During the first five centuries after Christ there was considerable variation between dioceses as to what was celebrated under the names Epiphany or Theophany and on what date Christ’s baptism was celebrated. In many places the Lord’s nativity and His baptism were commemorated together on January 6th. These events combine the theme of the revelation or manifestation of God’s revelation in Christ.
While the Western Church commemorates the visit of the Magi the great Churches of the East commemorate the Lord’s baptism. It is the feast in which for the first time the trinitarian nature of God is clearly revealed. Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, is made manifest through His incarnation and baptism; the voice of the Father is heard from heaven saying ‘this is my beloved Son’; and the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove, confirming the Father’s words. This event is described in all four Gospels.
The Evangelists tell us that the prophet John the Forerunner preached repentance to the Israelites, to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’. He prophesied that One was coming after him who was before him, whose sandals he was not worthy to carry. When Christ came and asked for baptism John initially remonstrated but reluctantly agreed. After Christ was baptised, ‘the heavens opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”’. Christ was immersed in the waters not because He Himself needed cleansing but because they needed cleansing. He wished to enter fully into the fallen creation of which water is fundamental. He entered the waters in order to purify them and fill them once again with divine glory.
Theophany is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, probably predating even the celebration of the Nativity. There is a fresco of the Baptism from as early as 220, in a tomb in Rome. The Orthodox Church celebrates this feast with the ‘Great Blessing of the Waters’ because the water was blessed when Christ entered the Jordan. Water is first blessed in Church. At Shrewsbury the water is collected from Saint Winifred’s well at Woolston, West Felton. As the faithful are sprinkled some words of Saint Paul are sung All you who have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ, Alleluia. (Gal.2.27). It is also called ‘the Feast of Lights’ because newly baptised (enlightened) Christians, and those with them, hold lighted tapers throughout the service as a sign they have been filled with the Holy Spirit. The faithful take blessed water home with them to use when needed. After the Liturgy the faithful proceed to a river or lake, or even the sea where the water is blessed.
This custom of blessing the water is an ancient tradition begun in Jerusalem, where it is continued to this day. The patriarch processes to the Jordon and blesses the waters by plunging in a cross three times. This is done to express the universal, cosmic implications of Christ’s Baptism. At Shrewsbury the River Severn is blessed on this day by the Orthodox community each year. With hair still wet from the sprinkling, the faithful retire to a nearby Greek restaurant to enjoy a festive meal. In the following weeks the priest will visit and bless the homes of the faithful with Holy Water.
Christopher Jobson
Images provided by Christopher Jobson.