THIS SUNDAY, January 6, 2019 Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am. FEAST OF EPHIHANY, The baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist.
The central focus of the Feast of Epiphany is the blessing of water. In ancient times the blessing of water was intended for the catechumens who were prapared to receive baptism. In some parishes of the Orthodox church christians go to rivers and seas in imitation of the custom among christians of Jerusalem who would go forth to the Jordan to celebrate the festival and to pray; and also in memory of the consecration of the waters of the Jordan River at the time of our Lord Jesus Christ who was baptized in it. "The voice of the Lord cries out over the waters, saying: come receive all of you, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of the fear of God, even Christ who is revealed." "Today the nature of water is sanctified and the Jordan is a witness of the baptism of Christ."
PRAYERS AT THE BLESSING OF THE WATERS. "That these waters may be sanctified by the power and effectual operation and descent of the Holy Spirit.....That Satan may be crushed under our feet and brought to nothing.....That the Lord our God will free us from every attack and temptation of the enemy and make us worthy of the good things He has promised.....That this water may be for us a fountain welling forth unto life eternal.....That this water may be for all those who draw and partake of it for the sanctification of their homes, for the purification of their souls and bodies."
Come to church this Sunday and be present at the blessing of the water and receive the waters of the Jordan for the blessing of your home and for your loved ones. This feast opens up our minds to the realization of the sanctity of all water as holy and as life sustaining.
Troparion Of Epiphany: "When You O Lord were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father bore witness to You, calling You His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove, confirmed the truthfulness of His Word. O Christ our God who has revealed yourself, and has enlightened the world glory to You."
GREETER COVERAGE SCHEDULE: .......
Email to Fr. Don: FrDonatAugusta@mail.goarch.org.
Email to St. Basil Church can be sent to: office@stbasil.ct.goarch.org. Your questions or comments can be sent to this email and will be forwarded to the parish priesst or the parish council members for a response.
Visit our St. Basil parish website: www.stbasil.ct.goarch.org. You will find many interesting links. Especially visit the "Orthodox Marketplace" where you will find an excellent selection of icons, books, and gift ideas for birthdays and holidays. Also, you can link to our Parish Facebook page. Thanks to Arven Saunders for managing the parish website.
On Facebook do a search for: "Saint Basil Greek Orthodox Church." You will find lots of information about parish activities, photos, and updates. Thanks to Athena Nomikos for her work posting photos and information on our parish Facebook site.