Today we
celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of our Lord
Jesus Christ. In the Eastern Churches this feast
is known by two names: Epiphany and Theophany.
The Greek word Epiphany means manifestation or
an apparition and the word Theophany refers to
an appearance of God. On this day we celebrate
the appearance or manifestation of Christ among
us as God's Son.
The
feast of the Epiphany was first celebrated in
the East around the third century and eventually
was dropped by the Western Church. In the
Eastern Churches the celebration of the Epiphany
originally centered on both the Birth of our
Lord and his baptism.
The
feast of the Epiphany is intimately connected
with the mystery of our Lord's birth. The Child
who was born for us and the Son who was given to
us is manifested before us to be the Son of the
Most High. Christ begins his public life with
his baptism by John in the Jordan river. At his
baptism Christ is seen as the fulfillment of
John's preaching: He is the Messiah and the Lamb
of God who takes away the sins of the world. The
Father and Holy Spirit are witnesses to Christ
for he is the beloved Son of the Father and upon
him the Spirit rests. Thus at the baptism of the
Lord we have not only an epiphany or
manifestation of Christ as God's Son, but also
Theophany or Manifestation of the
Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The
feast of the Epiphany reminds us not only of the
baptism of Christ, but also of our own baptism.
St. Ephrem in his Hymn of Epiphany says: "...our
blessed Lord came to be baptized with sinners
and because of his glory the heavens were
opened. The One who purifies all creatures,
desiring to cleanse them, went into the waters
and sanctified them for our baptism." It is for
this reason that we bless water on this day.
Originally, the mystery of baptism was
celebrated on this feast and the waters blessed
were those of baptism.
Today we
celebrate the manifestation or epiphany of the
Trinity at the baptism of Christ as well as the
manifestation of the glory of God in the person
of the Lord come into the world, that is to say,
the manifestation of Christ, the Word of God,
among us. Let us then call to mind the grace of
God who has appeared for the salvation of all,
and thank him for the baptism through which we
have been begotten in the Spirit and through
which we have put on Christ and become children
of the Father.
(
The Birth of
John the Baptist)
(
Praises of John
the Baptizer)
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