The Feast of the Theophany refers to the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan by Saint John the Forerunner, who is called the Baptist. This took place when Christ reached the age of thirty (30) years, before He began His formal work (His earthly Ministry) of teaching and before His later Sufferings for the salvation of the human race.

Several years passed, and the blessed Basil asked God to send down the grace of the Holy Spirit to enlighten his understanding and give him wisdom, so that he might offer the unbloody sacrifice using his own words. Until that time the Greek-speaking Christians had celebrated the Divine Liturgy only in Hebrew. Actually, the Liturgy was celebrated in Greek, but according to usages derived from the Church of Jerusalem.

Eight days after His Nativity, our Lord Jesus Christ deigned to be circumcised. He submitted to circumcision, first of all, to fulfill the Law. "Think not that I am come to destroy the Law," said He; "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill" (St. Matthew, Ch. 5). He subjected Himself to the Law to free transgressors subject to the Law, as the Apostle teaches: "When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law" (Galatians, Ch. 4).

It is necessary, from time to time, to remind everyone in our parish of the authentic practice and etiquette of our Holy Orthodox Church. Our American society in the late 20th century is rather casual in its approach to life in general. We must not allow this prevailing attitude to enter into our holy Orthodox Christian piety and behavior.

"At that time, Jesus saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick. And when it was evening His disciples came to Him, saying, 'This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.' But Jesus said unto them, 'They need not depart; give ye them to Me.' And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to Heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. And they did eat, and were filled: and they took up the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitude away" (St. Matthew 14:14-22)

"Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more." (St. Matthew 2:16-18)