Fr. Joseph Farooq sends a report on the feast of the Theophany from Sargodha, Pakistan.
Let the Holy Theophany water wash away our troubles forever!
In the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Churches, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated as an integral part of the celebration on January 19 every year.
Following the Sacred Traditions of our Mother Church and Holy Russia, every year on January 19, with full devotion and spirit the ROCOR Faithful in Pakistan celebrated the feast day. The Feast commemorates the Baptism of Christ and the divine revelation of the Holy Trinity. On January 19, on the Feast day, the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is conducted, preceded by Matins and followed by the second Blessing of the Waters.
Divine Liturgy: On Sunday January 19, 2020, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated at St. Sergius of Radonezh Orthodox Church Sargodha Pakistan.
Blessing of the Water: Pakistani Orthodox Christians with true, holy passion and joy celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist. Our Theophany service also included the blessing of the waters; after the blessing of the waters, Fr. Joseph Farooq sprinkled the Holy Water on the faithful and members of the Orthodox Church, and they felt joy and true blessings of the feast day!
Sermon: Father Joseph preached the importance of Baptism and further told the faithful that the Feast commemorates the Baptism of Christ and the divine revelation of the Holy Trinity. At the Baptism of Christ, all three Persons of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—were made manifest. Thus, the name of the Feast is Epiphany, meaning manifestation, or Theophany, meaning manifestation of God. The water blessed at the service of Theophany is traditionally used to bless homes of the faithful.
Humble Request: With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, Saint Michael the Archangel Orthodox Mission in Pakistan humbly request the kind donors for their humble donation so we shall be able to buy land and build the first Holy Russian Orthodox Church in Pakistan and school for Orthodox and Non-Orthodox Christian Children.
See the donation page of their website here.
