“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John, at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.”(Matthew 3,13)

Before the feast of the Theophany, Holy Church in her services exhorts her faithful: “Leaving the glorious miracle of Bethlehem, let us quickly hasten to the Jordan with an ardent spirit; there we shall witness an awesome mystery…” (Exapostilarion of Matins of the 3rd of January). That awesome mystery is the mystery of the Theophany of the Lord, the self-revelation of God at the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the river Jordan. In this mystery Jesus Christ reveals himself as the Messiah and Saviour. As Christ is baptized, the voice of his heavenly Father bears witness to the divine mission of Jesus: “You are my beloved Son, in you I am well pleased.’ (Mark 1,11) The Holy Spirit bears witness to him by descending upon him in the form of a dove. St. John the Baptist also bears witness as he points to him, saying: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1,29)

The feast of the Theophany of our Lord is among the most ancient and greatest feasts of our Ecclesiastical Year. The name of this feast, its history, and the revelation of the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity that accompanied it, deserves special consideration here.

Name of the Feast

In the first centuries of Christianity, the feast of the Theophany was regarded as a collective feast for it embraced other events in the life of Jesus Christ which bore witness to his divinity – namely, his Nativity, the homage of the Wise Men from the East, his baptism, the miracle at Cana of Galilee and the miraculous multiplication of the loaves. Thus our name “Theophany” must be understood in the plural sense for it means a feast of holy Theophanies.

In ancient times, on the feast of the Theophany the solemn baptism of the catechumens took place. This baptism was also called light or enlightenment (illumination), and the catechumens were called “the enlightened”. Hence the feast of the Theophany was called Enlightenment or Illumination, the Feast of Lights and Holy Lights, for Jesus came to enlighten all people, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light; and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, a light has arisen.” (Matthew 4,16) Some authors are of the opinion that this feast was also called the feast of lights because during the baptism of the catechumens the church was lit up with a great number of candles, symbols of the light of the knowledge of the true God.

St. Gregory the Theologian (+389) entitled his sermon on the Theophany:

“A sermon on the holy lights of the theophanies of the Lord.” He begins it thus: “Again my Jesus and again the mystery…(i.e., again the new feast after the Nativity of Christ), the sublime and divine mystery, which announces to us heavenly light. For the holy day of lights, which has finally arrived and which we have become worthy to solemnize, had its beginning in the baptism of my Christ ‘the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the world.” (John 1,9) In a subsequent sermon on holy baptism he explains more elaborately what he means by enlightenment: “Yesterday we celebrated the glorious day of lights… and today we shall talk about baptism and its beneficent influence upon us… Enlightenment is a help in our weakness, a putting aside of the body, a seeking after the Spirit, a fellowship with the Word, a renewal of creation, a drowning of sin, a partaking of light, and a dispelling of darkness. Enlightenment is the chariot which raises us to God, making us co-travelers with Christ; it strengthens our faith, perfects our mind, entrusts to us the keys of the kingdom of heaven; changes our lives, frees us from enslavement, loosens our chains, and changes our whole being. Enlightenment, must I enumerate more? is the best and most exalted of God’s gifts… This gift, just as its giver, Christ, is called by many names… We call it a gift, grace, baptism, anointing, enlightenment, the garment of incorruptibility, bath of regeneration, a seal and all that is for us worthy of honor.”

The Western Church in ancient times called the Lord’s Theophany the day of the manifestation or manifestations, and in celebrating this day she solemnized the following events: the manifestation of the star, the homage of the Wise Men, the baptism of Jesus and the miracle at Cana of Galilee. St. Augustine (†430) in his sermon on the Epiphany said: “Тоday we celebrate the mystery of the Epiphany on earth. Today God, by means of a star in the heavens, heralded his Nativity; and by baptism in the Jordan, he sanctified water for the renewal of mankind; at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, he changed water into wine; and with five loaves of bread he fed five thousand people.”

The History of the Development of the Feast

In the Eastern Church the feast of the Theophany, except for the feasts of the Pascha and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, is one of the oldest festivals. This feast was first celebrated at the end of the second or at the start of the third century. St. Clement of Alexandria (+215) mentions it in his works. The Apostolic Constitutions, a work of the fourth century, speak of this festival thus: “Let them celebrate the feast of the Theophany, for on that day Christ’s divinity was revealed, which was confirmed by the Father at his baptism, and by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove pointing to Christ.” In the third century, St. Hyppolitus of Rome (+c235) and St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Neocaesarea (†270) mention it in the church services; and in the fourth century, Gregory of Nyssa, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine and other Fathers of the Church preached on this festival.

The feast of the Theophany later spread from the East to the West. The Calendar of Philocalus of the year 354 did not as yet have the feast of the Theophany. In 361 it is already celebrated in Gaul, (modern France); in 383 in northern Italy, then in Spain, in the time of St. Augustine in Northern Africa and about the year 400 in Rome.

The Holy Fathers and preachers of the Western Church such as Paulinus of Noli, Chrysologus of Ravenna, and Isidore of Seville, on the feast of the Theophany emphasize more and more the homage of the Wise Men. In time, in the West the 6th of January became the feast of the Three Kings, and the commemoration of the baptism of Christ was transferred to the 13th of January.

Regarding the history of the celebration of the feast of the Theophany in the East, we may distinguish three periods. In the first period, throughout the third century, the feast included the Nativity of Christ, his Baptism, the homage of the Wise Men and the miracle in Cana of Galilee. In the second period, during the fourth century, among the abovementioned events, the Nativity of Christ held first place. During the third period, toward the end of the fourth century, the feast of the Nativity of Christ and the homage of the Wise Men became separated from the feast of the Theophany and were transferred to the 25th of December. January 6th became the day on which only the Baptism of Christ was commemorated. The feast of the Theophany during the reign of Theodosius the Younger (†450) became a state holiday.
In the Eastern Church this feast is one of the twelve principal feasts. The Apostolic Constitutions say in regard to the Theophany: “Let the day on which the Lord revealed his divinity be held among you in high respect.” It has a four-day pre- and an eight-day post-feast. Anatolus of Constantinople (5c), Sophronius of Jerusalem (7c), Cosmas of Maiuma, John Damascene, Germanus of Constantinople (8c) and Joseph the Studite (9c), all contributed to the liturgy for this feast.

The Feast of the Theophany and the Mystery of the Holy Theophany

The feast of the Baptism of our Lord places before our eyes one of the greatest and most profound truths of our holy faith – the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. At the baptism of Christ, the Most Holy Trinity was clearly revealed and bore witness to the divinity of Christ. In the Third Hour (Terce) of the Vigil of the feast we read:

“The Trinity, our God, revealed himself to us today as free from division; for the Father uttered the clear testimony to his Son, the Spirit descended from heaven in the likeness of a dove, and the Son bowed his pure head to the Forerunner, and being baptized, saved mankind from bondage, since he is the Lover of mankind.”

In one of the sticheras in the Lytiya service of the feast we sing:

“Seeing you, O Christ God, coming to him in the river Jordan, John said: ‘Why do you, who are undefiled, come to a servant, O Lord? In whose name shall I baptize you? Of the Father? But you bear Him within You! Of the Son? But You are this Son made flesh! Of the Holy Spirit? But You know that through Your own mouth You give Him to the faithful! O Triune God, here revealed, have mercy on us.’

Our Slavonic Prologue on the 6th day of January contains a profound sermon on the Baptism of Jesus Christ by St. Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople. He puts into the mouth of St. John the Baptist, the following words expressing the faith of holy Church in the divinity of Christ:

“How dare I stretch forth my hand and place it on the head of Him who sustains all things? How dare I touch Him before whom the choirs of angels tremble? How dare I approach him whom the Seraphim dare not come near? Hence with awe they cry: holy, holy, holy. Truly heaven is filled with your glory and the earth with your wonders. How dare I approach the Unapproachable One before whom tremble the Cherubim and all the heavenly hosts? How dare I baptize the Creator of nature? How dare I baptize him to whom the Pure Virgin Mary gave birth and after giving birth remained a virgin?… I can only say: You, O Lord, are the Master, I, the servant; You are the Creator, I, the creature. You are the Sun, I the star; You are the Shepherd, I the sheep; You are the King, I the soldier; You are the light, I the candlestick. You are the Archpriest, and I an earthling… I am a mortal, but you are Immortal… And John touching the most pure head of the Lord, baptized One of the Holy Trinity. Immediately he saw heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descending and coming upon him.”

St. Gregory the Theologian in a sermon on the holy lights of the Lord’s theophanies gives a sketch of the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity:

“God is divided, so to speak, in an undivided manner, and unites in a divided manner because the Divinity is one in Three Persons and the One is Three, in which Three is the Divinity, or to be more exact, which Three are the Divinity… The Father is the Father and is eternal because he has no beginning from another. The Son is the Son, and is not without beginning because he is from the Father. However, if you understand beginning in relation to time, then the Son also is without beginning because the Creator of time is not subject to time. The Spirit is indeed the Holy Spirit who emanates not through birth but through origin.”

St. John Chrysostom encourages us to have faith in the Most Holy Trinity:

“Our faith is the throne of the soul, the foundation of life, the immortal root. The life-giving root of faith is the Father; the unwithering branch – the Son; the immortal fruit – the Holy Spirit; that is, the Trinity – simple, uncomplicated, unspeakable, incomprehensible, undivided in identity, in dignity, action, Divinity and grandeur; however, divided in Persons and names, but One in essence and powers. The Trinity exists from eternity. Its existence had no beginning. It is without beginning; it is eternal, ageless, immortal, without end.”

Each day our holy Church begins Matins service with a sublime doxology in honor of the Most Holy Trinity: “Glory be to the holy, consubstantial (one in substance) Life-giving and Undivided Trinity, always, now and ever, and forever.”

“Come, then, King and Lover of mankind and sanctify this water through the descent of the Holy Spirit.”
(Rite of the Solemn Blessing of Water The Great Water-Blessing)

Closely connected with the feast of the Theophany is the Great Water-Blessing or Blessing of Jordan Water. This sacred tradition of the Eastern Church can be traced back to the first centuries of Christianity. In the course of time, different rites developed for the Great Water-Blessing on the feast of the Theophanies. From earliest times our people have greatly cherished the custom of the Great Water-Blessing (Blessing of Jordan Water). The people attached great significance of the Blessed Jordan Water which they kept in their homes as something possessing great sanctifying powers. Here we shall consider the history of the Great Water-Blessing (Jordan Water), its rites, and its holiness.

History of the Great Water-Blessing

The Eastern Church distinguishes between a small and a great blessing of water. The small blessing of water takes place on the first of August, on the feast of Mid-Pentecost, the feast of the patron saint, and on other occasions. In Greece, there exists the custom of sanctifying water by using a small blessing every month.
The Great or Jordan Water-Blessing is performed twice a year: on the vigil and on the feast of the Theophany. In the first centuries, solemn baptism of Catechumens took place on the eve of the great feast days, such as the Pasch (Easter), the Descent of the Holy Spirit or Theophany. The blessing of water was associated with this rite of baptism. Some historians are of the opinion that the Great Water-Blessing on the eve of the feast of the Theophany was not intended to commemorate the baptism of Christ, but was meant only for the baptism of the catechumens. This is evident in the first prayer of the Jordan Water-Blessing which is almost identical to the prayer of blessing of water at baptism.

The first four centuries do not give us clear information regarding the time when the blessing of Jordan water took place. In his sermon on the feast of the Theophany St. John Chrysostom speaks of a water blessing at midnight, “for on this day,” he says, “Christ was baptized and sanctified the nature of water.” Ever since the fifth century, the blessing of water has generally been performed on the Eve of the Theophany. The Historians George Cedrenus (12c) and Theodore the Lector testify that the Patriarch Peter, contemporary of Emperor Zenon (474-491), was the first to introduce the custom of blessing water towards the evening of the Eve of the Theophany. Jacob of Edessa (5c) followed suit.

In the first millennium of the Eastern Church, only one Jordan Water-Blessing took place and this occurred on the Eve of the feast. The ancient Greek Typicons and sources speak of one water blessing. The Greek Typicon of the Sinai library dating from the twelfth century prescribes the blessing of water only on the Eve of the feast of the Theophany. Regarding the feast itself, it states: “After Matins, there is no second blessing of water.” The Typicon of the patriarchal library of Jerusalem of the fourteenth century notes: “You must also know that in the Typicon of the Great Church (that is, of Constantinople) one water blessing is prescribed, namely, on the Eve of the feast. The Typicons of the Studite monastery and of Jerusalem prescribe one water blessing, for Christ was baptized only once, not twice.”

The custom of blessing water twice dates from the eleventh century: on the Eve and on the day of the feast. This custom of a twofold blessing became a general law in the thirteenth century. The Typicon of the Venetian library of the year 1387 prescribed two water blessings: on the Eve and on the day of the feast. This custom of a twofold blessing became a general law in the thirteenth century. The Typicon of the Venetian library of the year 1387 prescribed two water blessings: on the Eve and on the day of the feast after the Great Doxology. The Typicon of St. Andrew Skete on Mt. Athos, of the fifteenth century, speaks of a Great Water-Blessing on the Eve after the Prayer behind the Ambo and on the feast, after the Matins service. The reason for the twofold water blessing was that the water blessing on the Eve of the feast was regarded as a symbol of the former practice of baptizing the catechumens, while the water blessing on the day of the feast was performed in memory of Christ’s baptism in the river Jor- dan. Hence, the first water blessing, as a rule, took place in the vestibule of the Church, where in former times the catechumens were baptized, while the water blessing on the day of the feast took place outside the church, at rivers, springs or wells. The Synod of Lviv (1891) directed that the rite of water blessing be carried out both on the Eve and on the day of the Feast of the Theophany.

The Rites of the Great Water-Blessing

The ceremonies of the Great Water-Blessing took hundreds of years to develop. We do not know the form of the original rite of the Jordan Water-Blessing. Jacob of Edessa bore witness that the prayer “Great are You, O Lord…” came from St. Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople (434-446); the stichera “The voice of the Lord cries over the waters” and the prayer “O Trinity, transcendent in essence…” from Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (†c641). Of the Great Water-Blessing the Barberini Euchologion from the eighth- ninth century has only the Great Ektenia which is different from our present day one, and three prayers. The Typicon of the Great Church of the ninth-tenth century notes that, toward the end of the Liturgy, the cantors sing the troparion “The Voice of the Lord” and while it is being sung, all go to the baptistry in the narthex (or vestibule) of the Church. Here the deacon sings the ektenia and the patriarch reads the prayer for the sanctification of the water and blesses the water; three readings follow, and with the singing of the troparion the rite of water-blessing is concluded..

From the thirteenth century, the rite of Water-Blessing became somewhat like our own, and in the fourteenth- sixteenth centuries, the rite of the Great Water-Blessing assumed its present form.
Around 1148 the Ipatian Chronicle mentions the Jordan Water-Blessing in our native Ukraine, and calls it “Vodokhryschi” (Voda-water; khrystyty to baptise) or “Water-baptism” that is, the baptism of water. Originally, it took place in our Church only on the vigil of the feast of the Theophany. Only after our Church in the fourteenth century began using the Jerusalem Typicon, instead of the Studite Typicon, did she adopt the two water-blessings. Maxim the Greek (†1556), defends the new custom according to which water-blessing took place on the day of the feast itself at the river or spring. The liturgicon of Metropolitan Cyprian (†1406) already had the present rite of Jordan Water-Blessing.

In time, there developed in our Ukrainian Church certain rites connected with the Great Water-Blessing which the Greeks or other Slavonic Typicons do not have. The Greek Typicons speak only of a threefold cruciform submersion of the cross in the water at the end of the Water-Blessing. The Russian rite of the Great Water-Blessing has, besides this, a three-fold blessing of the water with the hand. The Euchologion of Metropolitan Peter Mohyla of the year 1646, prescribes that after the first prayer the water be blessed three times cruciformly, i.e., by making the sign of the cross in the water with a burning candle; after the second prayer that it be breathed upon three times cruciformly, (i.e. each time the priest breaths upon the water, he makes the sign of the cross with his head), and after the third prayer – that it be blessed with the hand submerged in the water. According to the present-day custom we use for the blessing not one, but three three-branched burning candlesticks which we submerge into the water three times. The rite of the Jordan Water-Blessing ends with a threefold cruciform blessing of the water with the cross by submerging it into the water, while the troparion “O Lord when you had been baptized in the Jordan…” is being sung. After the Water-Blessing, the priest sprinkles the people with the holy water. Our people had a beautiful custom of erecting a cross of ice at the river where the water-blessing took place.

The Jordan Water The Very Sacred Object

From very ancient times the Eastern Church has regarded the sanctified Jordan water as a great sacramental, possessing miraculous powers for healing both soul and body. In a sermon on the feast of the Theophany St. John Chrysostom says: “This is the day on which Christ was baptized and blessed the substance of waters. For this reason, at midnight of this feast, the faithful take water home and keep it throughout the year. It is interesting to note that this blessed water is not spoiled for a long time; it remains fresh even for two or three years, and after such a long period its quality does not differ from the water recently brought from the well.” The Greek Church calls the Jordan water “mega hagiasma” which signifies “something very sacred”.

In antiquity there prevailed the custom in the Church that those who were unable to receive Holy Communion for some reason or other were given the Jordan Water to drink. Our people cherished the Jordan Water with such devotion that they observed a strict fast up to the time of its blessing and received it, fasting, as they would Holy Communion. Our people sprinkled all their buildings and the whole farm with this water to drive away every impure spirit from their land. Even today in foreign countries where Ukrainians have settled, they gladly receive the priest who blesses and sanctifies their homes with Jordan Water.

The content of the prayers and rites of the Great Water- Blessing best reflect the faith of our Eastern Church in the power and blessing of Jordan Water. In these prayers we repeatedly call upon the Holy Spirit to come down upon the water, to purify and sanctify it, and impart to it a healing power for the benefit of soul and body. The Great Ektenia at the blessing of the water has as many as twenty-six petitions, among which we find the following: “that these waters may be sanctified by the power, operation and descent of the Holy Spirit”, “that there may descend upon these waters the puri- fying action of the most substantial Trinity”, “that this water may be endowed with the grace of redemption, the blessing of the Jordan, through the power and action and descent of the Holy Spirit”, “that we be enlightened by the light of understanding and of piety through the descent of the Holy Spirit”, “that it may serve as a purification of the souls and bodies of all those who, with faith, shall draw and partake of it”, “that it be a gift of sanctification, deliverance from sin, healing of soul and body, and for every other benefit.”

The very beautiful and profound prayers of the Jordan Water-Blessing extol the Most Holy Trinity and entreat the Holy Spirit to come down and Himself sanctify the water. Here the significance, power, and sanctity of the Jordan Water-Blessing is emphasized. The following example may help us understand the significance of these prayers: “Today the waters of the river Jordan are changed into healing by the coming of the Lord. Today the sins of mankind are washed away by the waters of the Jordan. Today paradise has been opened to mankind and the Sun of righteousness shines down upon us… Today we are delivered from ancient lamentation and like a new Israel, we are saved. Today we are delivered from darkness and illuminated with the light of the knowledge of God… Today whole creation is brightened… Therefore, O King and Lover of mankind, come and sanctify this water through the descent of your Holy Spirit. And confer upon it the grace of redemption, and the blessing of Jordan. Make it a font of incorruptibility, a gift of sanctification, a remission of sins, a healing of sickness, a destroyer of demons, render it inaccessible to the adverse powers, and make it full of the power of Angels, so that all who draw from it and partake of it may be blessed in their souls and bodies, healed of their sufferings, sanctified in their homes, and they may receive every befitting grace… Grant sanctification, blessing, cleansing and health to all those who touch it, who sprinkle themselves with it or partake of it.”