His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos leads Traditional Celebrations of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord/Epiphany in Miami

On January 19 (6) Slavic Christians of the Eastern Orthodox tradition celebrate Epiphany or the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This year, St. Matrona Cathedral in Miami, Fl., welcomed His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos who came with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.

His Grace lead the Divine Liturgy being co-served by Archimandrite Alexander, Bishop-Elect of Nicopolis, Rector of St. Matrona Cathedral who is also the Vicar of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate, as well as the other priests of the Vicariate, namely Archpriest Vasyl Babych, Priest Ivan Zeikan of the St. Matrona Cathedral and Protodeacon Volodymyr Oliynyk of St. John the Forerunner Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY.

On the day of the Epiphany St. Matrona Cathedral quickly filled up with the Orthodox believers. There were so many faithful willing and prepared to give confession and take the communion that the celebration of Holy Communion was done with two Chalices. After the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos being assisted by the rest of the clergyman performed the Service of the Blessing/Sanctification of the Waters. The tradition goes back to the first years of Christianity. The rite of the Blessings of the waters was later fully formed in the VII century in the works of St. Sophronius of Jerusalem. The holy water consecrated during the Great Blessing of the Waters is called the Great Agiasma (Greek for “sacred”) and it retains its healing properties for years. (In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the believers fill their own vessels with the Great Agiasma and take it home to use in the times of need.)

At the end of the service, His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos addressed the clergyman, parishioners and guests of St. Matrona Cathedral and congratulate them with the Feast of Epiphany, or Theophany. On behalf of the parishioners Archimandrite and Bishop-elect Alexander thanked his Grace for his visit that spiritually enriched the celebrations with the prayerful communication, spiritual joy and love in Christ. He also recalled that it was the second time His Grace Athenagoras of Nazianzos had served in St. Matrona Cathedral on the Feast of Epiphany and hoped it signaled the start of a good tradition.

In the afternoon, the clergy and the laity of the Slavic Orthodoxy Vicariate gathered at the shore of the Dania Beach to take part in another traditional sacrament of the day, namely the Blessing of the ocean. This year celebrations were especially solemn as the sacraments of the Great Blessings of the ocean was led by His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, one of the Hierarchs of the Greek Archdiocese of America, it was performed for the 10th year in a row, and also, this year celebrations proved to be the most numerous of all. His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos was co-served by Archimandrite Alexander, Bishop-Elect of Nicopolis, as well as by Archpriest Vasyl Babych, Priest Ivan Zeikan and Protodeacon Volodymyr Oliynyk. At the end of the Sacrament His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos released the Epiphany doves into the air in commemoration of the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove during the Baptism of Jesus Christ as it is written in the Gospel of John, that “John bore witness, saying, «I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.” (1,32) This tradition is also performed in Jerusalem, on Jordan River, and other places all over the world. After that, all who volunteered to keep yet another tradition, plunged into the blessed ocean waters.