Theophany Eve. Holy Martyrs Theopemptus and Theonas. Venerable Syncletica.
The Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today (aliturgical). The Royal Hours are prayed this day. It is a day of strict fast.
Readings are for the Vespers Liturgy that takes place in the late afternoon today.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Luke 3:1-18.
Read Luke 3:1-18
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Today we prepare ourselves, with prayer, fasting and almsgiving, for the great feast of Theophany of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Preparation for an encounter with the Divine, which leads to a revelation or a deeper understanding of the Divine, is something that people have been doing since the time of Abraham: setting themselves apart, purifying their lives, repenting in order to make themselves more inclined to the blessing and grace of God. This is what St. John the Forerunner is calling for all to do. St. John knows that God is about to do something great soon. God’s great moment of revelation is upon Israel and people need to genuinely prepare for it.
It is not enough to say one thing and do another. This is two-faced pharisaical repentance, which St. John likens to snakes. St. John calls us to have fruits that befit repentance; in other words let your deeds show forth repentance. St. Cyril of Alexandria says, “More-over, the fruit of repentance is, in the highest degree, faith in Christ. Next to it is the evangelic mode of life, and in general terms the works of righteousness as opposed to sin, which the penitent must bring forth as fruits worthy of repentance.” (COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 7.12).
St. Augustine emphasizes the requirement of acts of mercy: “In a word, therefore, let us all listen, and seriously reflect what great merit there is in having fed Christ when he was hungry— and what sort of a crime it is to have ignored Christ when he was hungry. Repentance for our sins does indeed change us for the better. But even repentance will not appear to be of much use to us if works of mercy do not accompany it. Truth bears witness to this through John, who said to those who came to him, “Bear fruits that befit repentance.” And so those who haven’t produced such fruits have no reason to suppose that by a barren repentance they can earn pardon for their sins.” (Sermon 289.6)
May we prepare our hearts today for the great feast of Divine revelation and great blessing which is upon us. That as we approach we do so with a repentant and contrite heart, but also hands filled with an offering of the fruit of our repentance: faith, evangelical life, acts of righteousness, virtue and many acts of mercy.