Church Bulletin - January 6, 2002 - Sunday of Holy Epiphany and Blessing of the Waters

Sunday of Holy Epiphany and Blessing of the Waters - January 6, 2002
[ Click here for the Bible readings: Titus 2:11; Titus 3:4-7; Mt 3:13-17]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek ]

THEOPHANY: A FEAST OF MYSTERY

The Feast of Theophany places before us one of the greatest truths of our Holy Orthodox Faith: the mystery of the Holy Trinity. The Troparion for this great holy day highlights this beautifully, as we sing: "At Your Baptism in the Jordan, O Lord, worship of the Trinity was revealed, for the Father's voice bore witness to You, calling You His Beloved Son, and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth of these words..." Yes, Father, Son and Holy Spirit were all mysteriously present at that awesome moment when Christ entered the waters of the Jordan, seeking baptism from John.

St. Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople, captures the profound impact this moment had on mankind in his famous Theophany sermon, where he writes as if he were the Baptist speaking: "How dare I stretch forth my hand and place it on the Head of Him Who sustains all things? How dare I approach the Unapproachable One? How dare I baptize the Creator of all nature? You are the Master, I am the servant. You are the Sun, I am the star. You are the Shepherd, I am the sheep. You are the Light, I am the candlestick."

In the early Church, the Feast of Theophany and the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord were celebrated together. It was not until the end of the fourth century that these two glorious feasts came to be observed separately. It has long been the tradition of the Orthodox Church to bless water on the Feast of Theophany. Some of the prayers prescribed for the Great Blessing of Water on this day can be traced back to the fifth century.

APOLUTIKION TWN QEOFANEIWN

jEn jIordavnh/ baptizomevnou sou Kuvrie, hJ th`~ Triavdo~ ejfanerwvqh proskuvnhsi~: tou` gavr Gennhvtoro~ hJ fwnhv prosemartuvrei soi, ajgaphtovn se UiJovn ojnomavzousa: kaiv tov Pneu`ma ejn ei[dei peristera`~, ejbebaivou tou` lovgou tov ajsfalev~. JO ejpifaneiv~ Cristev oJ Qeov~, kaiv tovn kovsmon fwtivsa~ dovxja soi.

APOLYTIKION OF EPIPHANY

Lord, when You were baptized in the Jordan, the veneration of the Trinity was revealed. For the voice of the Father gave witness to You, calling You Beloved, and the Spirit, in the guise of a dove, confirmed the certainty of His words. Glory to You, Christ our God, who appeared and enlightened the world.

KONTAKION

jEpefavnh~ shvmeron th`/ oijkoumevnh/, kaiv tov fw`~ sou Kuvrie, ejshmeiwvqh ejf j hJma`~, ejn ejpignwvsei uJmnou`ntav~ se: \Hlqe~ ejfavnh~ tov fw`~ tov ajprovsiton.

KONTAKION

You appeared to the world today, and Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us. With fuller understanding we sing to You: "You came, You were made manifest, the unapproachable light."

APOSTOLOS
(Tivton Kef. B j11-14, G j 4<7)

Tevknon Tivte, ejpefavnh hJ cavri~ tou` Qeou` hJ swthvrio~ pa`sin ajnqrwvpoi~, paideuvousa hJma`~ i{na ajrnhsavmenoi thvn ajsevbeian kaiv tav~ kosmikav~ ejpiqumiva~ swfrovnw~ kaiv dikaivw~ kaiv eujsebw`~ zhvswmen ejn tw`/ nu`n aijw`ni, prosdecovmenoi thvn makarivan ejlpivda kaiv ejpifavneian th`~ dovxh~ tou` megavlou Qeou` kaiv swth`ro~ hJmw`n jIhsou` Cristou`, o{~ e[dwken eJautovn uJpevr hJmw`n, i{na lutrwvshtai hJma`~ ajpov pavsh~ ajnomiva~ kaiv kaqarivsh/ eJautw`/ laovn periouvsion, zhlwthvn kalw`n e[rgwn. {Ote dev hJ crhstovth~ kaiv hJ filanqrwpiva ejpefavnh tou` swth`ro~ hJmw`n Qeou`, oujk ejx e[rgwn tw`n ejn dikaiosuvnh/ w|n ejpoihvsamen hJmei`~, ajllav katav tovn aujtou` e]leon e[swsen hJma`~ diav loutrou` paliggenesiva~ kaiv ajnakainwvsew~ Pneuvmato~ JAgivou, ouj ejxevceen ejf j hJma`~ plousivw~ diav jIhsou` Cristou` tou` swth`ro~ hJmw`n, i{na dikaiwqevnte~ th`/ ejkeivnou cavriti klhronovmoi genwvmeqa kat j ejlpivda zwh`~ aijwnivou.

EPISTLE
(Titus 2: 11-14, 3:4-7)

Titus, my son, the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of the great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all inequity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

EUAGGELION
JEk tou` katav Matqai`on
(Kef. G j 13<17)

Tw`/ kairw`/ ejkeivnw/, paragivnetai oJ jIhsou`~ ajpov th`~ Galilaiva~ ejpiv tovn jIordavnhn prov~ tovn jIwavnnhn tou` baptisqh`nai uJp j aujtou`. JO dev jIwavnnh~ diekwvluen aujtovn levgwn: jEgwv creivan e[cw uJpov sou` baptisqh`nai, kaiv suv e[rch/ prov~ me_ jApokriqeiv~ dev oJ jIhsou`` ei\pe prov~ aujtovn: [Afe~ a[rti: ou{tw gavr prevpon ejstivn hJmi`n plhrw`sai pa`san dikaiosuvnhn. Tovte ajfivhsin aujtonv: kaiv baptisqeiv~ oJ jIhsou`~ ajnevbh eujquv~ ajpov tou` u{dato~: kaiv ijdouv ajnew/vcqhsan aujtw`/ oiJ oujranoiv, kaiv ei\de tov Pneu`ma tou` Qeou` katabai`non wJseiv peristeravn kaiv ejrcovmenon ejp j aujtovn. Kaiv ijdouv fwnhv ejk tw`n oujranw`n levgousa: Ou|tov~ ejstin oJ uiJov~ mou oJ ajgaphtov~, ejn w|/ eujdovkhsa.

GOSPEL
According to St. Matthew
(Chapter 3: 13-17)

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
1260 Davis Street, San Jose, California 95126