“The voice of the Lord on the waters cries out, saying: come, receive all the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of reason, the spirit of the fear of God, Christ who appeared”(stichera of the feast).
On the joyful day of the Epiphany, the whole world remembers the appearance of Jesus Christ at the Jordan, where the Forerunner baptized Him in the waters of the river. In remembrance of the baptism of the Lord on this day, water is sanctified. People are sprinkled with holy water, churches and houses are sanctified and the whole world is renewed.
As in all the churches of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission after the Divine Liturgy, water was consecrated – also in the Holy Ascension Monastery on the Mount of Olives.
The head of the Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), co-served by Archimandrites Vasily (Druzhinets), Innokenty (Sereda), Abbot Iona (Galishnikov) and Deacon Vyacheslav (Batalsky), served the divine services of this feastday. In the evening, Great Compline was served with the singing “God is with us” and at polyeleios of Matins they honored the Savior “who was baptized in Jordan” by singing “We magnify Thee.”
In the morning the Head of Mission was greeted at the door of the church following which the Divine Liturgy was served. Following the prayer of the ambo, the clergy went into the vestibule and performed the “Great Blessing of Water.” At the end of the service, the abbess of the monastery, Abbess Barbara (Novikova) approached the Holy Cross whereos Fr. Roman sprinkled her with holy water. All the sisters and worshipers came up and also received the grace of the Holy Spirit.
