Theophany
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Come celebrate the first Appearance of the Holy Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus Christ this Sunday, January 8, at The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church.
Divine Liturgy — 10:00am
Join us in celebrating the Theophany using the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil.
When You, O Lord, were baptised in the Jordan,
Worship of the Trinity was made manifest;
For the voice of the Father bore witness to You,
Calling You His beloved Son.
And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth of His word.
O Christ our God, Who has appeared and enlightened the world, glory to You.
Through Christ’s baptism the nature of the human race has been changed:
The Lord refashions broken Adam in the streams of the Jordan.
And He smashes the heads of dragons lurking there.
The Lord does this, the King of the ages;
for He has been glorified.
The Lord clothed material flesh
with the immaterial fire of divinity.
Now He wraps Himself in the flowing waters of the Jordan.
The Lord does this, the Lord born in the flesh from the Virgin;
for He has been glorified.
— the Matins of Theophany
It is because of the baptism of our Lord that Christians can sing:
For as many as been baptised into Christ have put on Christ: Alleluia.
About Theophany
Theophany celebrates the revelation of the Most Holy Trinity through the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). The baptism reveals the Most Holy Trinity because The Father's voice is heard from Heaven, the Son of God is incarnate and standing physically in the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descends on Him in the form of a dove. “Theophany” means “the appearance of God.”
This Feast commemorates Christ’s baptism by John the Forerunner (“John the Baptist”) in the River Jordan and the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry. It is the culmination of the twelve days of Christmas, which starts on December 25 and ends on January 6.
In commemoration of this event, the Great Blessing of Water is performed on this day. The holy water so blessed is used to cleanse the assembled congregation and by the local priest to bless the homes of the faithful.
Details
All services are in the English language and are held in the main Chapel of the Religious Centre at Monash University, Clayton Campus.
Liturgy is served every Sunday morning, 10.00am
Confessions can be heard from 9.30 am for those who have to travel long distances for the Liturgy.
Parking in the University car parks is free on weekends (but please take note of all signs regarding Loading Zones, No Standing and Disabled Parking– these restrictions apply and are enforced - even at the weekends). Permit zones do not apply at the weekends but apply until 4pm every weekday.