Saint Seraphim, after (hearing) confessions of pilgrims, always gave them to drink from a cup of Holy Water. Venerable Ambrose sent a bottle with Holy Water to a terminally ill person, and the incurable illness, to the amazement of doctors, was gone. The elder Heiroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky always gave advice to sprinkle food products with Holy Water from the Jordan River, which, in his words, "by itself sanctified everything." When someone was very ill, elder (geronda) Seraphim blessed him to take a tablespoon of Holy Water every hour.  The elder used to say that there was no stronger medicine than Holy Water and Holy Oil.

he Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church commemorates the Baptism of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the manifestation of God the Holy Trinity. The celebration is observed on January 6th. On this most solemn and glorious day, the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, and the Great Blessing of the Water is conducted. We also refer to the Theophany of Our Lord as the "Feast of Lights" ("Ton Photon"). It is called the Feast of Lights, as Saint Gregory the Theologian characterizes it, because of the baptism, illumination of the catechumens, and because of the lighting of fires.

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?' But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (St. Matthew 3:13-17). [This is the manifestation of God the Holy Trinity]

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

Orthodox Christian spirituality aims at the perfection of the faithful in Christ. This perfection can't be obtained in Christ, except by purification in His Divine-human life. Therefore the goal of Orthodox Christian spirituality is the perfection of the believer by his union with Christ. He is being imprinted to an ever-greater degree by the human image of Christ, full of God.

"The essence of philosophy," Basil answered, "is the remembrance of death." He pointed out the insubstantiality of the world and its pleasures, which at first seem sweet, but afterward become extremely bitter to the man enslaved to them. "But besides these consolations," explained Basil, "there are others, of a heavenly origin. It is impossible to enjoy both since no "man can serve two masters" (St. Matthew Ch. 5). Our duty is to break the bread of understanding with those whose discernment is faulty and to lead to the shelter of good works those unprotected by the roof of moral excellence, taking pity on their nakedness, for they share the same nature with us."