Then Matins is served.
At Matins, according to the polyeleos, the magnification is sung: “We magnify You, Life-Giving Christ, for our sake now in the flesh baptized by John in the waters of the Jordan,” then sedately - the first antiphon of the 4th tone, Psalm 50, “Glory”: “Let everyone this day rejoice in Christ.” appeared in the Jordan"; “And now”: the same, verse: “Have mercy on me, O God,” and stichera: “God is the Word of the flesh to the human race.” There are two canons: St. Cosmas of Maium “The depths have been opened, there is a bottom” and St. John of Damascus “A storm is moving in the sea.”
“The most honorable Cherub” is not sung. A deacon with a censer in front of the local image of the Mother of God sings the first chorus: “Glorify, my soul, the Most Honorable of the hosts of the mountains, the Most Pure Virgin Mary.” The choir (sometimes repeating the chorus) sings the irmos: “Every tongue is perplexed to praise according to its heritage, but the mind and the most worldly sing of Thee, Mother of God, even the Good Being, amazes, accept faith, for our divine love is ours; You are the Representative of Christians, we magnify You.” In the Russian translation: “No (human) language is able to praise You according to your worth, and even the heavenly (angelic) mind is perplexed how to sing of You, Mother of God: but You, as the Good One, accept faith, and You are our divine (fiery) love You know; for You are the Representative of Christians; We magnify you." This irmos with the indicated first chorus of song 9 is a tribute at the Liturgy (up to and including the celebration of the holiday). The troparions of the canon have their own choruses for 9 songs.
At the end of Matins there is the dismissal of the holiday (see Service Book).
LITURGY OF THE HOLIDAY
The Liturgy on the day of Epiphany, as well as on the day of the Nativity of Christ, is St. John Chrysostom, if the holiday happens on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, or the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, if the holiday happens on Sunday or Monday, since on the eve of these days (on Saturday and Sunday) on the eve of the holiday, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom was performed, and the Liturgy of Basil the Great, scheduled for the eve of the holiday, was moved to the very day of the holiday. At the Liturgy, the antiphons of the holiday are sung. Entrance: “Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord; blessed are you from the house of the Lord; the Lord has appeared to us.”
Instead of the Trisagion - “Elitsa were baptized into Christ” - as a reminder to the newly enlightened, who were baptized in ancient times on the eve of the holiday, to have “put on Christ.” Zadostoynik. Participated in the holiday: “The saving grace of God has appeared to all people.”
EVEN ON THE DAY OF THE HOLIDAY
The day after the feast of the Epiphany, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is celebrated. At vespers on the day of the holiday (towards January 7 - Old Style) there is an entrance with a censer and the great prokeimenon: “Our God in heaven and on earth, do all things as He pleases.” If the holiday happens on Saturday, then the great prokeimenon is sung on the eve of the holiday (on Friday).
CELEBRATION AND CELEBRATION OF THE HOLIDAY
The after-feast lasts eight days; The celebration of the holiday takes place on January 14/27. On all days of the after-feast, along with the stichera and the canon of Saint Menaion, the stichera of the holiday are sung, and the canon of the holiday is read first.
During the Liturgy, on all days of the after-feast, up to and including the offering, after the entrance the ending is sung: “Save us, O Son of God, who was baptized in the Jordan, singing Ti: Alleluia.”
On the day of the celebration of the holiday, the entire service of Enlightenment except for the entrance, paremias, polyeleos - at Vespers and Matins, and except for the antiphons and entrance verse - at the Liturgy. “The Most Honest Cherub” is not sung on January 7/20 and 14/27, except to coincide with Sunday when “The Most Honest Cherub” is sung. Matins for giving - with “great doxology.”
The Charter specifies the features of the services of the days after the feast of Epiphany, when, starting from January 11/24, they coincide with the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee (see Typikon, the succession of January 11 and January 14).
SATURDAY AND WEEK (SUNDAY) OF ENLIGHTENMENT
The Saturday and Sunday following the Feast of the Epiphany are called Saturday and the Week of Enlightenment. On these days, special prokeimenon, the Apostle and the Gospel are read, related to the holiday (see Typikon, follow-up on January 7).
Baptism is very important religious holiday. Do you know its history and main traditions? If not, then be sure to find out.
How did the holiday come about?
The history of the holiday of Epiphany goes back to ancient times. Jesus Christ was about thirty years old when he came from Nazareth to Bethabara, where the Jordan River was located. There he was met by John, who was greatly surprised by the appearance of Jesus. But Christ asked to baptize him in order to get rid of all worldly sins and cleanse his soul.
He entered the waters of the Jordan, and John performed the rite of baptism. And at that very moment the Spirit of God himself descended from heaven, taking the form of a dove. He said the phrase: “This is my beloved son, in whom is my blessing.”
After his baptism, according to the gospel accounts, Jesus withdrew into the desert to pray and prepare for what he was destined to do in earthly world. He cleansed himself for 40 days and did not eat anything so that the devil would not take possession of his soul. Thus the mission of Jesus was witnessed.
The church holiday of the Epiphany is one of the twelve holidays, that is, one of the 12 most important, dedicated to the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God.
Sometimes this day is called Epiphany, since all people were able to see the Spirit of God himself, but in the Orthodox Church Epiphany is isolated and celebrated separately. It is believed that such a religious holiday has been celebrated since 988, that is, since the adoption of Christianity in Rus'.
date
When is Epiphany celebrated? It falls on January 19th. But also important date Christmas Eve is also January 18, and it is in the evening of this day that preparations begin. By the way, the period from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany is called Christmastide.
Preparation
It is believed that in order to prepare for such an important holiday and cleanse yourself of all sins, you need to cleanse your body on Christmas Eve. And that is why on January 18, that is, on Christmas Eve, all Orthodox people observe fasting, refusing meat dishes, high-calorie foods, eggs, as well as dairy products and fish. You can eat vegetables, berries, fruits, cereals, nuts and so on. This fast lasts only one day.
Church rituals
In the evening of Christmas Eve, services begin in all churches. All clergy dress in white vestments, which signify spiritual purification, good intentions and readiness for the remission of all sins.
After the service, the water is blessed. Then the clergy go to natural reservoirs and consecrate them so that all people have the opportunity to experience the effect of the healing consecrated water.
Holy water
The most important attribute of the holiday is holy water. It is believed that it has unique properties for only two days, that is, from the evening of January 18 and the day is January 19. To get water, you don’t have to stand in line at a church, although, of course, such water will be considered truly unique and holy.
But you can collect it in any consecrated body of water. And since water from reservoirs is directed into water pipes, it turns out that ordinary water supply also becomes partly holy, which is confirmed by the clergy.
All believers know that holy water has unique properties. For example, if you sprinkle a house with it, you can cleanse it of all evil forces and bless. Water is used for bathing and washing. Many drink it to cleanse their body from the inside and ask for forgiveness for such a sin as gluttony. This water can also be used for cooking.
Epiphany bathing
On such an Orthodox holiday as the Epiphany of the Lord, many believers go to swim in an ice hole. At approximately 11 pm on January 18, the clergy begin the rite of blessing the water. To do this, a hole is cut in the ice, which is called a Jordan.
According to church canons, it should have the shape of an Orthodox cross, but this is the rule in modern times. Orthodox world is no longer observed always and everywhere. The priest begins to read the appropriate prayers and immerses him in water three times Orthodox cross with a crucifix.
After this, everyone and the bravest can swim in the ice hole. If you are afraid of catching a cold, then throw away such fears. It is believed that holy water, even ice-cold water, will not only not cause a cold, but will also heal the body and spirit.
What is the point of swimming? Firstly, it marks complete cleansing and forgiveness of sins. Secondly, Orthodox believers seem to show that they are ready to enter the waters with Jesus in order to accept faith and follow him.
How to swim in an ice hole correctly? There are no special rules, but it’s still better to immerse yourself in water three times, cross yourself and say the words: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” In addition, you should not turn to the west while diving, as this part of the world is considered the abode of evil spirits. You need to dive in head first. It is best to swim on Epiphany night from January 18 to 19, but on the day of January 19 this ritual is also performed by many.
Beliefs and customs
There are a wide variety of traditions associated with Epiphany night. She is considered to be special. All wishes made at this time come true. But it is best to refuse fortune telling, since they Orthodox Church prohibited. In addition, everyone who wanted to tell fortunes had already done so during the Christmastide period.
Some customs:
- It was believed that January 18 was the day of rampant evil spirits. And to protect their home, they placed lit fires in it. church candles, and a cross was hung on the door.
- If a silver bowl is filled with water and placed on a table or windowsill, then at midnight this water should sway. This means that the heavens opened and the Spirit of God appeared. And all the wishes that will be made at this moment will certainly come true.
- Girls have long rubbed snow and ice on their faces to make them beautiful and young.
- All dreams that occurred on Epiphany night were considered prophetic.
- If a person decides to be baptized on this holiday, he will be happy.
- If on this holiday the newlyweds agree on a wedding, then they will living together will be happy and long.
If you still decide to tell fortunes, then after fortune telling, be sure to take a swim in the ice hole so that the Lord will forgive such a sin.
Several ways:
- An unmarried girl before going to bed can say the following words: “Betrothed, dressed up, come to me dressed up.” After this phrase, the future groom must certainly dream about it.
- Many girls went out onto the porches and threw their boots. Wherever the sock was pointing, that’s where you had to wait for your betrothed.
What should you not do on Epiphany?
On the feast of the Epiphany, firstly, you should not work. It is better to devote such a day completely to cleansing from sins of both soul and body. And put off all things for later. Secondly, you cannot utter swear words. Thirdly, you should not do bad things. Listen to your heart and remember that good always comes back. And fourthly, do not quarrel with your loved ones, since scandals are a sin.
Spend this day correctly to cleanse yourself physically and spiritually!
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