Byzantine Catholic Mission
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Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Mission |
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O ye incorporeal angels who stand before the throne of God, luminous with the brilliance thereof and everlastingly shining with radiance. As secondary luminaries, entreat Christ, that He grant unto our souls peace and great mercy. O immortal messengers of the truly incorruptible Life, ye most blessed ones who received life from the first Life, ye have become holy beholders of the eternal Wisdom, full of light, and reflecting lamps shown forth as is meet. O ye archangels and angels, principalities, thrones, dominions, six-winged seraphim, and divine, many-eyed cherubim, instruments of wisdom, virtues and powers most divine. Pray ye to Christ, that He grant our souls peace and great mercy. Archives:
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HOLY RESURRECTION BYZANTINE CATHOLIC MISSION
Chrystos Razdajetsja! Slavy’te Joho!
Divine Liturgy begins at 4 p.m. Every Sunday
Every Third Sunday of the Month is Food Sunday
Sunday Before Theophany
Our Offerings
A Very Warm Welcome to Father Paul Alexander!
Theophany Sermon by St. Proclus
St. Proclus, patriarch of Constantinople, puts into the mouth of St. John the Baptist the following words expressing
the faith of holy Church in the divinity of Christ: “How dare I stretch forth my hand and place it on the head of He who
sustains all things? How dare I touch Him before whom the choirs of angels tremble? How dare I approach Him whom the Seraphim
dare not come near? Hence with awe they cry, ‘Holy, holy, holy. Truly heaven is filled with Your glory and the Earth
with your wonders.’ How dare I approach the Unapproachable One before whom tremble Cherubim and all the heavenly hosts?
How dare I baptize the Creator of nature? How dare I baptize Him to whom the pure Virgin Mary gave birth and after giving
birth remained a virgin? I can only say: You, O Lord, are the Master.”
The Feast of Theophany—January 6
The Feast of Theophany is a celebration of a historic event, the Baptism of Christ. We also celebrate all the manifestations
of God—theophanies—to men in the person of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. We celebrate in this feast
His mysterious union with humanity in the Church—a union of faith and love that engenders to men a new spiritual life in
baptism. The Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan (Mark 1:9-11) serves to reveal this union in a clear and special
manner.
In accordance with the Gospel, this is the first revelation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The icon brings this
revelation to us. At the top of the icon the opening of heaven is symbolized by the segment of a circle. This circle signifies
God’s presence and witness at the event. Emanating from the circle are rays of light surrounding the Holy Spirit,
depicted in the figure of a dove descending upon our Savior, who is being baptized in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist.
The Father and the Holy Spirit give testimony to the appearance of the Son of God in the flesh among mankind.
In this icon we are immediately drawn to Christ, standing in the waters of the Jordan. The imagery shows that the entire body
of Christ is immersed in the Jordan in token of His burial: In Colossians we read, “In baptism you were not only buried
with Him but also raised to life with Him because you believed in the power of God Who raised Him from the
dead” (2:12). The illustration of the total immersion of Christ as well as His right hand blessing the waters
signifies the sanctification and purification of the waters by Christ. No longer is water an image of death but an image of
birth into a new life that we share with Christ. In Christ we celebrate that all of Creation is renewed.
A further illustration of our coming to share this new life in Christ is the symbol of Christ undergoing baptism
“clothed” in the nakedness of Adam, the father of all mankind. Through Christ’s sanctification of the
waters, He enables us to be raised up with Him and to put on the robes of incorruptibility.
The role of St. John the Baptist is depicted by the placing of his right hand on the head of Christ. With his left hand,
St. John makes a gesture of prayer, symbolizing the trembling awe that overwhelmed him at the sight of the divine
manifestation.
Angels are also present. Their heads are bowed as an indication of their role of service to God and their reverence for Him
whom they serve.
The icon of Theophany brings us visually and symbolically to the presence of the manifestation of God, the revelation of the
Trinity, and the deep, spiritually rich significance of baptism. In its presence we know that God does reveal Himself to us
and that through our baptisms, established by the baptism of Christ, we are made new in Christ.
Pastoral Ponderings: Some Serious New Year’s Meditations
As I searched for something profound to offer for your meditations on the new year, I finally turned to that great theologian
of the 20th century—Erma Bombeck! She has put together a series of resolutions, which you may adapt in any way you see
fit.
And while we are on the subject:
Happy and Blessed New Year to You!
P.S. We will celebrate the Divine Liturgy
for the Feast of Theophany—a holy day of obligation— at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6, here at the church. Last updated: 13-Jan-2005 |
