Forefeast of the Theophany. Prophet Malachi (ca. 400 b.c.). Martyr Gordius at Caesarea in Cappadocia (4th c.)
St. Genevieve of Paris (ca. 502). Righteous Euthymius (Taqaishvili) the Man of God, of Tbilisi (1953).
New Hieromartyr Basil Kholmogorov, archpriest, of Ostrov (Moscow) (1938).
St. Findlugan of Islay (7th c.). St. Peter of Atroa (837). St. Thomais of Lesbos (10th c.).
Repose of Schemahierodeacon Elder Panteleimon, founder of Kostychev Convent (1884).
Sunday Before Theophany[1]
(31st). [II Tim. 4:5–8; Mark 1:1–8]
Before the Lord’s appearance to the people, before
He began the work of Divine economy[2]
of our salvation, Saint John the Forerunner was sent to
prepare people for receiving Him. This preparation
consisted in a call to repentance. Since then,
repentance has become the path to the Lord and Saviour,
and the threshold to faith in Him. The Saviour Himself
began His preaching with the words: Repent ye, and
believe the gospel (Mark 1:15). Repentance
and faith lead a person who seeks salvation back and
forth between these two states. Repentance weighs him
down with the burden of his sins and frightens him with
the impartial judgement of God’s righteousness.
But faith comes along and shows him the Deliverer Who
has taken away the sins of the world. He who repents
cleaves to the Deliverer, and laying down the burden of
his sins through confession, joyfully runs after Him
along the path of His commandments. Faith in this
manner is born of repentance and is founded on it. He
who repents holds firmly onto faith according to his
feeling of deliverance. Faith is alive through
repentance. Without repentance faith would be like a
sapling which is without an animating
current—withered and not giving of life.
[1]
Theophany, or in Russian,
Bogoyavlenie, means
“God has appeared.” This feast day is
otherwise known as Epiphany.
[2]
Throughout this book, the Russian word,
domostroitelstvo, will be
translated as “Divine economy,” which
refers to God’s stewardship, overseeing our
salvation, as a steward oversees a household. The
epitome of God’s Divine economy is
Christ’s incarnation, and salvation through Him.