MOSCOW, 19 Jul – RIA Novosti. the Orthodox Church celebrates on Thursday, one of 12 major Christian holidays — Epiphany or Theophany. Solemn Liturgy and rite of the great blessing of water on this day of the Epiphany in Yelokhovo Cathedral Moscow will make the first vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Metropolitan Arseny of Istra.
on the feast of the Baptism of believers remember how at the age of 30 Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan river to be baptized with water by John the Baptist. According to Church doctrine, when he came out of the water, was revealed to the world the Trinity: God the Son, God the Holy Spirit descended on Christ like a dove, and God the Father testified about Christ from heaven.
Thursday end Christmas time — series of days beginning on the evening of Christmas eve and ends the morning of the day of Epiphany. During Christmas celebrations among people of the Orthodox faith was considered mandatory to perform the works of mercy is to bestow children, feed the poor, to help the elderly. In these days, Christian had to defend at least one Church service.
“Days which we call Holy days, holidays, connect two of the great feast – the Nativity of Christ and Theophany, the Baptism of the Lord. These are the days of special joy for the people, giving knowledge and feeling that God is with us”, — told RIA Novosti the Abbot of the Epiphany Cathedral Archpriest Alexander Ageikin.
Epiphany bathing
every year in the Baptism and eve, Epiphany eve in the Orthodox churches, committed great blessing of water. Russia is also a popular Epiphany bathing – dip in the consecrated water. According to the priest, this tradition should be treated with caution.
“the Shrine of the Epiphany water is directly related to the service, so just dive in the water nature wrong, necessarily it is necessary to prepare for prayer and set my soul at a certain way. Immersion in water is a touch to the Holy place, the Christian worships a water nature, and seeks to touch the sanctified water, which is consecrated by the touch of deity to the water. It is a spiritual act that should be associated with prayer, especially with the internal concentration of the person”, — said Again.
He added that for a Christian would be more than enough “to touch, to eat consecrated water and with reverence to honor the occasion,” and not to show the heroism, plunging into cisterns in the cold. Especially the rector of Holy Epiphany Church warned against immersion in the baptismal font under the influence.
“I would Like to warn those who in a drunken state coming to this tradition, because sobriety is one of the most important requirements of any Christian holiday. With a sober mind, with a prayer in my heart and in my mind we’re making a touch to the Shrine. Baptismal immersion in any case should not be linked to any other traditions, only with worship and prayer. And, of course, I would like to warn those who have weak health,” concluded FR.
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