THE DIVINE THEOPHANY OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, THE FEAST OF LIGHTS.

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE DIVINE THEOPHANY OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR
JESUS CHRIST, THE FEAST OF LIGHTS.

The divine service of the Great Blessing of the Waters
on Theophany:

The voice of the Lord thunders over the waters, saying,
‘Come, all, receive the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of
understanding, the Spirit of the fear of God, of Christ
revealed.

Today the nature of the waters is sanctified, and the Jordan splits
asunder, and it reverses the flow of its stream as it sees its Master
cleansed.

Christ King, Thou came to the river as a man, hastening to receive the
baptism of a servant at the hands of the Forerunner for our sins, O
Loving Lord.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and
always and forever and ever. Amen.

Hearkening to the voice of the one crying in the wilderness, "Prepare
the way of the Lord," Thou came, Lord, assuming the form of a servant,
asking to be baptized, though having known no sin. The waters saw Thee
and were afraid. The Forerunner was shaken and cried out, saying,
"How shall the lamp give light to the Light? How shall the servant lay hand
on the Master? Sanctify me and the waters, Savior, Who takes the sin of
the world. [Eighth Tone) [Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem]

According to Saint John of Damascus, Christ was NOT baptized because He had need of purification, "but TO IDENTIFY HIMSELF WITH OUR PURIFICATION." Just as Christ suffered and was crucified for mankind and felt all the grief and pain, so He identified Himself with our purification. Many things happened in this way.

Saint John of Damascus says, Christ was baptized IN ORDER TO CRUSH THE HEADS OF THE DRAGONS IN THE WATER, FOR THERE WAS A CONCEPTION THAT THE DEMONS DWELL IN THE WATER; IN ORDER TO WASH THE SIN AND BURY THE OLD ADAM IN THE WATER; IN ORDER TO BLESS THE BAPTIST, FOR THE FORERUNNER WHEN THE LATTER PUT HIS HAND ON CHRIST’S HEAD; IN ORDER TO KEEP THE LAW, SINCE HE HIMSELF GAVE IT AND SHOULD NOT APPEAR TO TRANSGRESS IT; IN ORDER TO REVEAL THE MYSTERY OF THE HOLY TRINITY, BECAUSE AT THAT MOMENT WE HAVE THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY TRINITY; IN ORDER TO BECOME A MODEL FOR OUR OWN BAPTISM, WHICH IS PERFECT BAPTISM AND IS DONE BY WATER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Beyond these things, by His Baptism in the River Jordan Christ blessed the water as well. That is why even today we perform THE SERVICE OF THE BLESSING OF THE WATERS and during the celebration we call upon the Holy Spirit TO BLESS THE WATERS. Thus after the blessing it ceases to be water of the Fall and becomes WATER OF RENEWAL, since IT IS UNITED WITH THE UNCREATED GRACE OF GOD.

In the Patristic Tradition the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan is CONNECTED WITH THE MIRACULOUS CROSSING OF THE RED SEA BY THE ISRAELITES. Just as it was by the Wonder-working energy of the Unincarnate Logos/Word, through Moses, that the Egyptians were engulfed and the Israelites were freed, so ALSO HERE BY THE POWER OF THE INCARNATE LOGOS/WORD, CORRUPT AND PERVERTED MAN IS REFORMED AND THE DRAGONS ARE CRUSHED, THAT IS TO SAY, THE DEMONS LOSE THEIR POWER.

Saint Nicodemos the Hagiorite says that in order to reshape a vessel, the potter needs two elements: WATER FOR MOULDING THE EARTH (SOIL), AND FIRE TO BURN AND CAST THE MOULDED CLAY AND SO TO RESHAPE IT. And God, the Great Potter of our own mould, DOES JUST THE SAME THING. WANTING TO RESHAPE OUR NATURE, WHICH WAS CRUSHED BY SIN, GOD USED FIRE AND WATER. AND HE TAKES THE FIRE FROM HIMSELF, BECAUSE AS GOD HE IS A "CONSUMING FIRE" WHICH CONSUMES WICKEDNESS, AND HE BORROWS THE WATER FROM THE RIVER JORDAN.

The fact is that by Christ’s INCARNATION, by all the steps of the Divine Economy, and certainly by the Baptism in the River Jordan, THE HUMAN RACE IS RESHAPED. After the Fall and the crushing of our nature we have RESHAPING and REBIRTH. This reshaping is possible, on the one hand because AFTER THE SIN HUMAN NATURE DID NOT DISAPPEAR ALTOGETHER, AND ON THE OTHER HAND BECAUSE GOD HIMSELF IS MAN’S CREATOR AND IS HIMSELF MAN’S RECREATOR.

It is quite impossible for these TWO ELEMENTS, Water and Fire, to exist together. For fire cannot ignite and prosper in a damp place, and water quenches fire. In the River Jordan they can exist together, because THE FIRE IS UNCREATED, WHILE THE WATER IS CREATED. AND THEREFORE, THE UNCREATED FIRE IS NOT INFLUENCED BY THE CREATED ELEMENT OF THE WATER. Indeed, on the contrary, THE CREATED WATER IS MADE HOLY BY THE FIRE OF DIVINITY…

"…During Christ’s Baptism THE HOLY TRINITY APPEARED. One of the purpose of the Divine Incarnation, as well as of the Baptism of Christ, WAS THE REVELATION OF THE TRINITARIAN GOD, THAT ALTHOUGH GOD HAS ONE ESSENCE AND NATURE, YET HE IS OF THREE PERSONS, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So THE VOICE OF THE FATHER IS HEARD WITNESSING AND GIVING ASSURANCE THAT HE WHO IS IN THE JORDAN AT THAT MOMENT IS HIS SON, WHILE THE HOLY SPIRIT ALSO APPEARS "LIKE A DOVE", AS A DOVE.

The same revelation of the Trinitarian God and the same assurance of the Father also took place shortly before Christ’s Passion, at His Transfiguration, which took place on Mt. Tabor…The manifestation of the Trinitarian God during the reshaping of man points to another theological truth as well, THAT MAN IS THE ONLY EARTHLY INITIATOR AND WORSHIPPER OF THE HOLY TRINITY, AND ALSO THAT HE IS THE ONLY CREATURE MAKE IN THE IMAGE OF THE TRINITARIAN GOD. As Saint Gregory Palamas explains, the animals do not have NOUS and reason, but ONLY LIVING SPIRIT WHICH IS NOT SELF-EXISTENT. This means that when animals die THEY LOSE THE SPIRIT AS WELL. THEY DO NOT REMAIN, SINCE THEY HAVE NO ESSENCE, BUT ONLY ENERGY. The Angels and Archangels also have NOUS and reason, for they are suprasensory. But man has nous, reason and a spirit WHICH GIVES LIFE TO THE BODY, AND THEREFORE HE ALONE IS IN THE IMAGE OF THE THREE-PERSONAL GOD. Moreover,itis for this reason that the Son and Logos/Word of God, in order to save and transform the world, BECAME MAN AND NOT AN ANGEL, SINCE MAN IS THE SUMMING UP OF CREATION. Thus, it is through DEIFIED (THEOSIS) MAN THAT WE HAVE THE TRANSFORMATION AND ALTERATION OF CREATION. [Source:  The Twelve Feasts of the Lord by Metropolitan Hierotheos]

(To be continued)

_________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George