[Few Saints have been blessed with a vision of heaven while still in this life. Prophet Isaiah saw heaven (Isaiah 6:18), as did Prophet Ezekiel (1:1-28), and the holy Apostle John saw a new heaven--God's eternal Kingdom revealed as a city (Revelation 21:1-22:5).]

Saint John's greatest role during his life was enacted on the day of Theophany, and because of this the Church has, from the earliest times, dedicated the day following that feast to his memory. This day is also connected with an event involving the hand of the Forerunner. The Evangelist Luke desired to take Saint John's body from Sevaste, where the Great Prophet had been beheaded by Herod, to Antioch, his own birthplace. He succeeded, though, in acquiring and taking only one hand, which was kept in Antioch till the 10th century. I

Do you ever ask: "If Jesus is who He says He is, why don't I see Him more clearly?" Saint Thomas had the same doubts when his brother disciples told him that Jesus had resurrected. Jesus heard his plea and answered it: "Then He (Jesus) said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands, and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing...Thomas answered Him, 'My Lord and my God!'" (St. John 20:27-28).

After the Epistle (Letter) of Saint Paul (1 Corinthians 10:1-4) is read about the mystical prototype baptism of the Judeans unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and of their spiritual food in the desert and the spiritual drink from the Rock, which is an image of the Coming of Jesus Christ. Finally, the Gospel Lesson of Saint Mark (Mark 1:9-12) is read in which the holy Apostle tells about the actual Baptism of the Lord.

“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give Me a drink.' For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, 'How is it that You, being a Jew ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?' For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.' The woman said to Him, 'Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?' Jesus answered and said to her, 'whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (St. John  "4:10-14).

During our entire life there is a great blessing next to us -- holy water. Blessed water is a form of God's grace: it cleanses the Christian believers from spiritual uncleanness and sanctifies and strengthens them for the spiritual struggle of salvation in God.