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Theophany

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Icon of the Theophany of Our Lord
The great feast of the Theophany takes place on January 6. In the ancient Church, this was a triple feast: The Nativity of Christ (Christmas), the Adoration of the Magi (Theophany to the Gentiles) and the Baptism of Christ (Theophany to the world). In this feast, Jesus is shown standing in the waters of the river Jordan. He consents to be baptized by His cousin John, despite John’s refusal, and at that moment, God the Father speaks, calling Him “My beloved Son” and the Holy Spirit descends, in the form of a dove. This is a public manifestation of the Holy Trinity, and so a manifestation of God or Theophany.

Holy Water is sanctified at the Liturgy when the Holy Spirit descends in response to the prayer of the priest. Holy Water should be taken home and used frequently. Holy Water can be used by any Christian to bless a room, children, animals, or plants. It is especially used against the presence of the devil, to dispel bad dreams, and for sickness in addition to medicines. If you have Holy Water from last year, pour it out against a wall where no animal can walk on it, and bring your containers to church for the Great Sanctification of Water. It is an old custom to have a holy water font by the door, so as to bless oneself when going out of the house.

This is also the beginning of the season when houses are blessed.

The Icon of Theophany:

The paradox that Jesus Christ might be revealed as God through an act of submittal to a mere man, John, is shown well in the Icon. Though John is baptizing Christ, it is John who is shown bent over in reverence to Christ; in some icons, John is shown with his face turned toward heaven and beholding the miracle of the Theophany. Either way, despite being the baptizer, he is not central to the scene. Near to John is a tree with an axe laid at the root, recalling John’s own preaching to those who came to him: “And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees: therefore, every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.” (Matt 3:10). On the opposite bank to John the Baptist, angels wait invisibly to receive the newly baptized Christ and clothe Him. On one side is the forerunner, on the other side the messengers of heaven, and in the center the Holy Trinity is revealed with the Spirit descending from the Father upon the Son.

In icons Christ’s hands are not shown in prayer, but in a sign of blessing. Rather than the waters of Jordan cleansing Christ, it is Christ Who cleans the waters. Fish swim in two directions, to show the river parting for Jesus. This is a reflection of the words of the Psalmist regarding the Messiah (Christ): “the sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned back” (Psalm 114:3).. The small man in the water personifies the Jordan, a sea dragon represents the oceans, and the serpents those who are crushed by the redeemer (Genesis 3:15).