Watch live now the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom and the second Blessing of the Waters at the Greek Orthodox Church Evangelismos of Theotokos in Philadelphia.
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 Feast’s name is Epiphany, meaning manifestation, or Theophany, meaning manifestation of God.
The Blessing of the Waters is conducted in the church; however, in many places throughout the world, services are conducted near open bodies of water. As a sign of blessing as Christ blessed the Jordan, holy water is poured into the body of water. An associated tradition has been the tossing of a cross into the water to be retrieved by divers.