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The Divine Liturgy in Long Beach, January 6, 2007
The Feast of the Theophany of our Lord (according to the new-Gregorian calendar) in Long Beach
On the invitation of His Eminence Gerasim, Metropolitan of San Francisco, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (Ecumenical Patriarchate), His Grace Maxim, bishop of the Western American Diocese, in the church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, Long Beach, CA, concelebrated the services for the Theophany. On this Feast Day it is a custom to go to the nearby Pacific coast for a blessing of water, cast a cross into the ocean which is consequently retrieved by the most skilled swimmer.
Even though, January 6 according to the Old (Julian) calendar is Christmas Eve, the bishop Maxim of the western diocese, in the spirit of unity (Catholicity-Sabornost), together with Protopresbyter Nikola Ceko and hieromonk Jovan (Babic) positively responded to Metropolitan Gerasim’s invitation to concelebrate this great Feast Day. The Liturgy was attended by a great number of faithful (Orthodox Greeks, Americans, Syrians, Serbs, etc.)
Christmas and Theophany (with the Feast Day of the Cross) in the ancient Church were celebrated together. This was a traditional celebration of pan-orthodox character.
On the Theophany we sing:
You have appeared today to the whole world,
and Your light, O Lord, has been signed upon us
who hymn You with understanding.
You have come, You have appeared,
the Light unapproachable.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Gerasim greeted the faithful and His Grace Maxim, bishop of the western American diocese, who in return expressed his gratitude for this kind invitation reminding all of the importance of the Feast Day of the Theophany of our Lord.
The blessing of the water in the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos took place followed by the faithful partaking of it for a blessing. A most especially delighted sight on the sunny coast was to observe the sacrament of the blessing of water, and then the so called “service of the cross and diving for the Holy Cross”.
The Dormition parish in Long Beach is in the proximity of the Pacific coast. This parish is comprised of Greek and American Orthodox, and Fr. John Roll is the dean.
Long Beach is situated in the South Los Angeles County, California, on the Pacific coast. On its southeast end it borders with Orange County. It is approximately 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.
The blessing of water is an ancient custom. The text of the services emphasizes the cosmic dimension of the Feast Day. It is a unique demystification of nature through the presence and blessing of the Cross in water. With this it is shown that all creation is created to be holy with the presence of Christ in the world. Water is the basic element without which man cannot live.
The Orthodox Church, most especially the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is known for the awakening of the conscience in people about the frailty of nature by reminding all about man’s role in safeguarding or abusing it. Patriarch Bartholomew has proclaimed that destroying the natural environment is a sin. A man is responsible for this world which has been given to him as “home”, “Oikos” – the word from which economy derives as well as ecology. On the Feast Day of Theophany, we take the freedom of God’s children and proclaim God’s all sanctifying presence in waters, rivers, lakes, seas and oceans.
Below are some of the hymns (Stichera) about Christ, The Forerunner and Baptist John, Jordan river, etc., sung on the Feast Day of the Theophany:
The Forerunner, beholding our Enlightener, Who illumines every man, coming to be baptized, rejoices in soul and trembles. He points to Him with his hand and said to the people: “This is He Who delivers Israel, Who frees us from corruption! O sinless Christ our God, glory be to You!”
When our Deliverer was baptized by His servant and borne witness to by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the angelic armies, looking on, were stricken with awe; and a voice was borne down from the Father in heaven: “He Whom the Forerunner baptized with his hand is My beloved Son, in Whom I have been well-pleased!” O Christ our God, glory be to You!
And give to it the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan. Make it a fountain of immortality, a gift of sanctification, for the remission of sins, protection against infirmities, destructive to evil forces, inaccessible to opposing powers, filled with angelic might..
That all who draw from it or partake of it may find in it purification of souls and bodies, healing of infirmities, sanctification of houses, every fit benefit. For You are our God, Who through water and the Spirit renewed our nature corrupted by sin. You are our God, Who in the time of Noah washed away sin in the waters. You are our God, Who at the hand of Moses brought the Hebrews nation to freedom by the sea. You are our God, Who split the rock in the wilderness and waters flowed and streams were filled and You satisfied You thirsting people. You are our God, Who at the time of Elijah by water and fire delivered Israel from the falsehood of Baal.
Will You now, Master, sanctify this water by You Holy Spirit.
And grant to all, whether they touch it or are anointed by or partake of it, sanctification, blessing, cleansing, health.
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Свештеник благосиља воду крстообразно часним Крстом, кога погружава у воду, држећи га обема рукама, и поје следећи тропар, првога гласа:
Во Иoрдане крещающуся Тебе Господи, Троическое явися поклонение: Родителев бо глас свидетельствоваше Тебе, возлюбленнаго Тя Сына именуя: и Дух в виде голубине, извествоваше словесе утверждение, явлейся Христе Боже, и мiр просвещей слава Тебе.
Τόν φωτισμόν ημών, τόν φωτίσαντα πάντα άνθρωπον, ιδών ο Πρόδρομος, βαπτισθήναι παραγενόμενον, χαίρει τή ψυχή, καί τρέμει τή χειρί, δείκνυσιν αυτόν, καί λέγει τοίς λαοίς, Ίδε ο λυτρούμενος τόν Ισραήλ, ο ελευθερών ημάς εκ τής φθοράς. Ω αναμάρτητε, Χριστέ ο Θεός ημών, δόξα σοι.
Τού Λυτρωτού ημών, υπό δούλου βαπτιζομένου, καί τή τού Πνεύματος παρουσία μαρτυρουμένου, έφριξαν ορώσαι Αγγέλων στρατιαί, φωνή δέ ουρανόθενηνέχθη εκ Πατρός. Ούτος όν ο Πρόδρομος χειροθετεί, Υιός μου υπάρχει ο αγαπητός, εν ώ ηυδόκησα, Χριστέ ο Θεός ημών, δόξα σοι.
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Τά Ιορδάνια ρείθρα, σέ τήν πηγήν εδέξατο, καί ο Παράκλητος, εν είδει περιστεράς κατήρχετο, κλίνει κορυφήν, ο κλίνας ουρανούς, κράζει καί βοά, πηλός τώ πλαστούργώ. Τί μοι επιτάττεις τά υπέρ εμέ; εγώ χρείαν έχω τού σού Βαπτισμού. Ω αναμάρτητε, Χριστέ ο Θεός ημών, δόξα σοι.
Σώσαι βουλόμενος, τόν πλανηθέντα άνθρωπον, ουκ απηξίωσας δούλου μορφήν ενδύσασθαι, έπρεπε γάρ σοί τώ Δεσπότη, καί Θεώ, αναδέξασθαι τά ημών υπέρ ημών, σύ γάρ βαπτισθείς σαρκί Λυτρωτά, τής αφέσεως ηξίωσας ημάς, διό βοώμέν σοι. Ευεργέτα Χριστέ ό Θεός ημών, δόξα σοι.
The voice of the Lord, which is upon the waters, cries out, saying: Come you all, and receive the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of the fear of God: Christ Who hath appeared!
Today the nature of the waters is sanctified. Jordan is parted, and turned back its streams, beholding the Master baptized.
You did come to the river as a man, O Christ our King, and did hasten to receive the baptism of a servant at the hand of the Forerunner for the sake of our sins, O Good One Who loves mankind.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever…
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O Lord Who knows not sin, having assumed the appearance of a servant You did come unto the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord”, asking baptism of him. The waters saw You, and were afraid. The Forerunner was seized with trembling, and cried aloud, saying: “How can a lamp illumine the light? How can a slave lay his hand upon his Master? Sanctify me and the waters, O Savior Who takes away the sin of the world!”
Одеваяйся светом яко ризою, нас ради по нам быти сподобился eсть, во струи одевается днесь Иoрданския: не Сам сих ко очищению требуя, но нам Собою устрояяй порождение. О чудесе! без oгня изваряет, и назидает без сокрушения, и спасает в Него просвещаeмыя, Христос Бог и Спас душ наших.
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Тебе в Дусе и oгни очищающа грех мiра, зря Креститель грядуща к себе, ужасаяся и трепеща, вопияше глаголя: не смею держати верх Твой пречистый. Ты мя освяти Владыко, Божественным явлением Твоим, Eдине Человеколюбче.
Приидите подражаим мудрыя девы, приидите срящим явльшагося Владыку: яко прииде, яко Жених ко Иоанну. Иoрдан видев Тя убояся и пожда, Иоанн вопияше: не смею держати верха Безсмертнаго. Дух низхождаше в виде голубине освятити воды, и глас с небесе: Сей eсть Сын Мой, пришедый в мiр спасти род человеческий, Господи слава Тебе.
Крещается Христос, и восходит от воды совозводит бо с Собою мiр, и зрит разводящаяся небеса, яже Адам затвори себе и сущим с ним. И Дух свидетельствует Божество: подобному бо предтичет и глас от Небесе: оттуду бо свидетельствуемый Спас душ наших.
Трепеташе рука Крестителева, егда пречистому Твоему верху коснуся: возвратися Иордан река вспять, не дерзая служити Тебе: яже бо устыдеся Иисуса Навина, како Творца своего устрашитися не имяше? Но все исполнил еси смотрение, Спасе наш, да спасеши мiр явлением Твоим, Едине Человеколюбче.
Слава, глас 8:
[Иоанна монаха:] Господи, исполнити хотя, яже уставил eси от века, от всея твари служитeли тайны Твоея приял eси: от ангел Гавриила, от человек Деву, от небес звезду, и от вод Иoрдан, в немже беззаконие мiрское потребил eси, Спасе наш, слава Тебе.
И ныне, глас тойже:
Pictures:
The Divine Liturgy in the church of the Dormition, Long Beach, California
The blessing of the water on the Pacific coast in Long Beach, California
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