Orthodox believers celebrate the Baptism of the Lord
January 19, Minsk. Orthodox believers today celebrate the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany) - one of the great unchanging twelve feasts. It is established in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
From the Gospel, it is known that John the Baptist, calling the people to repentance, baptized people in the waters of the Jordan. Jesus Christ came to John to be baptized, however, John, considering himself unworthy to perform the rite over the Savior, tried to prevent him, saying: "I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" But Jesus answered him that it was fitting for righteousness to be fulfilled. Then John obeyed and baptized Jesus.
It is known that at the baptism of the Savior, God revealed Himself to the world in three persons of His Divinity: God the Son - Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove, God the Father testified to Jesus Christ with a voice from heaven saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Therefore, Baptism is also called Theophany.
The holiday begins on the evening of January 18, when all Orthodox celebrate the Eve of the Baptism, during which, after the liturgy in the churches, the water is blessed. The water is blessed a second time on the feast of Theophany itself. People believe that at this time the water acquires healing properties and retains them throughout the year. It is given to drink to the seriously ill, and it is used to bless churches and homes.
To this day, the tradition of immersing oneself in the hole during Baptism has been preserved. It is believed that during the rite in the water, which is a source of new life, a person dies to sin and is resurrected for God.
Photo by Nikolai Petrov, Andrei Sinyavsky
Source belta.by