January 6, Holy Water Day

2025-01-06 08:42:00, Aktualitet CNA

January 6 symbolizes the holy day of the Holy Water which is celebrated every year as a great holiday for all Christian believers. After the ceremony in the Church, the faithful jump into the water in order to catch the cross.

What is Holy Water Day?

At the age of 30, Christ, the Son and Word of God, appeared on the waters of the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Forerunner and Baptist. And Jesus, as soon as he was baptized, the heavens were opened, and a voice from heaven said: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased", it is written in the gospel. And here is the origin of the belief that blessed water is a means of cleansing the soul of the sinner, so every January 6, Orthodox believers become part of the ritual of the Day of Blessed Water. On this holy day, water becomes the icon of God's invisible grace, which by means of water and the Spirit reborn, cleanses, sanctifies and enlightens people who believe in Christ.

Background

Originally it was just a celebration of the "appearance of God" in the world, in human form. It included the celebration of the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi and all the events of childhood, such as circumcision and the appearance in the Temple, as well as the baptism by John in the Jordan. There is no doubt that this holiday, like Passover and Lent, was understood as the fulfillment of an earlier Jewish holiday, in this case, the Festival of Lights.

give a meaning

Epiphany means upper manifestation. The feast is often called, as it is in the books of Orthodox services, Theophany, which means the appearance of God. The emphasis in this feast is on the appearance of Jesus, as the human Messiah of Israel and the divine Son of God, One of the Holy Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Thus, in the baptism by John in the Jordan, Jesus identified himself with sinners, as "the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), the "Love" of the Father, whose messianic task is to free people from their sins (Luke 3:21; Mark 1:35). And He is revealed as One of the Holy Trinity, testified by the voice of the Father and by the Spirit in the form of a dove. This is the central epiphany, which is glorified in the main hymn of the holiday: When you were baptized in the Jordan, O Lord, for us, then the forgiveness of the Holy Trinity appeared everywhere, that the voice of the Father was testifying to us about you and his beloved Son if he called, even the Holy Spirit like a dove confirmed every word with certainty. O Christ God, who appeared and enlightened the world, glory be to You! (Release). You appeared with glory, in the whole world, and Your Light shone on us today, so let us sing to you with meaning: Come and reveal yourself, O Unapproachable Light (abbreviation)./ CNA