Българска
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Мисия
Свети
Свети Кирил и
Методи,
Равноапостоли
и Учители на
Славяните
Saints Cyril & Methodius
Bulgarian Orthodox
Mission
31st
Sunday After Pentecost
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Our services are held
at:
St. Luke Orthodox Church
6801 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101
We are a parish of
the
Orthodox Church in America
Diocese of Washington and New York
Theophany
Theophany is the Feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world
through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). God
the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by the St John
the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form of a
dove. From ancient times this Feast was called the Day of Illumination and the
Feast of Lights, since God is Light and has appeared to illumine "those
who sat in darkness," and "in the region of the shadow of death"
(Mt.4:16), and to save the fallen race of mankind by grace.
In the ancient Church it was the custom to baptize catechumens at the
Vespers of Theophany, so that Baptism also is revealed as the spiritual illumination
of mankind.
The origin of the Feast of Theophany goes back to Apostolic times, and
it is mentioned in The Apostolic Constitutions (Book V:13). From the second
century we have the testimony of St Clement of Alexandria concerning the
celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and the night vigil before this Feast.
There is a third century dialogue about the services for Theophany
between the holy martyr Hippolytus and St Gregory the Wonderworker. In the
following centuries, from the fourth to ninth century, all the great Fathers of
the Church: Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Ambrose of Milan, John of
Damascus, commented on the Feast of Theophany.
The monks Joseph the Studite, Theophanes and Byzantios composed much
liturgical music for this Feast, which is sung at Orthodox services even today.
St John of Damascus said that the Lord was baptized, not because He Himself had
need for cleansing, but "to bury human sin by water," to fulfill the
Law, to reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and finally, to sanctify
"the nature of water" and to offer us the form and example of
Baptism.
On the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Holy Church proclaims our
faith in the most sublime mystery, incomprehensible to human intellect, of one
God in three Persons. It teaches us to confess and glorify the Holy Trinity,
one in Essence and Indivisible. It exposes and overthrows the errors of ancient
teachings which attempted to explain the Creator of the world by reason, and in
human terms.
The Church shows the necessity of Baptism for believers in Christ, and
it inspires us with a sense of deep gratitude for the illumination and
purification of our sinful nature. The Church teaches that our salvation and
cleansing from sin is possible only by the power of the grace of the Holy
Spirit, therefore it is necessary to preserve worthily these gifts of the grace
of holy Baptism, keeping clean this priceless garb, for "As many as have
been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ" (Gal 3:27).
On the day of Theophany, all foods are permitted, even if the Feast
falls on a Wednesday or Friday.
May Their Memory Be Eternal
The
Archbishop GREGORY;
the
Archimandrite Innocent;
the
Priests Peter, Homer, Ishmael, Elary, Leo, and Victor;
the
Presbyteras Mary, Elizabeth, Sophronia, Barbara, and Platonida;
the
Reader Robert Michael;
the
servants of God, George, Anna, Elena, Olivera, Helen, Christo, Radka, Dale, Philemon,
Carmel, Thomas, Thomas & Marion, Andrew & Irene, Stamatia & Peter,
Panigyoti & Marianthi, Ginka, Elvetizio & Eva, Vasili, Mary Ellen,
George, Christophor, Rada, Julia, and Mary.
(If you wish to add a name to this list, please
contact Fr. Timothy)
Those Who Are In Need of
Prayer
Priests
Photius, Anthony, Mileta, Milorad, and Joseph;
Presbyteras
Artemis, Marie, Miriam, & Alexandra;
The
servants of God, Jose, Kasia, Catherine, Mathew, Elisabeth, Stella, Helen, Venko,
Tanya, Petya, Charlie, Vera, Magdalena, Bojanka, Albana, Yekaterina, Sasha,
John, Carmeta, Charlie, and Patricia.
(If
you wish to add a name to this list, please contact Fr. Timothy)
Saints
Commemorated today
31st SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone
6. Ss. Athanasius
the Great (373) and Cyril (444), Archbishops of Alexandria. Ven. Afan‡sii
(Athanasius), Abbot of SyandŽmsk (Vologd‡—16th c.). Righteous
Afan‡sii of Novol—tsk, Monk (16th -17th c.). Ven. Marcian
of Cyrrhus in Syria (ca. 388). Martyrs Manuel, George, Peter,
Leontius—Bishops; Sionius, Gabriel, John, Leontius,
Parodus—Presbyters; and 377 companions in Bulgaria (ca. 817).
