News
Webmaster December 28th, 2009
Brethren,
January Schedule (All Times EST)
Jan 3 Orthros 9am/Liturgy 10am THEOPHANY/EPIPHANY (Blessing of the Waters)
Jan 6 Bible Study 7:30pm
Jan 9 2nd Saturday Foodbank 10:30am
Jan 10 Orthros 9am/Liturgy 10am
Jan 13 Bible Study 7:30pm
Jan 17 Orthros 9am/Liturgy 10am
Jan 20 Bible Study 7:30pm
Jan 24 Orthros 9am/Liturgy 10am
Jan 27 Bible Study 7:30pm
Jan 31 Orthros 9am/Liturgy 10am
Scripture Reading
Jan 3 Kelly Jolley
Jan 10 Marcus Todd
Jan 17 Mandy Brock
Jan 24 Stephanie Douglass
Jan 31 Subdeacon Michael Shepard
Readings for each day can be accessed at
http://www.goarch.org/chapel/
If you would like to join our rotation of epistle readers, please let me know.
From Fr. John
(If you would like your home blessed, please note the section below.)
Theophony/Epiphany
In the Orthodox calendar the feast of the Epiphany is called “Theofania,” or Theophany, the manifestation of God. Epiphany is the most ancient feast, after Pascha or Easter, relating to the Lord and is observed by the entire Christian Church on January 6th.
The first evidence attesting to the feast of the Epiphany comes from Clement of Alexandria who died about 215. He relates that a Gnostic group observed the Baptism of our Lord on January 6th believing that it was at the time of Baptism that Divinity took the flesh in Christ. The date of January 6th was selected because according to some ancient reckoning the day began to grow longer on that date and so it was celebrated by pagans as the day of victory of light over darkness. In Rome, though, the day of the birth of the Invincible Sun was celebrated on December 25th. In both East and West, and practically at the same time, these two pagan festivals were replaced by a Christian feast signifying the epiphany (manifestation) ‘of the sun of justice’ and ‘of the true light of the world.’ The 25th of December began to be celebrated in Rome as the day of the Epiphany (Nativity), while in the East January 6th remained as the Epiphany day including both the Nativity and Baptism of our Lord. By the end of the 4th century, the 25th of December as the day of the Nativity was adopted in most of the East, and January 6th remained as the feast of our Lord’s Baptism.
When the Eastern Epiphany day was introduced in the West, the already celebrated Nativity on December 25thth, although accepted as the day of Baptism, took the character of manifestation of Christ’s Divinity to the pagan world. Hence the Magi, figuratively representing the entire heathen world, were taken to be recipients of the saving grace of the newly manifested Christ. It is only the Armenian Church in the East that still celebrates the Nativity and Epiphany together on January 6th.
The most characteristic feature of the Orthodox day of Epiphany, or Theophania, is the sanctifying of waters by invoking the Spirit that appeared in the form of a dove over Christ at the time of His Baptism. The Orthodox receive sanctified water at the end of the special service of Epiphany and with it sanctify their homes, gardens, and other possessions while some preserve it for the entire year partaking of it at times of illness and other personal or family adversities. The twelve days between the Nativity of our Lord, December 25th, and the day of the Epiphany, January 6th, is called Dodekaemeron (twelve feastal days) and is considered to be one continuous festive period. On December 26th, the Virgin Mary who gave birth to our Lord is honored, and on January 1st, the day of the Circumcision of our Lord is celebrated. The festive character of the period is observed by abolishing all kinds of fasts, apart from the day prior to the Epiphany when the service of the Great Hagiasmos or Great Blessing of Water is performed.
Hagiasmos
There is the Small and Great Hagiasmos, both signifying the liturgical act by which water is sanctified as a result of certain prayers and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, as well as by immersing in it a small ceremonial cross. The service is called Hagiasmos (sanctification), because it is believed that by being sprinkled with and by drinking this sanctified water the faithful is cleansed and sanctified. The celebrant prays that the sanctified water heal soul and body and protect the faithful against all adversary powers. The use of sanctified water goes back to the ancient Church. Ecclesiastical writers such as Epiphanios and Theodoret mention events involving the use of sanctified water for the purpose of restoring health in people and of warding off epidemics and other diseases. Sprinkling with sanctified water (holy water) accompanied by prayers and sealing with the Cross had already been introduced into liturgical use in the 4th century for the purpose of healing not only people but even sick animals, and for bestowing the blessing of God on new homes and on new buildings for public use.
- Taken from A Dictionary of Greek Orthodoxy by Rev. Nicon D. Patrinacos
THE BLESSING OF HOMES
One of the central signs of our acceptance of God’s sanctification of creation at Holy Theophany is the blessing of our homes. This is done:
- To reveal the home as what it is created by God to be, a way to heaven.
- To rid the home of every evil.
- To reveal the truth that the family is a small Church unit in Christ.
- To consecrate the home and all the activity in it to God.
- To fill the home and all those who abide in it with God’s grace and blessings.
Only the Church can reveal what life is because She alone is the Kingdom of God on earth. She lives within Christ and reveals Him to us. The home is the little Church, a part of the greater Church, and therein participates in the mystery of God’s grace. By the blessing of homes with holy water, the priest sanctifies this smaller unit of the Church, in the same way that the main Church is blessed and sanctified, for just as in the Church building proper, in the home the Church blesses, reveals and sanctifies all things in the very way we live our lives.
When the priest comes to bless your home at Holy Theophany, the following guidelines should be observed:
- Have as many family members present as possible.
- Turn off all TVs, radios, etc.
- Prepare a place in the dining room or kitchen with an icon and candle (on top of a white cloth if available).
- Prepare a list of the first names of those for whom prayers are to be offered, both living and departed.
- Take the opportunity to know the priest better and ask him any questions you may have.
- Make the priest aware of any special family needs or concerns.
Note: Father John will be glad to bless your home. He is making a schedule now so please contact him via email at jstefero@hotmail.com or his cell phone at 678-637-4425 to schedule a date and time to have your home blessed.
Reminders
- Keep in mind our Foodbank. It would be good if you could supply either food or time to it–or, better, both. The Foodbank is the 2nd Saturday of each month. This month it is January 9th.
- Please keep Fr. John, and Fr. Mike and Presvyterra in your prayers. Their service to us is invaluable. We thank them for all they do.
- Wednesday Bible Study resumes in January. Contact Stephen Muse if you have any questions: smuse52@gmail.com
- If you have a topic for coffee hour discussion, contact Fr. John.
Thanks
- Thanks to Tom for all the good food after Liturgy. Thanks also to Claudia and to Deborah. Thanks to any others who I have not mentioned by name but who have contributed. Finally, thanks to those who have given time to clean up after the coffee hour.
- Thanks to Stephen Muse for all his hard work leading the Wednesday Bible Study.
- Thanks to John and Tom for all the little things they do each week before, during and after services. When one or both are absent, we all realize just how dependent on them we are. Many Years to both!
- Thanks to those who have prepared the Prosphora. Our rotation: Jan. 2010 Jessica ‘Katherine’ Kitchens; Feb. 2010 Barbara Vogus; Mar. 2010 Claudia Muse