The Shepherd, January 2006
Adapted from
“THE HOUSE OF GOD AND THE CHURCH SERVICES, 1”
By the Priest N. R. Antonov
Continuation
§ 126. Services of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord (6th January). This feast was inaugurated to commemorate the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan by John the Forerunner. The celebration of the feast, separate from the Nativity of Christ, has its origins in the second half of the fourth century. The order of the services is the same as that for the Nativity, in that on the Eve we have the Royal Hours, the Liturgy is joined to Vespers, and on the day of the feast itself the Vigil begins with Great Compline.
In the hymns appointed for the Lord’s Baptism, we have, on the one hand, a poetic retelling of the events of the Baptism (Jesus Christ’s conversation with John the Baptist, the latter’s initial reluctance to baptise the Lord, the opening of the Heavens, the Voice from Heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit). On the other hand, we also have revelations of the inner significance of the feast: a) that the Lord accepted Baptism in the waters not that He might Himself be cleansed, for He had no need of that, but that people might be reborn; b) that the Lord desired to fulfil all the Old Testament precepts to the very limit; c) that Baptism now grants the grace of God and that the waters are sanctified by the Lord.
Troparion: When Thou was baptised in the Jordan, O Lord,
the worship of the Trinity was made manifest;
for the voice of the Father bare witness to Thee,
calling Thee His beloved Son.
And the Spirit in the form of a dove
confirmed the certainty of the word.
O Christ our God, Who hast appeared
and enlightened the world, glory be to Thee.
Contakion: Thou hast appeared today unto the whole world,
and Thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us
who with knowledge chant unto Thee:
Thou has come, Thou hast appeared,
O unapproachable Light.
[Fr Antonov repeats these hymns in Russian translation for those of his readers who would not have understood Church Slavonic].
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