Sfințirea Mare a apelor – semn al regenerării cosmice prin Epifania Treimică

Abstract

In the liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church, the great feast of the Epiphany has as main theological focus the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. The liturgy of the feast and the hymns of the forefeast and of the afterfeast, starting from the text of the Gospel, develop the same theme. The Baptism of the Lord is understood and experienced in the Church as a salvific event, that encompasses not only the humankind but also the entire creation, and reveals the cosmic dimension of the mystery of salvation. The aim of this study is the structural analysis of the ritual of the Great Consecration of the Waters, followed by a concise presentation of the theological meanings of the water consecrated at the Epiphany.