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The Holy Feast of TheophanyBy Rev. Fr. Ayman Kfouf

(Theophany 2012)

Introductory NotesThewordTheophanyMeansmanifestationorrevelationofGodandreferstothe

manifestationoftheHolyTrinityattheBaptismofChrist.ThefeastofTheophany

(January6)isconsideredtobethethirdgreatestfeastoftheOrthodoxChurch(afterPascha and Pentecost). It commemorates the Baptism of our Lord by John the

ForerunnerintheriverJordanandtheofficialappearanceoftheincarnateWordtotheworld.

ThefeastofTheophanyisalsocalled:Epiphany,whichmeansmanifestationand

the DayofIllumination andtheFeastofLights, for Christ, the Sun of Justicehas

appearedtoilluminethosewhosatindarkness.Historical Background of the Feast of theophany:The feast of Theophany is the 2nd oldest Christian feast after Easter. HistoricalevidenceindicatesthattheGnostics1celebratedthefeastofTheophanyasearlyas

the year 140 A.D. St. Clement of Alexandria2described the celebration of the

baptismofChristandthenightvigilbeforethisFeast,whichwasspentreadingthescriptures.St.Clementswrites:AndthefollowersofBasilides3holdthedayofHis

baptismasafestival,spendingthenightbeforeinreadings.(Stromata,BookI:21)

Many faithful Christians celebrated the feast of the Baptism of Christ with theGnostics,whichconcernedthechurch,whowasvigilantagainsthereticalteachings.

Therefore, to protect the faithful from associatingwith the Gnostics, the church

officiallyadoptedthecelebrationoftheBaptismofChristonJanuary6,alongwith

thefeastofHisNativity.

Bytheyear350A.D, the feastofTheophanybecamemoreofficially recognizedin

thechurchandtookthenamesEpiphanyandTheophany.ThisfactisevidentintheApostolic Constitutions4: Brethren, observe the festival days; and first of all the

birthdaywhichyouaretocelebrateonthetwenty-fifthoftheninthmonth;afterwhichlettheTheophanybetoyouthemosthonored,inwhichtheLordmadetoyouadisplay

ofHisownGodhead,andletittakeplaceonthesixthofthetenthmonth.(BookV:13)Bymidtolatefourthcentury,thechurchseparatedthefeastofTheophanyfromthe

feastoftheNativityofChrist.ThecelebrationoftheFeastofTheophanysettledonJanuary6, and theFeast of theNativity of Christ wasmoved to December 25 to

replacethepaganfestivalofSolInvictus"unconquerableSun.5"

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The theological Significance of the feast of TheophanyThe significance of the Baptismofthe Lord isderived from the fact that the lord

acceptedtobebaptizedasahumaneventhoughtHedidntneedtobecleansed,for

He was sinless. As a matter of fact, while John baptized Jesus in the bodywith

waters,JesusbaptizedJohninthespiritandcleansedhissoul.AccordingtoSt.John

ofDamascus,TheLordwasbaptizednotbecauseHeHimselfneededcleansing,butinordertoburyhumansinthroughwaterandalloftheoldAdam,tofulfillthelaw

andtograntusamodelandanexampleofbaptism.AttheriverofJordan,JohntheBaptisttestifiedthatJesusChrististheLambofGod

and introduced Him as the expected Messiah. This testimony was of greatsignificanceinfacilitatingthebeginningoftheministryofChristandHisredemptive

work.According toSt. Jerome ofStridonium6EventhoughJesushadbeenbornof

MaryandhadalreadycompletedthirtyyearsofHislife,nevertheless,Hewasunknowntotheworld.HisidentitywasrevealedatthetimewhenHecametotheJordantobe

baptizedbyJohntheBaptist.

AttheriverJordan,forthefirsttime,theTriuneGodrevealedHimselffullytothe

world.TheSoninthepersonofJesus,theincarnateWordofGod;theHolySpiritin

the form of a dove7; and the Fatherwhowitnesses to the divinity of Christ and

proclaims Him to beHis only Son: "This is my beloved Sonwithwhom I amwell

pleased"(Matthew3:17).ThismanifestationoftheTriuneGodrevealsthefactthat

theredemptiveworkofsalvationwasacollectivedecisionoftheHolyTrinity,and

officiallyintroducedChristastheanointedMessiahwhocametoredeemtheworld.

ThehostsoftheangelstrembledwhentheybeheldourRedeemertestifiedtobythepresenceoftheSpirit,whileaheavenlyvoicefromtheFathercried,saying,Verily,this

OneonwhomtheForerunnerplaceshishands,ismybelovedSoninWhomIamwell

pleased.(VespersServiceofTheophany)

AttheriverofJordan,thenaturewassanctified.ThedecentofChristintotheriverJordansanctifiedthewatersandentirecreation.TodaythewatersoftheJordanare

changedintohealingbythepresenceoftheLord.Todaythewholeuniverseiswateredbymysticalstreams.Todaythesinsofmankindareblottedoutbythewatersofthe

Jordan.Todayhathparadisebeenopenedtomankind,and the Sunofrighteousness

hathshoneforus.(ServiceofGreatBlessingoftheWaters)

ThedescentofChristintotheriverJordanisthefirstofficialstepofHisredemptive

workonearth.HisBaptismofficiallystartsHissalvificjourneyandforeshadowsHisdeathandresurrectionforoursakes.

The feast of Theophany reveals that the God of our faith is not an abstract and

theoreticalGod.Rather,HeisalivingGod,whocametoearth,enteredourhuman

historyandbecameMansothatManmaybecomedivinebygrace.Therefore,God

continuesHisperpetualpresenceandHisrevelationofHimselfintheworld;andwe

continuetoexperienceHisTheophanyuntilthenextcoming.St.JohnMaximovitch8

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teaches:EveryyearonthedayofTheophanythegloryofGodisrevealed,renewing

and confirmingwhatwas accomplishedatChristsBaptism.Again, the heavens are

opened;againtheHolySpiritdescends.Wedonotseethiswithourbodilyeyes,butwe

sense its power. At the rite ofblessing, thewaterswhichare thereby sanctified are

transformed;theybecomeincorruptibleandretaintheirfreshnessformanyyears.

Everyyear,atthefeastofTheophany,weareinvitedtoopenourheartstoreceive

theHoly Spirit descending fromabove tosanctify,heal andrenewour soulsand

bodies.Amen!

1Gnosticsare a groupof Christianswho believedin heretical teachings. For Gnostics, Jesusis identified by some asan2Clement of Alexandria, know also as (Titus Flavius Clemens), was the first well-known theologian of the Church ofAlexandria.HewasborninEgyptaboutthemiddleofthe2ndcentury,anddiedbetween211and216A.D.3Basilideswas an early Gnostic religious teacher in Alexandria, Egypt who taught from 117138 AD. The followers ofBasilides,theBasilidians,formedamovementthatpersistedforatleasttwocenturiesafterhim.Theykepttheanniversaryof

thedayofthebaptismofJesusasafeastdayandspenttheeveofitinreading.

4TheApostolicConstitutions(orConstitutionsoftheHolyApostles)isaChristiancollectionofeighttreatises.Theworkcanbedatedfrom375to380AD.TheprovenienceisusuallyregardedasSyria,probablyAntioch.

5Christmas was moved in the East first inAntioch by St. John Chrysostom towards the end of the 4th century, and inAlexandriaonlyinthefollowingcentury.6St.Jeromewasbornaroundtheyear340inStridoniusintoaChristianfamily.Hewasanasceticandharshcriticofsecularexcesses;hewasastrongdefenderoftheOrthodoxfaithagainsttheheresiesofhistime.HediedonSeptember30,420,near

Bethlehemwherehewasoriginallyburied.HisfeastdayiscommemoratedonJune15.7St.CyrilofJerusalemexplainswhytheHolySpirittooktheformofadove:"asthenduringNoah'stimethedoveannouncedtheendofthefloodbringinganolivebranch,andnowtheHolySpiritasadoveannouncestheremissionofsins;there,anolive

branch,here,themercyofourGod."AccordingtoSt.JohnChrysostom,"thedoveisagentleandpurebeingandliketheHoly

Spiritisaspiritofmeekness,thatHealsowasrevealedwiththesameimage";"intheformofadovetheSpiritdescendedas

thedepictionofChrist'shumanityaspure,sinlessandtrue".

8SaintsJohn(Maximovitch),ArchbishopofShanghaiandSanFranciscowasbornin1896andservedadiocesanbishopoftheRussianOrthodoxChurchOutsideRussia(ROCOR)whoservedwidelyfromChinatoFrancetotheUnitedStates.Hedeparted

thislifeonJune191966,andwasofficiallyglorifiedbytheRussianOrthodoxChurchAbroadonJuly2,1994.Hisglorification

waslaterrecognizedforuniversalvenerationbythePatriarchateofMoscowonJuly2,2008.