Today You appeared to the world, and Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us as in fuller understanding we sing to You: “You came, You were made manifest, the unapproachable light.”We understand from the words of kontakion of the Feast of Theophany the importance and greatness of this day. It is exactly today, on January 6th, that the entire Orthodox world, and not only the Orthodox world, celebrates the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River.
On this special day the celebrations began in the early hours of the morning at the “Apostle Paul and St. Asti” Cathedral in Durrës. The Divine Liturgy was led by the Bishop of Apollonia, His Grace Nicholas. After the Liturgy the Service of the Blessing of the Water was conducted.
At the end of this Service, the clergy, the choir of the “Resurrection of Christ” Theological Academy and all the believers, accompanied by the sounds of the musical instruments of the brass band of the city, performed the procession of throwing of the cross into the sea. Thus, hundreds of worshippers proceeded to the sea port of Durrës to participate in this ceremony. Also present was the Mayor of the City of Durrës, Mr. Vangjush Dako, who offered his heartfelt congratulations on this blessed day.
After the Blessing of the Water, His Grace Nicholas threw the cross into the sea. Four diligent young men, who braved the freezing temperatures, went into the sea to catch the cross. The quickest was an Orthodox youth from Durrës, 22 year old, Kristi (Klajdi) Beta, a student in the Department of Communication-Design, at the European University of Tirana. When he emerged from the water all the participants congratulated him and honored the cross that he had in his hands.
The celebration was organized not only by believers of the Orthodox Church, but also the City Hall of Durrës, the Traffic Police, the Portal Authority, the Commander of the Port, and the Medical Services, transforming it into a traditional and comprehensive feast for our city. We give thanks to these institutions and express our gratitude on behalf of our community.
All people, regardless of their religion, took the blessed water of Epiphany to drink and to sprinkle in their homes, with faith and hope for a prosperous year, blessed by God. Just as all the waters were blessed, let the lives of each of us be blessed. Today’s celebration reminds us not only of the baptism of Christ, but also our own baptism. Today, more than ever, all the baptized and unbaptized believers should reflect on Baptism and the importance of this mystery in everyone’s life. It is the beginning of our journey toward purification, illumination and sanctification. Let us understand this and draw near to God as much as we are able!
Theano Kostoli
