In distant Bible times, a great event took place on the Jordan River - the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his memory, the Christian church established a holiday - the Baptism of the Lord. It has another name - Epiphany. The reason is that when the rite was performed, the Lord appeared simultaneously in three of His divine forms: the voice that proclaimed from heaven is God the Father; Jesus baptized in the waters of the river is God the Son; and the dove that descended upon Him is the Holy Spirit.
The second most important holiday after Easter
This holiday is celebrated by all Christians of the world. We celebrate it on January 19 and is considered the second most important after the Holy Resurrection of Christ. Prayers for the Baptism are considered especially blessed. The celebration begins the day before, on a day called Christmas Eve. This day a post is set. He and a special baptismal prayer should prepare believers for a joyful event.
On the evening of this day in all the churches celebratory Conducts and Vespers are performed, which at the end pass into the Matins. At this service celebratory troparia is performed. Troparia is essentially the main Epiphany prayer. Its content is directly related to Bible events. So, the first of them tells how the prophet Elisha divided the Jordanian stream, thereby showing the prototype of the future stop of the natural course of the river at the time of Jesus' baptism. The last troparia describes the emotional confusion that John the Baptist experienced when embarking on the baptism of the One who created this world.
Festive consecration of water
Further, the Gospel and the Apostle are read, in which are given the testimonies of John the Baptist about the divine nature of Jesus Christ. After this begins the Great Vespers, on which, among other things, are read paremias (excerpts from the Holy Scriptures), telling about the divine mission of the Savior.
On the same evening, the Great Consecration of the water takes place. It is important to note that it is performed twice - on this day and directly on the holiday, and the divine grace given is the same in both cases. This should be emphasized, as often it is necessary to hear the relevant disputes.
The tradition of sanctification dates back to very old times. The consecration of water in the temple, during which a special baptismal prayer is read, takes place in the memory of the early Christian baptism of the announced. It took place precisely in the Epiphany of the Epiphany. The consecration of the water of rivers and lakes on the day of the holiday itself is the memory of how Jesus Christ sanctified the waters of the Jordan with his immersion. Usually it is accompanied by religious processions and is called "going to the Jordan." Everything is done according to the example of the Biblical baptism of Jesus Christ - outside the temple. It is generally accepted that the rank of blessing the water was composed by the holy evangelist Matthew, and some prayers for the Epiphany are attributed to Saint Proclus, who was the Archbishop of Constantinople in the 5th century.
Christmas Dives in Jordan
It has become a tradition on this winter holiday to plunge into an ice hole. Usually it is carved in the shape of a cross, a great purifying sacrifice. It is believed that water on this day acquires completely different, healing properties. In addition, immersion in ice water is also a kind of Christian sacrifice. Before plunging into the ice hole, it is not a special Epiphany prayer that is read, but simply three times having overshadowed themselves with the sign of the Cross, they proclaim: "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit," after which they are thrown into the water. This pious tradition requires courage from its performers.
Prayers for Family Happiness
What is it customary to offer prayers on this holiday? Of course, about the dearest, because on this day the whole world is filled with special Divine grace. First of all, this is a prayer for the family. In the Orthodox tradition, it is customary to address her to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through her marriage to Joseph, She showed the world an example of a truly Christian family in which the commandments of God are the basis of life. The duty of all Christian families is to imitate this holy family.
There is another name in the host of saints, to which the prayer for the family should be addressed - this is the archangel Varahiel. He was among those three angels who appeared under the oak in Mamra to forefather Abraham and his wife Sarah. It was he who announced to this couple that he would soon be gifting his son Isaac. He is contacted in cases of any family problems, and most importantly - with infertility or with a difficult pregnancy.
And, of course, we must not forget to pray to our main patrons of family life - the holy wonderworkers Peter and Fevronia. These Murom princes and princesses in Orthodoxy became a symbol of marital happiness. A prayer for the preservation of the family hearth, addressed to them with sincere faith and hope, is always heard. There have been many confirmations of this for centuries.
Home Preservation Prayers
Praying for peace in the family, for the health of all loved ones and relatives, you must necessarily pray for the preservation of the troubles of your home. Prayer for the home is always necessary, because he, like everything else in this world, is supported by the grace of God. He is also subject to all kinds of dangers, to protect from which we ask our heavenly patrons. In Orthodoxy, such a protector is considered to be the one whom the Lord in ancient times placed with the fire-burning sword in his hands to guard the gates of paradise. This is Archangel Michael. He is offered prayers for protecting the house from enemies, visible and invisible.
Prayers to these saints are gracious at any time, regardless of whether it is a holiday or weekdays. But on Christmas, they have a special power. The most important thing is to pronounce them in faith. There should be no shadow of doubt that the request will be fulfilled. That is the law of prayer.
About inadmissibility
Over the centuries, there have been a lot of various traditions associated with the holiday of Christmas. There are good, and bad, originating from pagan times. These are, first of all, various conspiracies and magic. It must be remembered that the church treats them extremely negatively. And this is understandable, because on a holy day for every person, turning to the dark forces for help is completely unacceptable. This is a sin, and very grave. Much more worthy is to go to the temple for a festive service, and then pray at home. The Lord on Christmas Day will certainly hear and fulfill your desires.