Bishop Youssef>>>>The Illumination of the Glorious Theophany Feast

On this glorious Theophany Feast, I wish you all a joyful heart, sanctified, renewed, and eternally illuminated by the Lord Jesus Christ. On this day, the world was invited to witness the manifestation of the Almighty Holy Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The early Church referred to this great feast as the Day of Illumination or the Feast of Lights. The baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ began His ministry and illumined the world as was prophesied by Zacharias the priest who spoke when filled with the Holy Spirit on the birth of his son, St. John the Baptist, the Forerunner (Luke 1: 76-79). He spoke of Christ who would liberate the world that was entrenched in darkness and in the shadow of death. This is Christ of whom this priest testified and foretold that He would guide our steps in the way of peace. It was this child John, who was called to be the prophet of the Highest, preparing His ways, and teaching His people the ways of salvation and the remission of sins.

St. John, a desert dweller and a humble servant of God, was permitted to place his hand upon the head of Christ. Like St. Mary, the Lord Christ exalts the lowly because of their humility. Pride initiated the fall of mankind, but humility became their saving grace. The Dayspring has indeed been manifested in the world. He shone His radiant and purifying light upon us who sat in darkness, void of salvation and grace. Though the Jews, few in number, had a glimpse of light through the Holy Scripture in the Old Testament, the world at large that sat in the shadow of death is now empowered by God’s tender mercies to embrace His light without partiality. The Law alone did not grant grace or entrance into the Promised Land. Moses, the prophet that illustrated the Old Testament could only glance at it from afar. Yet, Joshua, meaning God is Savior, was a foreshadowing of Christ in the New Testament. Crossing the Jordan River by first having all males circumcised prior to entering the Promised Land symbolized their identity as the children of God, but now it is clearly understood to be an inferior application to the better Covenant and the Holy Mystery of Baptism as a requirement for salvation.

Upon baptism and chrismation, we enter the era of grace and live in Christ’s light. In baptism, we become God’s people, and are enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Mysteries of Baptism and Chrismation make us members of God’s family. Though circumcision was symbolic of casting off sensual desires, baptism allows us to become God’s children, not by an earthly heritage, but by faith in Christ and the holy baptismal font in which we are immersed and rise above carnal instincts by dying with Him through His cross and rising with Him. The prophecies of the Old Testament revealed His plan, but the religious leaders of His time scorned Him, preferring to cling to their pride and wallow in darkness rather than to humble themselves and bask in His light. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:11-13).

What great gift is this that Almighty God manifested Himself, the Holy Trinity, for the world to witness and transform through Him, in Him, and with Him? We pray in the Anaphora during Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, “And in the last days You manifested Yourself to us, who were sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, through Your only-begotten Son, our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, who of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary was incarnate and became Man, and taught us the ways of salvation. He granted us the birth from on high through water and Spirit.” The perfect plan of salvation was executed, in which baptism takes us from our current state of spiritual blindness to an enlightened new creation.

In baptism, we shed our former ignorance and sin, which bound us in darkness and the shadow of death, and are born in Christ through water and Spirit. His brilliant light reveals all truth. Christ suffered and died once for all so that all who come to Him in faith will immerse in holy waters just once. St. Paul explains, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:4-5). Because of the Holy Mystery of Baptism, we became a new creation that cannot shelter sin or any kind hatred or malice because of the purifying dwelling of the Holy Spirit in us. As Christians, though we endeavor throughout the way in spiritual struggles, we strive and grow in virtue. The Holy Mystery of Confession continues the constant renewal and refreshment by purging all repented sins and the Holy Eucharist reunites with Christ the Lord for the remission of sins. Never can the Holy Spirit be quenched in the baptized and chrismated faithful in Christ Jesus the Lord.

Light reveals all truth and also brings warmth. I pray that our hearts and minds remain enlightened and reflect God’s light by our steadfast faith and knowledge of the Triune God and by His warmth that we serve all people with compassion and kind-heartedness. We thank God for His tender mercies and we worship the Holy Trinity, the One True God, to whom all glory and honor are His alone, forever. Amen.

God bless you.

Bishop Youssef,
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States