Vibrant Church observes special events

Christ is born! Glorify Him. Joy to the world — our Lord has come.

Just 10 days ago, we celebrated one of the greatest events in history — the birth of our Lord. This is a wonderful time of the year that brings good tidings and cheer to all. Unfortunately, however, today the meaning of Christmas and its celebration has changed. It does not seem to have the same meaning as it was intended.

Just recently you may have heard about the gentleman who was so outraged when airline workers wished him Merry Christmas that he demanded they not say this and caused such a disturbance that he was escorted off the airplane. I was especially moved by the reaction from the other passengers on the plane. They began to applaud. This gave me great joy to see that, finally, people stood up for what they believe.

I have been appalled when I hear that manger scenes and religious symbols such as the Ten Commandments have been forbidden to be displayed in public places. I thought this country was based on religious freedom and Judeo-Christian principles. What has happened to our tolerance? What has happened to our principles? What has happened to our beliefs?

I grew up in Baltimore, Md. In 1960, the city was the home of Madalyn Murray O’Hair when she sued the Baltimore City Schools — a lawsuit that ended public prayer in the schools. I remember the ugliness that people said and did in those times. When she began to rant and rave at Parent-Teacher Association meetings, our parents would quickly shuffle us out of the sessions. Then, and even today, it was a tense time. Many thought that this would put an end to organized religion as we know it. Today, we still see how churches are affected.

God, however is greater than man. No matter how much we deny Him, He reveals Himself stronger than ever. He is always there for us in times of need.

Our Orthodox Christian faith is the oldest Christian expression, which has its roots tracing back to the time of Christ. We are 2,000 years old and have an Apostolic Succession. In other words, I am a priest. I was ordained by a bishop, who in turn was ordained by a bishop, who was ordained by another bishop, and so forth leading back to the 12 apostles. There is an unbroken chain that connects us to Christ. This, however shows that we are a living Church full of vibrancy and life.

As the early Church began to grow and expand, it began also to recognize the feasts or special events relating to our Lord as well as the saints (those who the Church recognizes for their dedication and service to Christ.) One of these great events is celebrated Jan. 6, the Baptism of our Lord. This is also called Epiphany or Theophany, which means God shining forth and through the manifestation of God, His Son. The emphasis is in the present-day celebration on the appearance of Jesus as the human Messiah of Israel and the Divine Son of God, who is the second person of the Holy Trinity.

In the baptism by John in the Jordan, our Lord Jesus identifies Himself with sinners (all of us) as: 1. The “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29); 2. The “Beloved” of the Father whose task is to redeem men from their sins. (Luke 3:21, Mark 1:35); and 3. One of the Divine Trinity when the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove and the voice from Heaven saying, “This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

This is the central epiphany glorified in the main hymns of this feast: “Lord, when You were baptized in the Jordan, the veneration of the Trinity was revealed. For the voice of the Father gave witness to You, calling You Beloved, and the Spirit, in the guise of a dove, confirmed the certainty of His words. Glory to You, Christ our God, who appeared and enlightened the world” (Troparion).

You appeared to the world today, and Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us. With fuller understanding we sing to You: “You came, You were made manifest, the unapproachable light” (Kontakion).

“For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:11-14).

The Feast of Theophany is considered the second-greatest of all Church holidays, behind Pascha or Easter, because it shows how God comes into the world, to us, and to bring us His salvation. On this day, in all Orthodox Churches, water is blessed as the same water that Christ Himself was baptized. With this water, the priest then proceeds to go to the homes of the parishioners and blesses the homes, vehicles and the people. This sanctified water is a source of blessing and healing. Many times the faithful keep this water year-round and drink from it when need arises. It is a great source of blessing.

A tradition in Youngstown is sponsored by the Eastern Orthodox Clergy Association of Mahoning Valley. The group will gather to bless the waters and to pray for the well-being of our beloved city and surrounding area at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Lake Glacier in Mill Creek Park. Everyone is invited to join us as we witness God’s blessings come down upon His people.

The Feast of Theophany or Epiphany is a great opportunity for us all to renew our faith in God. It allows us to see how God comes and reveals Himself to us.

God is the Lord and reveals Himself to us. It is up to us to open ourselves to Him. I pray that 2015 will be a blessed year for us all.

The Rev. Thomas M. Constantine is pastor at St John the Forerunner Greek Orthodox in Boardman.