Days of worship of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church

The time of the beginning of the festive service in honor of the event of the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River may differ (the parish rector has the right to set the time for the beginning of the service). Most often the service on this day is performed in the likeness of the divine service of the Nativity of Christ, beginning at 11 pm on the 18th of January. In this case, the all-night vigil is connected with the central service of the diurnal circle - the liturgy. In some churches, the vigil divine service starts at five or six o'clock in the evening, and the liturgy is served on the feast itself at about 9 o'clock in the morning.

Divine service at Baptism begins with a great pope, most of whose prayers are read by the reader. However, in this part of the divine service, the choir sings the chants of Isaiah’s prophetic words that the Savior is in the world, “the Mighty God and the Ruler,” who will be called Hemannuil (meaning “God is with us”). The song itself is called according to the first words of the prophecy - "God is with us." From the festive chants of the great povercheya, the troparion and the kontakion of the Baptism of the Lord are distinguished.

Late Day passes into Litiya - part of the divine service, during which the priest reads a prayer for the consecration of wheat, vegetable oil (oil), wine and bread. After the end of the litia and the festive stichera, matins begins, sent under the usual rules of the vigil for the great Orthodox holidays.

On matins, after the triple singing of the troparion and the reading of the psaltery, the choir sings the hymn "Praise the Name of the Lord," called polyleoi. The very name of "polyelles" from the Greek language means "a lot of grace." This hymn glorifies the great mercies of God to man. Then the clergy and the choir sing the baptism of Christ in a special hymn (glorification).

The polyeleum is followed by the reading of the Gospel conception of the adoption by Christ of the baptism from the prophet John in the Jordan, a festive canon. At the end of the Matins, the choir performs a great celebration of praise, which is customary to sing according to the statute at all solemn services.

At the end of Matins, the first hour is read. If the liturgy unites with the vigil, then the first hour is followed by the third and sixth hours, during which the priest at the altar in the altar makes proskomedia, preparing the substance for the Eucharist sacrament.

The liturgy on the day of the Baptism of the Lord is distinguished by solemnity. At the very beginning, the choir sings brief Epiphany antiphons, an ancient hymn dedicated to the Savior, the “Only-begotten Son”, repeats the troparion of Baptism several times (the main short chant of the celebration, reflecting its essence).

Further, the follow of the liturgy is done according to its rank. After the end of the service, believers do not go home, because the water is consecrated on the feast of the Baptism of Jesus Christ. Most often, the rite of great water show is performed in the temple, but there is a practice after the liturgy to consecrate water directly at the springs.

After completing the rite of water blessing, believers gather holy water and go home in peace, celebrating spiritually in honor of the great Christian holiday.

The eve of the holiday - January 18 - is called the Everlasting Epiphany, or Christmas Eve. Services of Veccheria and the holiday itself are in many respects similar to the service of Vechemeriya and the feast of the Nativity of Christ. On Christmas Eve of the Epiphany, as on Christmas Eve of Christ, a strict fast is prescribed by the Church: eating food once after the consecration of water.

Epiphany

The feast of the Baptism of the Lord, or of the Epiphany, is called the Day of Enlightenment and the Feast of the Lights - from the ancient custom to make on the eve of it (in Latter) the baptism announced, which is, in essence, spiritual enlightenment. The description of the event of Baptism is given in all four Evangelists (Matt. 3, 13-17; Mark. 1, 9-11; Luke. 3, 21-23; John. 1, 33-34), as well as in many verses and troparions of the feast. . "Now the heavens and the earth the Creator comes to the flesh on Jordan, asking for the baptism of the sinless ... and being baptized from the servant of the Lord of all ..." “To the voice crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord (i.e., to John) come, O Lord, receive the servant of slavery, asking for baptism, not leading sin.” The baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ is in the closest connection with the whole of His God-human deed of saving people, it is the decisive and complete beginning of this ministry.

Christ the Savior in Baptism bestows (by water) the grace of the “resolute soul and body”. The baptism of the Lord in the work of redeeming the human race was of great salutary ontological significance. The baptism in the Jordan exudes mortal abandonment, forgiveness of sins, enlightenment, the re-creation of human nature, light, renewal, healing, and, as it were, a new birth (packeye).

“Novodvorishi of Earth-like, New Adam, former Sodetel, with fire and Spirit and water, strangely making a revival and renewal wonderful ...”. The baptism of Christ in the waters of Jordan had not only the meaning of a symbol of purification, but also a transforming, renewing effect on human nature. By His immersion in the waters of the Jordan the Lord consecrated "all the natures of the waters" and the whole earth. The presence of Divine power in the aquatic nature transforms our perishable nature (through Baptism) into the imperishable. Baptism had a gracious effect on all the dual human nature - on the body and soul of man. “With the spirit of the soul, the new recipes, by sanctifying the body with folded water, are animally edifying (recreating) ... having eternal life in them.” The baptism of Christ the Savior was actually the pre-image and the foundation of the mysterious grace-filled way of rebirth by water and the Spirit given in the mystery of Baptism after His Resurrection and Ascension. Here the Lord reveals Himself as the Founder of the new, gracious Kingdom, which, according to His teaching, cannot be entered without Baptism (Matthew 28, 19-20). "With Me, if anyone descends and is grasped with Baptism, with Me of glory, he will enjoy and resurrection, - Christ now proclaims."

The triple immersion (of every believer in Christ) in the sacrament of Baptism depicts the death of Christ, and the emergence from the water represents the communion of the three-day Resurrection. Christ the Savior "by the water (by baptism) mysteriously by the Spirit made ... a multitude of the Church, the first (before) without mercy".

At the Baptism of the Lord in Jordan, true Divine Worship (religion) was revealed to people, until then the unknown mystery of the Trinity of the Divine was revealed, the mystery of One God in three Persons, the worship of the Most Holy Trinity was revealed.

"Our Trinity is our God, unto you we see this day inseparably: for the Father is revealed (open, clear) evidence of affinity (kinship), shout it out, but the Spirit will come out of Heaven in pigeonhood, the Son of the Most High, the Incline of His Forerunner ..."

In the hymns, those experiences which the Forerunner experiences when they see Christ come to be baptized are described in a comprehensive and touching way. John the Baptist to the people who listened to him points to Jesus who came as the Christ that was expected by all Israel - the Messiah: "This, deliver Israel, free us from corruption." And when the Lord asked for his baptism, “The Forerunner fluttered and exclaimed loudly: how can a lamp illuminate the light? How does a slave lay his hand on the Master? The Savior, who took upon himself the sins of the whole world, You yourself sanctify me and the waters. ” “Although You are the Baby of Mary,” says the Forerunner, “but I know You, the Eternal God.” And then the Lord says to John:

“Prophesy, come down to baptize Mene, you created, and enlightening grace and cleansing of all. Touch my Divine top (head) and do not hesitate. Leave the rest now, for you must fulfill all truth. ”

Having been baptized by John, Christ fulfilled the “truth”, i.e. loyalty and obedience to the commandments of God. St. John the Baptist received from God the command to baptize people as a sign of cleansing of sins. As a man, Christ had to "fulfill" this commandment and, therefore, be baptized by John. By this He confirmed the holiness and majesty of John’s actions, and for eternal time Christians set an example of obedience to the will of God and humility. In the chants the prophecy of St. The psalmist (p. 113) that Jordan will stop its flow "from the face of the Lord." “Today the Psalm prophecy is the end of acceptance (to be fulfilled) in a hurry: the sea of ​​bo, speech, form and victory, Jordan will return back from the Face of the Lord, from the Face of God James, who came from the slave to accept Baptism.”

“Jordan, seeing the baptizing Lord, is divided and stops its flow,” says the first verse on the blessing of water. “Return the Jordan River back, not daring to serve You. Joshua, whom the Creator doesn’t fear, doesn’t let anyone know. ”The Church, through the mouths of the creators of verse, invites believers to transfer their thoughts and hearts to that great event of the Epiphany that took place once on the Jordan River, in order to thank Christ for the“ grace of the ineffable ”of Christ, in the“ slavery of the eye ” come to the world to save the human race.

I did not forget the Church in the pre-holiday and festive service and the great servant of Christ and the participant of the event - "Forerunner and Baptist, and the Prophet, and more than all the honored prophet (from the prophets)" - John. Finishing the pre-solemn singing and beginning to sing the great event of the holiday itself, the Church turns to John the Baptist and asks him to raise his hands in prayer to Tom, the most pure head of whom he touched with these hands on the Jordan; The Church asks the Baptist to come and with us in our spirit, to be with us, to stand with us, "seal the singing and the celebration."

Prefeast

Since ancient times, Epiphany has been among the great Twelve Great Feasts. Even in the Apostolic Orders (v. 5, ch. 12), it is commanded: "May you have great respect for the day on which the Lord revealed the Divine to us." This holiday in the Orthodox Church is accomplished with equal greatness, as is the feast of the Nativity of Christ. Both of these festivals, united by “Svjatki” (from December 25 to January 6), constitute, as it were, one celebration. Almost immediately after the celebration of the feast of the Nativity of Christ (from January 2), the Church begins to prepare us for the solemn feast of the Baptism of the Lord with special poems and troparions (during vespers), tripodsians (paver) and canons (matins), and church chants in the honor of the Epiphany is heard from January 1: on the matins of the feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, the canons of the Epiphany are sung at katavasiyu: "Depths opened is the bottom ..." and "A marching wave of the storm ...". In her sacred memories, following from Bethlehem to Jordan and celebrating the events of Baptism, the Church in the pre-ceremonial stichera calls the believers:

"Let us pass from Bethlehem to Jordan, tamo bo. The Light that exists in illumination darkness is already beginning." The nearest Saturday and Sunday before Epiphany are called subbotu and the Week before the Epiphany (or Enlightenment).

The Eve of Epiphany

The eve of the holiday - January 18 - is called the Everlasting Epiphany, or Christmas Eve. Services of Veccheria and the holiday itself are in many respects similar to the service of Vechemeriya and the feast of the Nativity of Christ.

On Christmas Eve of the Epiphany (as on Christmas Eve of Christ) a strict fast is prescribed by the Church: eating food once after the consecration of water. If the End of the Night happens on Saturday and Sunday, the fasting is facilitated: instead of one time, food is allowed twice after the liturgy and after the blessing of water. If the reading of the Great Clock from Navecheriya, which happened on Saturday or Sunday, is postponed to Friday, then there is no fasting this Friday.

Features of worship in the holiday Eve

On all weekdays (except Saturdays and Sundays), the service of the Epiphany Day consists of Great hours, fine art and vespers with the liturgy of St. Basil the Great; after the liturgy (after the pre-ambient prayer) is the consecration of water. If Christmas Eve happens on Saturday or Sunday, the Great Hours are performed on Friday, and the liturgy on this Friday does not happen; liturgy of sv. Basil the Great is transferred to the day of the holiday. On the very day of Christmas Eve, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom happens at the time, and behind it - vespers and after her water consecration.

Great watches and their contents

Troparians point to the division of the waters of Jordan by Elisha, by the prophet Elijah's mercy as a prototype of the true Baptism of Christ in Jordan, by which the nature of water was sanctified and during which Jordan stopped its natural course. The last troparion describes the quivering feeling of St. John the Baptist, when the Lord came to him to be baptized. In the 1st hour parimiah, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, the Church proclaims a spiritual renewal of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (Is. 25).

The Apostle and Gospel proclaim the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, testifying to the eternal and divine majesty of Christ (Acts 13, 25-32; Matt. 3, 1-11). At the 3rd hour in special psalms - the 28th and 41st - the prophet depicts the power and authority of the baptized Lord over water and all the elements of the world: “The voice of the Lord on the waters: the God of glory vozmremom, the Lord on the waters of many. The voice of the Lord in the fortress; the voice of the Lord in splendor ... ”The usual, 50th psalm joins these psalms. In the troparions of the hour reveals the experiences of John the Baptist — the thrill and fear at the Baptism of the Lord — and the revelation in this great event of the mystery of the Trinity of Deity. In parimia, we hear the voice of the prophet Isaiah, foreshadowing spiritual rebirth through baptism and calling for the reception of this sacrament: “Be bullied, and you will be clean” (Is. 1, 16-20).

The apostle tells about the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19: 1-8), and the Gospel about the Forerunner who prepared the way for the Lord (Mark 1: 1-3). At the 6th hour in Psalms 73rd and 76th, King David prophetically portrays the Divine majesty and omnipotence of the One Who came to be baptized in the form of a slave: “Who is the great God, for our God? Thou art God, work wonders. Videsha Teh water, God, and fear: crush the abyss. "

The usual, 90th psalm of the hour joins. The troparions contain the Lord’s Baptist’s answer to his perplexity about Christ’s self-deprecation and indicate the fulfillment of the Psalmist prophecy that the Jordan River stops its waters when the Lord enters it for Baptism. Parimia speaks of how the prophet Isaiah contemplates the grace of salvation in the waters of baptism and calls on believers to assimilate it: “Draw water with joy from a source of apprehension” (Is. 12).

The apostle inspires those baptized into Christ Jesus to walk in the renewal of life (Rom. 6, 3-12). The gospel proclaims the appearance of the Holy Trinity at the Baptism of the Savior, His forty-day feat in the wilderness and the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel (Mark 1: 9-15). At the 9th hour in Psalms 92nd and 113th the prophet heralds the royal majesty and omnipotence of the baptized Lord. The third psalm of the hour is the usual 85th. With the words of parimia, the prophet Isaiah depicts the ineffable mercy of God to people and the gracious assistance for them, manifested in baptism (Is. 49, 8-15). The apostle announces the manifestation of the grace of God, "the saving of all man," and abundant outpouring on the believers of the Holy Spirit (Titus 2, 11-14; 3, 4-7). The Gospel narrates the baptism of the Savior and the Epiphany (Matt. 3, 13-17).

Vespers on the day of the Evening of the holiday

Vespers on the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany is similar to that which happens on the Eve of the Nativity of Christ: entrance with the Gospel, reading of the parimyos, the Apostle, the Gospel, and so on, but the parimy at the vespers of the Epiphany of Epiphany is read not 8, but 13.

After the first three paremias to the troparion and the verses of the prophecy, the singers sing along: "Enlighten in the darkness of sitting: Thinking of humanity, glory to Thee." After the b-nd parimia - the refrain to the troparion and the verses: “Where you could have your light come on, just sitting in the dark, glory to you.”

If in the Eve of Epiphany the Vespers are united with the liturgy of Sts. Basil the Great (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday), then after reading the paremias there follows a small litany with a cry: “Thou art holy, O our God ...”, then the Trisagion and other followings of the liturgy are sung. At vespers, which was performed separately after the liturgy (Saturday and Sunday), parimiyas, small litany and exclamation: “Yakho are holy ...” are followed by the prokeimen: “My Lord is my enlightenment ...”, Apostle (Cor., Ref. 143rd) and the Gospel (Luke. Zach. 9th).

After that - the litany "Rtsom vsy ..." and so on. The Great Consecration of Water. The remembrance of the Jordanian event of the Church renews the special rite of the great consecration of water. On the eve of the feast, the great consecration of water occurs after the prayer before the ambush (if the liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated). And if the vespers is celebrated separately, without connection with the liturgy, the consecration of water happens at the end of vespers, after the exclamation: "Be a power ...". The priest, through the royal gates, while singing the troparians, “The Voice of the Lord upon the Waters ...”, goes to the vessels filled with water, carrying on the head the Honest Cross, and the consecration of the water begins.

Water blessing

The Orthodox Church performs the great blessing of water in the Evecheria and on the feast itself since ancient times, and the grace of blessing the water in these two days is always the same. In the Vethecheriya, the consecration of water was performed in remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, who consecrated the nature of the water, as well as the baptism of the Holy Baptism, which in ancient times was performed in the Everlast of Epiphany (Rev. Apost., Vol. 5, Ch. 13; historians: Theodore, Nicephorus Callistus). On the very same feast, the consecration of water happens in remembrance of the actual event of the Baptism of the Savior. The water consecration on the very feast received its beginning in the Jerusalem Church and in the IV - H centuries. It was performed only in it, where it was customary to go to the Jordan River for blessing of water in remembrance of the Baptism of the Savior. Therefore, in the Russian Orthodox Church, water consecration to the Liguria is performed in churches, and on the very holiday it is usually performed on rivers, springs and wells (the so-called “Walking to Jordan”), for Christ was baptized outside the church.

The great blessing of water got its beginning in the first times of Christianity, following the example of the Lord Himself, who consecrated water by His immersion in them and established the sacrament of Baptism, in which the blessing of water is anciently. The rite of consecration of water is attributed to the Evangelist Matthew. A few prayers for this rank were written by St. Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople. The final design of the rank is attributed to St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. The teacher of the Church, Tertullian, and St. Cyprian of Carthage. The Apostolic Orders also contain prayers pronounced during the consecration of water. So, in the book. The 8th says: "The priest will call upon the Lord and say:" And now bless this water, and grant grace and power to it. "

St. Basil the Great writes: “By what scripture do we bless the water of baptism? “From the Apostolic tradition, by succession in secret” (91st rule).

In the second half of the 10th century, the Patriarch of Antioch Peter Foulon introduced the custom of consecrating water not at midnight, but at the Eve of Epiphany. In the Russian Church, the Moscow Council of 1b67 decided to perform a double water consecration - on the Liguria and on the feast day of the Epiphany, and condemned Patriarch Nikon, who forbade the double water consecration. The succession of the great consecration of the water, both in the Ligth, and on the very feast is the same and in some parts resembles the succession of the small consecration of the water. It consists in the recollection of prophecies relating to the event of baptism (parimia), the event itself (the apostle and the gospel) and its meaning (litches and prayers), in invoking God's blessing on the waters and triple immersion in them of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

In practice, the rite of water sanctification is performed as follows. After the pre-ambient prayer (at the end of the liturgy) or the pleading ekteni: “We will perform the evening prayer” (at the end of vespers), the prior is in full vestment (as during the celebration of the liturgy), and other priests only in stole, commissions and the prior, carrying the Holy Cross on the uncovered chapter (usually the Cross relies on the air). At the site of water sanctification, the Cross relies on a decorated table on which a bowl with water and three candles should stand. During the singing of the tropari, the prior with the deacon makes the censing of water prepared for consecration (around the table three times), and if the water is consecrated in the temple, then the altar, clergymen, singers and the people also crown.

At the end of the tropari singing, the deacon proclaims: “Wisdom,” and three parimias are read (from the book of the prophet Isaiah), in which the gracious fruits of the coming of the Lord to the earth and the spiritual joy of all who turn to the Lord and take communion from life-giving sources of salvation are depicted. Then the procumene is sung, "The Lord is my enlightenment ...", the Apostle and the Gospel are read. The Apostolic Reading (Cor., Conce. 143rd) speaks of persons and events that in the Old Testament, during the wandering of the Jews in the desert, were a type of Christ the Savior (the mysterious baptism of the Jews in Moses among the clouds and the sea, their spiritual food in the wilderness and drink from the spiritual stone, which was Christ). In the Gospel (Mk., Conce. 2 nd) the Baptism of the Lord is told.

After reading the Holy Scriptures, the deacon utters a great liturgy with special petitions. They contain prayers for the consecration of water by the power and action of the Holy Trinity, for bestowing upon the water the blessings of Iordanov and bestowing upon her the grace for healing mental and bodily infirmities, for driving away all slander of visible and invisible enemies, for the consecration of houses and for any benefit.

During the litany, the abbot secretly reads a prayer for the purification and sanctification of himself: “Lord Jesus Christ ...” (without a cry). At the end of the litany, the priest (rector) loudly reads the sanctifying prayer: “God bless you, and your works are wonderful ...” (three times) and so on. In this prayer, the Church pleads with the Lord to come and sanctify the water so that it will receive the grace of deliverance, the blessing of Iordanovo, that it be a source of imperfection, resolution of ailments, cleansing of souls and bodies, consecration of houses and “fair to any good”. In the middle of the prayer, the priest exclaims three times: "Himself, Manmade the King, come and now by the influx of your Holy Spirit and bless this water" and at the same time bless the water with his hand, but the fingers do not sink into the water, as is the case with the baptism of Baptism. At the end of the prayer, the abbot immediately blesses the water with a cross-shaped Honest Cross, holding it with both hands and immersing it three times straight (leading it down into the water and raising it), and with each immersion the Cross sings with the clergy troparion (three times): "In Jordan you are baptized by You, Lord ...".

After that, when singing troparians repeatedly, the abbot with the Cross in his left hand sprinkles crosswise in all directions, and sprinkles the temple with holy water. Holiday glorification

In Nevecherie after the dismissal of vespers or liturgy, a lamp is delivered in the middle of the church (and not with a lectern with an icon), in front of which the clergy and choristers sing the troparion and (for "Glory, and now") the kondak holiday. The candle here means the light of Christ's teaching, the Divine Enlightenment given in the Epiphany.

After this, the worshipers are applied to the Cross, and the priest sprinkles everyone with holy water.

Great Agiasma

The Holy Epiphany Holy Water in the Orthodox Church is called the Great Agiasma - the Great Shrine. Since ancient times, Christians have a great reverence for the consecrated water. At the end of the great consecration of water, the Church prays:

"On the hedgehog consecrate to the waters of this, and grant them the grace of deliverance (salvation), blessing Iordan, strength and action and influx of the Holy Spirit ..." "On this water, consecration of the gift, sins of redemption, in healing the soul and body by drawing and emanating , during the consecration of houses ..., and in every favor, a fair (strong) ... ".

In these petitions and in the prayer of the priest for the consecration of water, the Church testifies to the manifold actions of the grace of God, given to all who faithfully “draw and receive” this Shrine.

The sanctity of water is evident to all in the fact that it remains fresh and intact for a long time. As early as the 4th century, in the 37th discourse on the Baptism of the Lord, St. John Chrysostom: “Christ was baptized and sanctified the nature of the waters; and therefore, on the feast of Epiphany, everyone, having taken water at midnight, brings it home and stores it throughout the year. And so the water in its essence does not deteriorate due to the continuation of time, it is now a whole year, and often two and three years remains fresh and intact, and after a while it is not inferior to the waters that have just been extracted from the source. ”

The Russian Orthodox Church and the people have such an attitude towards the water of the Epiphany that they accept it only on an empty stomach as a great shrine, i.e. like antidor, prosphora, etc.

This shrine is used by the Church to sprinkle temples and dwellings, with spell prayers for the expulsion of an evil spirit, as healing; appoints her to drink to those who cannot be allowed to Holy Communion. With this water and the Cross, on the feast of the Epiphany, the priests used to visit the homes of their parishioners, sprinkling them and dwellings, and thus spread blessing and sanctification, starting with the temple of God, to all the children of the Church of Christ.

As a sign of the special veneration of the Epiphany water as a precious great Shrine on Epiphany Eve, a strict fasting was established when either eating food before the Epiphany water is not supposed at all, 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 and doubt and to those who have already eaten something, and at any time according to need. The Church in the liturgical Charter (see: Typicon, January 6) gives a clear and definite instruction and explanation on this point: those who separate themselves from the holy water for the sake of prematurely eating food do not do good. “Not eating for the sake of vust (food) is unclean in us, but from our nasty deeds; but we will no longer purify them of this holy water. ”

All-Night Vigil

The all-night vigil on the feast of Epiphany (as well as on the feast of the Nativity of Christ), whatever the day of the week it happens, begins with a great compline, because on this day the great vespers takes place first, especially. The rite of the great evening is the same as at the Nativity of Christ: the great end of the concourse ends in lithium with the transition to matins. Troparion “In Jordan, Lord, You Baptize You, Trinity Appear: Parents more voice testifying to You, naming the Son, beloved, and the Spirit, in the form of a pigeon, known as a word of affirmation. Show, O Christ, the God and the world of illumination, glory to Thee. " Kondak: “Thou hast appeared more universe today, and Your light, O Lord, is marked upon us, in the mind of those who sing Thee; thou hast come, and thou hast appeared, the Light Impregnable. "

On matins, on the polyelee - magnification:

"Majesty thee, Zhivodavche Christ, us now for the flesh baptized by John in the waters of Jordan."

Two canons: of sv. Cosms of Maiumsky - “The depths opened are the bottom ...” and St. Joanna Damascus - “A maritime wave is coming and going ...”. On the 9th song "Honest" we do not sing. The deacon, with a censer before the local image of the Mother of God, sings the first refrain: “Behold, my soul, the Most Honest of the high hosts, the Virgin Most Pure Mother of God”.

The chorus sings the irmos: “All the language of praise to be praised according to the domain is astounded, and the mind and the priestly petit Te are amazed, the Mother of God, even, Good God, accept our faith, for our love is Divine; You are the Christians, thou art the Priest, We magnify thee. " (In Russian translation: “No language (human) can praise You in its true worth, and even the upper (angelic) mind is perplexed how to praise You, Our Lady: but you, as a good faith, receive faith, but our Divine love You know: for You are the Head of the Christians, We magnify You ”).

With the specified first chorus of the 9th song, this Hirmos is an assistant to the liturgy (up to and including the festival).

The rest of the troparions of both the first and second canon of the 9th song sing their choruses.

Liturgy

On the day of the Epiphany, as on the day of the Nativity of Christ, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in the event that the feast of the Epiphany happens on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Liturgy of sv. On Basil the Great, on the day of the holiday, it happens when it coincides with Sunday or Monday (since on the eve of these days - on Saturday or Sunday, that is, on the Eve of the holiday, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom was performed).

At the liturgy: the antiphons of the holiday. Entry: "Blessed is He who is coming in the name of the Lord, bless you from the house of the Lord, Lord God, and appear to us." Instead of the Trisagion the Yelitsa to Christ is being christened ... ”- as a reminder to the newly-enlightened, that is, baptized in antiquity on the Eve of the Feast, that they“ put on Christ ”.

On January 19, the Orthodox will celebrate the feast of the Epiphany or the Epiphany, which will be preceded by Christmas Eve on January 18. Archpriest Maxim Pervozvansky, editor-in-chief of the Orthodox youth magazine Heir, spoke about what the Epiphany Eve is and what place it occupies in the Thomas Church.

What is Christmas Eve?

The Christmas Eve (The Eloader) is the name of the people, derived from the word “sochivo” - the lenten dish that the believers eat on this day. Salted - this is boiled wheat grains, seasoned with honey, dried fruit and other sweets. In the church tradition, this time is called - The End of the Baptism of the Lord or The End of the Epiphany.

Christmas Eve Worship

Traditionally, in the temple on this day, Clock and Vespers are performed with the reading of paremias (excerpts from the Scriptures) and the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, that is, it is a very large service, similar to those performed on Christmas Eve and Holy Saturday. All the liturgical texts of this day are dedicated to the Baptism of the Lord and the Epiphany. Liturgy on this day begins with Vespers, that is, this is an unusual type of Liturgy, which takes place only a few times a year - Christmas Eve, Epiphany Eve, Holy Thursday and Great Saturday.

Due to the fact that this year, the Epiphany Eve falls on Sunday, the service is different from the traditional one. For example, the clock is read in another day, in advance. On Christmas Eve, the Liturgy is first performed, and then immediately - the Vespers with the reading of the paremias, and afterwards - the consecration of the water. That is, usually all worship ends with Liturgy and the consecration of water, and this year, on the contrary, everything begins with the Liturgy and ends with the consecration of water. Simply put, the duration of service is the same, but its order changes.

Epiphany water and swimming

At Baptism, the water is consecrated twice: the first time on Christmas Eve, and the second, on the feast itself. The main folk tradition at Baptism is, of course, bathing in ponds and ice holes. There is a different attitude to this in the Church, but I think that if everything is done correctly and consistently, then it is quite acceptable. I believe that for the Church it is important not to limit oneself to the walls of the temple, but to spread the joy of the holiday to the people far from the Church as much as possible. Moreover, there are not so many such days in the church calendar. The only thing I would recommend to believers who want to swim for baptism is to do it already at noon on January 19, because at night bathing, where many unchurched people go, there may not be a very pious atmosphere. Although, by and large, there is no fundamental difference.

Post on Christmas Eve

On Epiphany Eve, the fast is strict and, in principle, it is not supposed to eat anything until the blessing of water, that is, until about noon on January 18. Due to the fact that this year, Christmas Eve falls on Sunday, when there is no strict fasting, this time food with vegetable oil is allowed. By tradition, the faithful taste sochivo. In fact, Epiphany Christmas Eve is the first fasting day after Christmas, since before this the Church is celebrated in the Church, when there is no fasting. However, the day itself on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is not lean.

How to spend time

No special riotous fun in the Epiphany Christmas Eve is not supposed. If a person has the opportunity to be at this time in the temple, then it would be good to be there. Moreover, all the services of this cycle - Christmas - Christmas Eve - Baptism - are special and very beautiful. This, by the way, is recognized by people who come to the temple on Christmas Eve for the first time. In the same year, everything is quite simple - the service is in the morning, the service is in the evening, therefore a believer in them must be.

Priest Maxim Pervozvansky

The baptism of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is one of the most important Christian holidays. On this day, Christians around the world remember the gospel event - the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. The prophet John the Baptist, also called the Baptist, baptized the Savior.

The second name, Epiphany, is given to the feast in memory of the miracle that occurred during baptism. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended on Christ from heaven and a voice from heaven called him the Son. Evangelist Luke writes about this: The sky opened up, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven saying: You are My Beloved Son; in you my favor! (Matt. 3: 14-17). Thus, the Holy Trinity was revealed in visible and accessible to human images: the voice is God the Father, the dove is God the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is God the Son. And it was testified that Jesus is not only the Son of Man, but also the Son of God. God appeared to the people.

When is the baptism of the Lord celebrated

The Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on January 19 in a new style (January 6 in the old style).
The feast of the Epiphany has 4 days of pre-celebration and 8 days of after-feast. The pre-celebration is one or a few days before a big holiday, in which worship services already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, after the celebration - the same days after the holiday.

Holiday giving takes place on January 27th in a new style. The giving of the holiday is the last day of some important Orthodox holidays, marked by a special service, more solemn than on ordinary days of celebration.

Events Epiphany

After fasting and wandering in the wilderness, the prophet John the Baptist came to the Jordan River, in which the Jews traditionally performed religious ablutions. Here he began to speak to the people about repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and baptize people in the waters. This was not the Sacrament of Baptism, as we know it now, but it was its prototype.

The people believed the prophecies of John the Baptist, many were baptized in the Jordan. Then one day Jesus Christ himself came to the banks of the river. At that time He was thirty years old. The Savior asked John to baptize Him. The prophet was surprised to the core and said: "I need to be baptized by You, and Do You come to me?"But Christ assured him that   "We must fulfill all truth." During baptism, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven saying: You are My Beloved Son; in you my favor!   (Luke 3: 21-22).

The baptism of the Lord was the first appearance of Christ to the people of Israel. It was after the Epiphany that the first disciples followed the Apostles Andrew, Simon (Peter), Philip, Nathanael.

In the two Gospels — Matthew and Luke — we read that after Baptism, the Savior retired to the wilderness, where he fasted for forty days to prepare for a mission among the people. He was tempted by the devil and did not eat anything these days, and after the end of them he went hungry (Luke 4: 2). The devil approached Christ three times and tempted Him, but the Savior remained strong and rejected the evil one (as the devil is called).

What can you eat at the baptism of the Lord

Fasting on the Feast of Baptism is not. But on the Epiphany Eve, that is, on the eve of the holiday, the Orthodox observe a strict fast. The traditional dish of this day is sochivo, which is made from cereals (for example, wheat or rice), honey and raisins.

Baptism of the Lord - the story of the holiday

The baptism of the Lord began to celebrate, even when the apostles were alive - the mention of this day we find in the Regulations and Rules of the Apostles. But at first, baptism and Christmas were one holiday, and it was called the Epiphany.

Since the end of the 4th century (in different places in different ways), the baptism of the Lord has become a separate holiday. But even now we can observe the echoes of the unity of Christmas and Epiphany - in worship. For example, both holidays have Lunchtime - Christmas Eve, with strict fasting and special traditions.

In the first centuries of Christianity, new converts were baptized into Epiphany (they were called publicized), so this day was often called the “Day of Enlightenment”, the “Feast of the Lights” or the “Holy Lights” - as a sign that the sacrament of Baptism cleanses a person from sin and enlightens with the Light of Christ . Even then there was a tradition to consecrate the waters in the reservoirs on this day.

Iconography of the Baptism of the Lord

In the early Christian images of the events of the Baptism of the Lord, the Savior appears before us young and without a beard; He was later portrayed as an adult man.

From the 6th-7th centuries, images of angels appear on the icons of Baptism - most often there are three of them and they stand on the opposite bank of the Prophet John the Forerunner. In memory of the miracle of the Epiphany, an island of heaven is depicted over Christ standing in the water, from which a dove descends to the Baptized in the rays of light — the symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The central figures on all the icons of the feast are Christ and John the Baptist, who places his right hand (right hand) on the head of the Savior. The right hand of Christ is raised in a blessing gesture.

Features of the service of the Baptism of the Lord

Clergy on holiday Baptism of the Lorddressed in white robes. The main feature of the Epiphany divine service is the consecration of water. Water is sanctified twice. On the eve of January 18, on the Epiphany Eve - the Chin of the Great Consecration of Water, which is also called the Great Agiasma. And the second time - on the day of the Epiphany, January 19, at the Divine Liturgy..

The first tradition goes back, most likely, to the ancient Christian practice of baptism announced after the morning service of the Epiphany. And the second is connected with the custom of Palestinian Christians to march on the day of the Epiphany to Jordan to the traditional place of baptism of Jesus Christ.

Prayers of the Baptism of the Lord

Troparion of the Baptism of the Lord

voice of the 1st

In Jordan, Lord, You are baptized into the Trinity: Worship: The parents testified to You, who called Your Son the Beloved Son, and called the Pigeon the Spirit, known as a statement. Show, O Christ, God, and the world is enlightened, glory to Thee.

When You, Lord, were baptized in Jordan, the worship of the Most Holy Trinity appeared, for the voice of the Father testified of You, calling You the beloved Son, and the Spirit, who appeared in the form of a dove, confirmed the truth of this word. Christ, God, who appeared and enlightened the world, glory to Thee!

Kontakion Baptism of the Lord

voice of the 4th

Thou hast appeared more universely, and Thy light, O Lord, appeared upon us, in the mind of the singers of Th: Thou hast come, and Thou hast appeared Light impregnable.

Now you have appeared to the whole world; and Your light, O Lord, imprinted upon us, consciously chanting You: “You came and appeared, Light unapproachable!”

The exaltation of the baptism of the Lord

We magnify thee, Zhivodavche Christ, us for the sake of the flesh baptized now from John in the waters of Jordan.

We praise You, Christ, the Giver of life, because You are now baptized for us by John’s flesh in the waters of the Jordan.

Epiphany Cathedral in Elohovo

Epiphany Cathedral is located in Moscow, Spartakovskaya Street, 15, near the metro station "Baumanskaya". In the XIV-XVII centuries, the village Eloh was located here.

In the second half of the 15th century, the famous Moscow saint, St. Basil the Blessed, was born in the parish of the local church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.

At that time, the Epiphany Cathedral was an ordinary rural church. In 1712-1731, it was rebuilt in stone, Emperor Peter I personally bestowed on it a brick. The new building was consecrated in 1731.

At the end of the 18th century, the Pushkin family became parishioners of the Epiphany Church. It is known that the great poet was born in the German Quarter and was baptized in the old Epiphany Cathedral in 1799. The grandmother, Olga Sergeevna, nee Chicherina, and Count Vorontsov, the grandson of Minister Artemy Volynsky, who was tortured by Biron, were the receivers.

The old Peter's cathedral stood until the middle of the XIX century. In the 1830s, the famous Moscow architect Evgraf Tyurin received an order for its restructuring. The renewed cathedral was consecrated in 1853.

During the years of Soviet power, the temple was not closed. On the Feast of the Presentation in 1925, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon served in the solemn Liturgy. In 1935, the Baumansky District Council decided to open a large cinema in the Epiphany Cathedral, but the decision was soon canceled.

And a few more facts from the history of the temple. In the Epiphany Cathedral, the relics of Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, and His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Sergius and His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II are buried. In 1992, the Epiphany Cathedral became the cathedral.

The shrines of the cathedral: The Miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the relics of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow", particles of the relics of St. John Chrysostom, Apostle Andrew the First-Called and St. Peter of Moscow.

Folk traditions of the Baptism of the Lord

Each church holiday is reflected in folk traditions. And the richer and more ancient the history of the people, the more complex and interesting weaves of folk and church are obtained. Many customs are far from true Christianity and are close to paganism, but they are nonetheless interesting from a historical point of view - to get to know the people better, to be able to separate the essence of this or that Christ's holiday from the colorful flow of popular fantasy.

In Russia, baptism was the end of Christmas time, the girls stopped divination - a purely pagan occupation. Ordinary people were preparing for the holiday, which was believed to cleanse them of their sins, including the sins of Christmas divination.

At Baptism they performed a great water blessing. And twice. The first is on the Epiphany Eve. The water was consecrated in the font, which stood in the center of the temple. The second time the water was consecrated on the feast of Epiphany itself — in any local reservoir: river, lake, well. Jordan was cut in the ice - a hole in the shape of a cross or a circle. Nearby they put a lectern and a wooden cross with an ice dove - the symbol of the Holy Spirit.

On the day of baptism after the liturgy, people walked to the ice-hole with a religious procession. The priest served as a prayer, threw a cross into the hole three times, asking for God's blessing on the water. After that, all the villagers collected holy water from the hole and merrily poured it on each other. Some udaltsy even bathed in icy water, in order, according to popular belief, to be cleansed from sins. It should be noted that this belief to the teachings of the Church has nothing to do. Bathing in the ice-hole (Jordan) is not a church sacrament or rite, it is precisely the folk tradition of celebrating the Baptism of the Lord

Not only rural water bodies but also rivers in big cities were consecrated. For example, here is a story about how water was sanctified in Moscow on the Neglinnaya River on January 6, 1699. Emperor Peter I himself took part in the ceremony. And the Swedish envoy in Moscow Gustav Korb described the event:

“The holiday of the Three Kings (the Magi), or rather the Epiphany of the Lord, was marked by the blessing of the Neglinnaya River. The procession moved to the river in the following order. The regiment was opened by General de Gordon's regiment ... The Gordonov regiment replaced another one, called Preobrazhensky, and it attracted the attention of new green clothes. The place of the captain was occupied by the king, who inspired high respect for his Majesty. ... A fence (theatrum, Jordan) was built on the hard ice of the river. Five hundred spiritual persons, subdeacons, deacons, priests, archimandrites (abbates), bishops and archbishops, dressed in robes, befitting their dignity and positions and richly decorated with gold, silver, pearls and precious stones, gave the religious ceremony a more majestic look. In front of a wonderful golden cross, twelve clerics carried a lantern in which three candles were burning. An incredible number of people crowded on all sides, the streets were full, the roofs were occupied by people; The audience stood on the city walls, closely nestling to each other. As soon as the clergy filled the vast expanse of the fence, the sacred ceremony began, many candles were lit, and, above all, the invocation of the grace of God followed. After a proper call for the mercy of God, the metropolitan began to walk with a censing all around the fence, in the middle of which the ice was broken by a well in the form of a well, so that water was revealed. After smoking her three times, the Metropolitan sanctified her with a triple dip of the burning candle and the usual blessing. ... Then the patriarch, or in the absence of his metropolitan, coming out of the fence, usually sprinkles his Royal Majesty and all the soldiers. For the final completion of the holiday celebration, a volley was fired from the guns of all the regiments. ... Before the start of this ceremony, a vessel covered with red cloth was brought on six white royal horses. In this vessel it was necessary then to take the blessed water to the palace of His Royal Majesty. In the same way, the clerics carried a vessel for the patriarch and many others for the boyars and Moscow grandees. ”

Holy Epiphany water

The water for the Epiphany is consecrated twice. On the eve of January 18, on the Epiphany Eve - the Chin of the Great Consecration of Water, which is also called the "Great Agiasma." And the second time - on the day of the Epiphany, January 19, at the Divine Liturgy. The first tradition goes back, most likely, to the ancient Christian practice of baptism announced after the morning service of the Epiphany. And the second is connected with the custom of the Christians of the Jerusalem Church to march on the day of the Epiphany to the Jordan to the traditional place of baptism of Jesus Christ.

According to tradition, Epiphany water is stored for a year - until the next holiday of Epiphany. They drink it on an empty stomach, reverently and with prayer.

When to get baptized water?

The water for the Epiphany is consecrated twice. On the eve of January 18, on the Epiphany Eve - the Chin of the Great Consecration of Water, which is also called the "Great Agiasma." And the second time - on the day of the Epiphany, January 19, at the Divine Liturgy. When to sanctify the water, it does not matter.

Is all the water at baptism holy?

Archpriest Igor Fomin, rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, answers:

I remember as a child we left the temple for baptism and carried a three-liter can of baptismal water with us, and then, at home, diluted it with water from the tap. And all year they took the water as a great shrine - with reverence.

On the night of the Baptism of the Lord, indeed, as Tradition says, the whole water nature is consecrated. And it becomes like the waters of the Jordan in which the Lord was baptized. Magic would just be if the holy water would only become where her father had consecrated. The Holy Spirit breathes where it wishes. And there is an opinion that at any moment of baptism holy water is everywhere. And the consecration of water is a visible, solemn church order that tells us about the presence of God here on earth.

Epiphany frosts

The time of the feast of the Epiphany in Russia usually coincided with strong frosts, so they were called "baptismal". People sentenced: “Chill frost, not chatter, but Vodokreschis have passed”.

Bathing in the hole (Jordan) for baptism

In Russia, ordinary people called the Epiphany "Vodokreschi" or "Jordan." Jordan - a hole in the shape of a cross or a circle, cut in any reservoir and consecrated on the day of the Baptism of the Lord. After the consecration, the daring guys and men dipped and even swam in icy water; it was believed that so you can wash away sins. But this is only national superstition. The Church teaches us that sins are washed away only by repentance through the sacrament of Confession. And bathing is just a tradition. And here, firstly, it is important to understand that this tradition is completely optional for execution. Secondly, one should remember about the reverent attitude to the shrine - the baptismal water. That is, if we nevertheless decided on bathing, we should do it wisely (taking into account the state of health) and reverently - with prayer. And, of course, not replacing the presence of swimming at a festive service in the temple.

Epiphany Eve

Epiphany Eve precedes Epiphany Eve, or Epiphany Overture. On the eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians observe a strict fast. The traditional dish of this day is sochivo, which is made from cereals (for example, wheat or rice), honey and raisins.

Mated

To prepare the steamer, you will need:

Wheat (grain) - 200 g
- peeled nuts - 30 g
- poppy - 150 g
- raisins - 50 g
- fruits or berries (apple, blackberry, raspberry, etc.) or jam - to taste
- vanilla sugar - to taste
- honey and sugar - to taste
- cream - 1/2 cup.

Rinse the wheat well, pour hot water over the grain, and cook in a saucepan over low heat until soft (or in a clay pot, in the oven), periodically pouring hot water. Wash poppy seeds, steam with hot water for 2-3 hours, drain, rub poppy seeds, add sugar, honey, vanilla sugar or any jam, crumbled nuts, raisins, fruits or berries to taste, add 1/2 cup of cream or milk or boiled water, and all this combined with boiled wheat, put in a ceramic bowl and serve on the table in a chilled state.

Baptismal poem

What are life-giving and what are terrible waters ... At the beginning of the Book of Genesis, we read about how God's breath hovered above the waters and how all living creatures arose from these waters. Throughout the life of all mankind - but so brightly in the Old Testament - we see water as a way of life: they save the life of the thirsty person in the desert, they revive the field and the forest, they are a sign of life and God's mercy, and in the sacred books of the Old and New Testament waters they are an image of cleansing, washing, renewal.

But what terrible are the waters: the waters of the Flood, in which all who could no longer stand before the judgment of God perished; and the waters that we see throughout our lives are terrible, destructive, dark flood waters ...

And so Christ came to the waters of Jordan; these waters are no longer the sinless land, but our land, defiled by human sin and betrayal right up to its very depths. People who repented according to the preaching of John the Forerunner came to wash in these waters; how heavy were these waters by the sin of the people who washed them! If only we could see how the washing of these waters gradually became heavy and became terrible by this sin! And Christ came to these waters to plunge at the beginning of His feat of preaching and gradual ascent to the Cross, to plunge into these waters, bearing the brunt of human sin — He, sinless.

This moment of the Baptism of the Lord is one of the most terrible and tragic moments of His life. Christmas is the moment when God, in His love for man, who wants to save us from eternal destruction, is clothed in human flesh, when human flesh is infused with Divinity, when it is renewed, made eternal, pure, radiant, that flesh that is the way of the Cross, the Resurrection Ascension will sit at the right hand of God and the Father. But on the day of the Baptism of the Lord this preparatory path is completed: now the Lord, matured already in His humanity, who has reached the full measure of His maturity, Jesus Christ, united by perfect love and perfect obedience to the will of the Father, goes by free will, freely accomplish what the Eternal Council ordained . Now, the Man Jesus Christ brings this flesh to the flesh and as a gift not only to God, but to all mankind, takes on His shoulders all the horror of human sin, human fall, and plunges into these waters, which are now the waters of death, the way of death, they carry all evil, all poison, and all sinful death.

The baptism of the Lord, in the further development of events, is the closest thing to the horror of the Garden of Gethsemane, to the excommunication of death on the cross, and to descent into hell. Here, too, Christ is so united with the fate of man, that all her horror falls on Him, and going to hell is the last measure of His unity with us, the loss of everything - and victory over evil.

That is why this majestic holiday is so tragic, and that is why the Jordanian waters, bearing the full weight and horror of sin, by touching the body of Christ, the body sinless, all-clean, immortal, pervaded and shining by the Divine, the body of the God-man, are purified to the depths and again become primary, primitive waters of life, capable of cleansing and washing away sin, renewing man, returning him to the incorruption, conferring him on the Cross, making him a child not of flesh, but of eternal life, the Kingdom of God.

How feverish this holiday is! That is why, when we sanctify the waters on this day, we look at them with such astonishment and reverence: these waters are made by the descent of the Holy Spirit by the waters of the Jordan, not only by the primitive waters of life, but by waters that can give life not only temporary, but eternal; That is why we are attached to these waters reverently, reverently; That is why the Church calls them a great shrine and calls upon us to have them in homes in case of illness, in case of spiritual distress, in case of sin, for purification and renewal, for communion with the newness of a purified life. We will taste these waters, we will touch them reverently. The renewal of nature, the consecration of the creature, the transfiguration of the world, began through these waters. Just as in the Holy Gifts, here we see the beginning of the next century, the victory of God and the beginning of eternal life, of eternal glory — not only of man, but of all nature, when God becomes everything in everything.

Praise God for His infinite mercy, for His Divine condescension, for the feat of the Son of God who became the Son of man! Praise God that He renews both man and our destinies, and the world in which we live, and that we can still live with the hope of an already won victory and glee that we are waiting for the day of the Lord, the great, wondrous, terrible when the whole world shines forth by the grace of the received, and not only the given Holy Spirit! Amen.

Metropolitan Anthony Surozhsky. Sermon on the baptism of the Lord

With a feeling of reverence for Christ and gratitude for our relatives, which lead us to faith, we remember our baptism: how wondrous to think that since our parents or people close to us discovered faith in Christ, vouched for us before the Church and before God, we By the sacrament of Baptism, become Christ, we are called by His name. We carry this name with the same awe and amazement as the young bride bears the name of a man whom she has loved for life and for death and who gave her her name; how is this human name we cherish! How it is dear to us, how it is sacred to us, how terrible it would be for us to act to our foes for ill-wishers in our blasphemy ... And this is how we are connected to Christ, Savior Christ, our God who became Man, gives us to bear His name. And just as on earth, according to our actions, the whole race, which bears the same name, is judged, so here, according to our actions, Christ is judged by our lives.

What is the responsibility! Almost two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul warned the young Christian Church that for the sake of those who live unworthy of their calling, the name of Christ is being blasphemed. Isn't that right now? Millions of people around the world who would like to find the meaning of life, joy, depth in God, do not distance themselves from Him, looking at us, seeing that we are not, alas, a living image of the gospel life - either personally or as a society ?

And on the day of the Baptism of the Lord, I want to say before myself from God and to call upon all to say who was given to be baptized in the name of Christ: remember that you have now become carriers of this holy and divine name, that you, God, your Savior, Savior of all, will judge you that if your life is my life! - will be worthy of this gift of God, then thousands will be saved around, and if it is unworthy - they will be lost: without faith, without hope, without joy and without meaning. Christ came to the Jordan sinless, plunged into these terrible Jordanian waters, which seemed to have grown heavy, washing away human sin, figuratively became like dead waters - He plunged into them and joined our mortality and all the consequences of human fall, sin, humiliation in order to make us able to live worthy of our human calling, worthy of God Himself, who called us to be kin to Him, children, to be kin to Him and ours ...

Let us respond to this work of God, to this call of God! Let us understand how high, how majestic our dignity is, how great our responsibility is, and let us enter the year that has already begun so as to be the glory of God and the salvation of every person who touches our life! Amen.

St. Theophan the Recluse. Thoughts for each day of the year - the baptism of the Lord

Epiphany (Titus 2, 11-14; W, 4-7; MfZ, 13-17). The baptism of the Lord is called the Epiphany because the one true God in the Trinity worshiped Himself in it so necessarily the one: God the Father with a voice from heaven, God the Son — incarnate — with baptism. God the Holy Spirit - by descending on the Baptized. Here the mystery of the relationship of the persons of the Holy Trinity is revealed. God the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and rests in the Son and does not come from Him. It is also revealed here that the incarnated house-building of salvation was accomplished by God the Incarnate Son, in association with His Holy Spirit and God the Father. It is also revealed that the salvation of everyone can be accomplished only as in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, by the grace of the Father. All the sacraments of Christianity shine here with their divine light and enlighten the minds and hearts with faith to commit this great feast. Come, we will see wisely grief, and plunge into the contemplation of these mysteries of our salvation, singing: in the Jordan you, being baptized to Thee, Lord, Triple appearing worship, are threefold salvation for us and threefold for salvation.

Every year, on January 19, all Orthodox Christians celebrate the great holiday of baptism. Also called the Epiphany. If you honor all the Orthodox traditions and want to feel all the grace of the holiday, then you will be interested to know what time the Epiphany service will begin in 2018. Consider that in each temple it begins with the compline of January 18. But the exact time of its beginning is better to clarify in the temple in which you are going.

According to the Gospel stories, John, who had previously preached much about the coming of the Savior to the earth, baptized Christ in the Jordan River. During the ceremony, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Messiah. He was in the body of a pigeon, while the voice of heaven was heard, indicating that Christ is the son of God. After the sacrament of baptism, Christ, led by the Holy Spirit, retired to the wilderness, where he, in solitude, prepared to fulfill the mission with which he was sent to earth.

All Orthodox know what date is expected for baptism, because its date does not change. On the evening of the 18th, services begin in all the churches. Compline ends with lithium, the service goes into the morning. Matins ends with the release of the Orthodox. And only after the end of the liturgy, the obligatory rite is performed.

In temples, people take in holy water brought in containers. It is not necessary to try to carry home an annual supply of fluid. It is enough to collect a small bottle and then dilute the usual tap with this consecrated water. Even researchers note that the structure of water at night from 18 to 19 changes number, it becomes more orderly.

In the temples, the water is sanctified, both at the end of the night and at the feast itself. The priests read a prayer over the reservoirs and put a cross in it three times. After that, it is believed that it is possible to dive in the consecrated fonts. Those who are not ready to plunge into the baptism of Christ in 2018 in the frosts of icy water can simply wash it.

If you want to accomplish a personal feat in order to confirm the strength of your faith, and plunge into the “Jordan” cut in ice, then find out in advance when it is necessary to do it. In most temples, the water is consecrated on the morning of January 19, only after the completion of this ritual is it worthwhile to perform a symbolic wash with holy water.

It is worth noting that before diving into the reservoir it is better to receive a blessing from your confessor. At the same time, the church does not oblige anyone to descend into the icy water. This is just an established tradition. Such a dipping symbolizes the beginning of a new spiritual life, it is believed that water contributes to the purification of the human soul from sins.

The date of baptism is surrounded by many superstitions. But it is worth remembering that diverse and attempts to find out the future are not welcomed by the church. Also on Epiphany day, various signs are popular. For example, the starry night - to a dry summer, and thaw - to good yields. Mist over the water to a good bread year.

Do not forget to congratulate loved ones on this great holiday. You can say these words to them:

• may the holy Epiphany water wash away all sorrow and bring health;
• i wish on the day of Baptism to leave all the sorrows and hardships;
• let confession, repentance and ablution in sacred water bring you closer to the Lord and purify your thoughts;
• congratulations on the Baptism of the Savior! May holy water give health and vigor.