This Feast is celebrated on Jan 6th, it originates in the Eastern Church where the Gospel for the Feast of the Epiphany commemorates the Baptism of our Lord in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (See Matthew 3:13-17). The Feast was introduced into the Western Church in the 4th century where it became associated with the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles in the person of the the Magi. In England the sovereign makes offerings of gold, frankincense and myrrh in the Chapel Royal on the Feast Day.
The Eastern hymns draw attention to the doctrine of the Trinity, revealed in the Gospel reading of Christ”s Baptism: ”and Jesus, when He had been baptised, came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly, a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased”” (Matthew 3:16,17).
In this way, mystically, the Holy Trinity appeared before all the people at the Baptism of Christ: the voice of God the Father was heard witnessing to God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove upon the Saviour of the world. That is why this feast day is called the Epiphany (or ‘Theophany’ – the manifestation of God to man). In this Epiphany God revealed Himself as Trinity. This is a very important part of the Feast, but there is more to it than this.
When Jesus was baptised in the river Jordan, He was not the one Who was purified, because He is without sin and has never needed to be purified. Rather, it was the water that was transfigured and illumined. Water, which was believed to be transparent and purifying, was in fact polluted and inhabited by evil spirits. Through entering into the water of the river Jordan for His Baptism, Jesus purified the elements, sanctified matter, and freed the cosmos from the powers of evil. Material creation once again became “very good” as it was in the beginning.
Some words from the Liturgy of the Greater Blessing of water: ‘At Your Epiphany the whole creation sang your praises. For You, our God, have appeared on earth and dwelt among men. You have sanctified the steams of Jordan, sending down from on high the most Holy Spirit, and you have crushed the heads of the dragons hidden therein’
The connection between the Feast of the Epiphany and our Homes.
Once we have attended the Liturgy for the Feast of the Epiphany, the main way in which we join in the commemoration of God’s sanctification and purification of all things through His Baptism in the River Jordan, is by having our homes blessed with the sprinkling of newly blessed water.
‘The Great Blessing of Water’ takes place at the end of the Liturgy on the Feast day. Since our homes cannot be brought to the Church, the Church, through the Priest, goes to the homes of every parishioner. There the sprinkling of newly sanctified water finishes the service of blessing that began in the Parish Church. The blessing of our homes by this holy water maintains the spiritual connection between the ‘home church’ and the Parish Church. By this annual blessing of the places where we live, the grace of God is extended to our individual homes and families.
The house blessing is also a good way to show younger children the connection of the Church to the home. If the children are present when the Priest comes to bless the home, they have an opportunity to see him in a different and personal situation. If time permits they can show him their rooms or pets or favourite toys and they can receive a blessing with water.
In addition to having our homes blessed, we are also encouraged to take home some newly blessed water from the ‘Great blessing of the Water’ service to use throughout the year. It can be used to bless our homes, to drink when we are ill or even to use as part of our daily prayer life. There are many occasions in family life when a sip of holy water can help to remind us of the blessing that was given ‘to bestow sanctification’, ‘for healing of soul and body’, and ‘to be a fountain welling forth for life eternal’, as the Priest prays in the Litany of the Feast of the Epiphany.
In Summary
As a result of “the Fall” everything in the world has been spoiled, including us. God had to bless His world again so that it would be the way that He wants it to be. This is why He sent His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit to the world: to bless everyone and everything that He made and to make all things good again.
When the Priest comes to bless our homes, he asks God to have mercy on the house, to rid it of every evil and to fill it with every blessing.
