Theophany and Blessing of the Water - 01/06/17
The feast of Theophany, means the shining forth and manifestation of God, The emphasis in the present day celebration is on the appearance of Jesus as the human Messiah of Israel and the divine Son of God, One of the Holy Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Thus, in the baptism by John in the Jordan, Jesus identifies himself with sinners as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29), the “Beloved” of the Father whose messianic task it is to redeem men from their sins (Lk 3:21, Mk 1:35).
The Theophany Divine Liturgy was held on Friday, January 6th followed by the Great Blessing of Waters.