Saturday, January 13, 2018

The Baptism of the Lord 2018

Gregory DiPippo

Seeing our enlightenment, that enlightened every man, come to be baptized, the Forerunner rejoices in spirit, and trembles with his hand: he shows Him, and says to the people “Behold Him that ransoms Israel, that delivers us from corruption. O sinless one, Christ our God, glory to Thee! (The first sticheron of Vespers of the Theophany in the Byzantine Rite.)

Mosaic of the Baptism of Christ, early 11th century, from the monastery of Hosois Loukas in Boetia, Greece. (public domain image from Wikipedia; click to enlarge.)
Τὸν φωτισμὸν ἡμῶν, τὸν φωτίσαντα πάντα ἄνθρωπον, ἰδὼν ὁ Πρόδρομος, βαπτισθῆναι παραγενόμενον, χαίρει τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ τρέμει τῇ χειρί· δείκνυσιν αὐτόν, καὶ λέγει τοῖς λαοῖς· Ἴδε ὁ λυτρούμενος τὸν Ἰσραήλ, ὁ ἐλευθερῶν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς φθορᾶς. Ὦ ἀναμάρτητε, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, δόξα σοι.

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