The Feast of the Holy Theophany (Epiphany) of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated each year on January 6. The Feast commemorates the Baptism of Christ and the divine revelation of the Holy Trinity. At the Baptism of Christ, all three Persons of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—were made manifest. Thus, the name of the Feast is Epiphany, meaning manifestation, or Theophany, meaning manifestation of God. During Theophany, people traditionally attend a prayer service where the priest blesses regular water into holy water at the “Blessing of the Water” ceremony. This year, after the blessing of the water ceremony in the church, Fr. Ivan walked around the school with a small group of students and blessed each room with holy water and offered a blessing to students and staff. He also asked students various questions about Feasts of Christmas and Theophany and was very pleased by their answers.
Prayer of Blessing the Water
“…Therefore, O King, Lover of mankind, be present now too through the visitation of your Holy Spirit, and sanctify this water. And give to it the grace of redemption and the blessing of Jordan. Make it a source of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a deliverance from sins, an averting of diseases, unapproachable by hostile powers, filled with angelic strength. That all who draw from it and partake of it may have it for cleansing of souls and bodies, for healing of passions, for sanctification of homes, for every suitable purpose. … And now, Master, do You yourself sanctify this water by your Holy Spirit”
