29- THEOPHANY OF OUR LORD
		
		
		The Feast of Theophany is a celebration of an historic 
		event, the Baptism of Christ. In addition, we celebrate 
		all the different manifestations of God (Theophanies) to 
		men in the Person of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. 
		We celebrate in this Feast His mysterious union with 
		humanity in the Church -a union of faith and love, 
		engendering men to a new spiritual life in Baptism. The 
		event of the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River 
		(Mk. 1: 9-11) serves to reveal this union in a clear and 
		special manner. 
		
		
		In accordance with the Gospel this is the first revelation
		of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -the Holy Trinity. The
		icon brings this revelation to us. At the top of the icon,
		the opening of heaven is symbolized by the segment of a 
		circle. This circle signifies God's presence and witness 
		at the event. Emanating from the circle are rays of light 
		surrounding the Holy Spirit, depicted in the figure of a 
		dove descending upon our Savior Who is being baptized in 
		the Jordan by John. In this graphic manner, the Father 
		and the Holy Spirit give testimony to the appearance of 
		the Son of God in the flesh among mankind. 
		
		
		In this icon, we are immediately drawn to the Person of 
		Christ. He stands in the waters of the Jordan. The 
		iconographic imagery expresses that not just a part, but 
		the entire body of Christ is immersed in the Jordan in 
		token of His burial; for in Colossians we read: "In 
		baptism you were not only buried with Him but also raised 
		to life with Him because you believed in the power of God 
		Who raised Him from the dead." (2: 12) The icon's 
		illustration of the total immersion of Christ as well as 
		His right hand blessing the waters signifies the 
		sanctification and purification of the waters by Christ. 
		No longer is water an image of death, but an image of 
		birth into a new life which we share with Christ Who took 
		upon Himself the sins of the world. In Christ we celebrate 
		that all of creation is renewed. 
		
		
		A further illustration of our coming to share this new 
		life in Christ is the symbol of Christ undergoing Baptism 
		"clothed" in the nakedness of Adam, the Father of all 
		mankind. Through Christ's sanctification of the waters, 
		He enables us to be raised up with Him and to put on the 
		robes of incorruptibility. 
		
		
		The role of John the Baptist is depicted by the placing 
		of his right hand on the head of Christ -a gesture which 
		has always been an integral part of the sacramental ritual
		of Baptism. With his left hand, John makes a gesture of 
		prayer, symbolizing the trembling awe which overwhelmed 
		him at the sight of the divine manifestation. 
		
		
		Present in the icon are Angels with their hands covered. 
		Their heads are bowed as an indication of their role of 
		service to God and their reverence for Him Whom they serve.
		 
		
		The Icon of Theophany brings us visually and symbolically 
		to the presence of the manifestation of God, the 
		revelation of the Trinity, and the deep, spiritually rich 
		significance of Baptism. In its presence we know that God 
		does reveal Himself to us and that through our Baptism, 
		established by the Baptism of Christ, we are made new in 
		Christ. 
		
		
		TROPARION -At Your Baptism in the Jordan, O Lord, the 
		worship of the Trinity was revealed; for the Father's 
		voice bore witness to You by calling You His "beloved Son",
		and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth 
		of these words, 0 Christ God. You appeared and enlightened 
		the world. Glory be to You!
		

		It's what's inside my head that counts
		
		
		We are capable of directing and determining the outcome of 
		any and every situation we face through the power of thought. 
		Yet since many of us do not realize our true power, we cannot 
		realize the truth of the statement: "No one can do anything 
		or make you do anything unless you let them." The key is to 
		be honest with yourself and others at all times, keep your 
		thoughts focused on the best possible outcome for everyone 
		involved and never allow yourself to be pushed where you don't 
		choose to be. If someone called you a grape, you probably 
		wouldn't respond. But if that same person refers to you as a 
		coon or spade, you would most likely hold them responsible 
		for your reaction. No one but you can ever be held accountable 
		for what you do. How you respond in any given situation is 
		purely a reflection of what you think - what is in your head. 
		When someone does or says something you believe is offensive, 
		do yourself a favor - don't sell your head.
		
		
		If you don't sell your head, no one will buy it.