MAIZEVILLE - The manifestation of God-made Man in Jesus Christ was celebrated Friday in Eastern Rite Catholic and most Eastern Orthodox churches as the faithful observed the Feast of the Theophany of Our Lord.
Divine Liturgies were celebrated on the holy day or on the vigil, with the day before one of fast and abstinence. The Very Rev. Archpriest John M. Fields celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Maizeville on Friday, having celebrated the vigil at St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Frackville on Thursday evening.
The Feast of the Theophany of Our Lord is a major feast in Eastern Christianity that celebrates the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist. The importance of this event, described in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, involves the first public manifestation of the Holy Trinity to mankind. Theophany comes from the Greek word, "theophania," which means "appearance of God."
"This is the Feast of Theophany, the appearance of God," said Fields during Friday's homily. "Originally, this feast in the eastern church also included the Nativity of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, the appearance of the Magi, and also the wedding feast at Cana - the appearances of God. Gradually, the feast of Christmas or the Nativity was moved in the west on Dec. 25, and the western church accepted the visit by the Magi on Jan. 6, which is why the Feast of the Three Kings is celebrated today on the 12th day of Christmas."
According to Fields, water, which is necessary for life but can also destroy, has great significance in the Old Testament, such as the waters of the Great Flood that destroyed all but Noah and his family in the ark, how the waters of the Red Sea parted to allow the escape of Moses and the Hebrews from Egypt, but also destroyed the army of the pharaoh, and then the water was sanctified when Jesus was baptized.
"We bless the water today because it gives life and has grace and for the sanctification it provides to us," Fields said. "The significance in the New Testament of the baptism by St. John the Baptist of Jesus in the River Jordan shows us the way to salvation through the waters of baptism."
At the conclusion of the liturgy, "The Great Blessing of Jordan Water" ceremony was held. Fields was assisted by parishioners Joseph Chabon, John Smolock and Mark Semanchik, who each held a trikiri, which is a liturgical candlestick with three lighted candles joined at the base. During the ceremony, Fields took a trikiri, made the sign of the cross with it over the water-filled baptismal font, then turned it over and put it in the font, extinguishing the candles. He repeated the action with the other trikiri. After additional prayers, Fields leaned forward and blew on the water three times, then dipped his right hand into the water and made the sign of the cross three times, then held a crucifix and dipped it three times into the water.
After Fields walked through the church to sprinkle the holy water on the congregants, people lined up to be anointed with holy oil and to fill containers they had brought to take home the Jordan Water.
In Western Christianity, Friday marked the Feast of the Epiphany, when the Magi came to visit the Jesus and present Him with the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.